Three finalists selected for Brown Deer superintendent position
The Brown Deer School District has named the three finalists under consideration for its next superintendent.
The board has been searching for a replacement for Monica Kelsey-Brown, who announced in December that she had accepted a new role as superintendent of the Waunakee Community School District, in the Madison area, effective July 1.
Finalists for the Brown Deer position are Matthew Boswell, senior director of student services at Milwaukee Public Schools; Katrice Cotton, chief school administration officer for MPS; and Keona Jones, assistant state superintendent of schools with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
Here's more about the candidates:
Matthew Boswell
In addition to his position with MPS, Boswell serves on the city of Milwaukee Social Development Commission. He has held previous roles with MPS, including as regional director of schools, as a principal at Vincent High School and as a guidance counselor at Bay View High School. Boswell also served as a psychotherapist at the Counseling Center of Milwaukee and the Ethan Allen Correctional Facility. He holds a master's degree in guidance and counseling, as well as a bachelor's degree in human development, both degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Stout, according to the district's news release.
Katrice Cotton
Cotton has served in other roles at MPS, including as regional director of schools and principal at Audubon Technical and Communications Center, as well as a language arts/social studies teacher at the same school. She holds a doctorate in education and master's degree in science, both from National Louis University, a master's in educational leadership and administration from Marian University and a bachelor's in elementary education and teaching from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Keona Jones
Jones previously served as the Racine Unified School District's deputy chief of schools; principal of Lakeshore Middle School in the Mequon-Thiensville School District; principal at Thurston Woods School and as an early childhood coordinator and as a special education teacher, all in Milwaukee Public Schools. Jones also served as the executive director of Malaika Early Learning Center in Milwaukee. Jones has a doctorate in education, a master's degree in special educational leadership and a master's in educational leadership, all from Cardinal Stritch University. She also has a bachelor's degree in special education from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, according to the district's news release.
What did the superintendent search process involve?
The district's board partnered with School Exec Connect and used an online survey to identify what characteristics the next superintendent should have. The board also completed interviews with candidates recently, the district's news release said.
There were 22 candidates for the position, 10 of whom were interviewed in the first round and five in the second round. The three finalists will be interviewed in the final round, according to an email from Brown Deer School Board President Todd Beadle.
What are the next steps?
Each finalist is invited to tour the district's campus and participate in a forum with the school board and community. The meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 16 at Brown Deer Middle School's South Commons. The Brown Deer School Board plans to choose the district's next superintendent the week of March 18.
The new superintendent is expected to be named in April, which is also when the transition process is expected to begin, according to the Brown Deer School District's website.
Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at@AlecJohnson12.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Three finalists selected for Brown Deer superintendent position
