‘I’ve had to work to prove myself.’ Meet first woman to lead Fresno Unified

Fresno Unified’s new interim superintendent said improving achievement outcomes is the top priority during her tenure.

Misty Her, who has served the district for over 30 years and the past three years as deputy, was named interim superintendent as the board continues to search for a permanent hire. Her’s appointment was effective May 8 as outgoing chief Bob Nelson moved to an advisory role through July.

She is the first woman leading the district in its 151-year history, and the nation’s highest-ranking Hmong K-12 educational professional, according to the district.

Instead of feeling stressed or nervous, Her said she feels inspired every day when she walks through the hallway where the former male superintendents’ picture hangs. Her hire reflects the diversity of Fresno Unified, she says.

“When people see me, they see a woman, they see an Asian woman, does that make me nervous?” she said. “Not really, because all my life, I’ve had to work to prove myself just because of who I am.”

Her top priority, she said, is to improve student performance in real time rather than waiting for state test scores.

“We are going to get those double-digit gains, and we must continue our efforts to close the achievement gap and foster a supportive environment for all students,” she said.

She plans to take a fresh look at metrics and then take necessary steps to improve student proficiency.

“The interim metrics that we are going to use in between to measure so that by the time our kids are taking the state test, we should already be able to predict how we’re going to do,” she said in an interview with The Bee.

State testing refers to the Smarter Balanced tests, an annual assessment in English language arts and mathematics for all students in grades three through eight and eleven. In the 2022-23 school year, 33.2% and 23.3% of Fresno Unified students met or exceeded literacy and math standards, respectively. California’s overall results are 46.7% in English and 34.6% in math.

That doesn’t mean Fresno Unified will add more tests, Her said, but capitalize on existing tools and data, such as i-Ready Diagnostics, a 15-minute test that identifies areas where students may need help and provides personalized online lessons. The district’s Assessments and Accountability department and school sites also deliver regular reports to ensure kids meet milestones.

Her said she excels in simplifying complicated concepts. For example, Fresno Unified has been championing the Literacy Initiative program, designed to help first-grade students read at grade level.

“I would say they should come in knowing the letters and sounds, they should be able to blend, they should be able to know high-frequency words, they should be able to read simple text and know how to hold a book and how to track,” she said.

Equity access to learning

Her values coherence and stability as the district transitions to her leadership and prepares for the next school year, but she said she wants to be innovative to find the best approach for each child.

“How do we leverage what they already know, and to get them there, not every child is going to get there at the same time,” she said.

“My 14-year-old son who’s in our system, he tells me all the time, ‘Mom you can’t design for when you went to school, you have to design for the times that we are in right now, and how are you preparing me for a future that you might not even be around for?’” she added.

Responding to public concern that Fresno Unified is a failing school district, Her said she looks not only at test scores, but also at student growth. Many of the children are experiencing hardships, and they are beating the odds, she said.

Nearly nine of every 10 Fresno Unified students are living in poverty, the state’s education data show. The median household income for Fresno city is $56,462, with 45% of families earning less than $50,000 annually, according to Census data.

Competing for the permanent role

Her acknowledged that she has applied to be the new superintendent, but will not be involved in the search process, she said.

“I think that we are going to do a nationwide search that is going to bring in very high-quality candidates, and I’ve always said this, ‘If it’s me, alright, if it’s not me, it’s okay,’ because all we have to do is make it a win for our kids,” she said at a Wednesday press conference.

In the interview with The Bee, Her said this unique interim situation allows her to test if her leadership is what’s best for the students.

“She’ll get a chance to prove herself in terms of leading this district over the next few months, and how she deals with some of the issues that happen on campuses, employee issues and the biggest thing I want to see her do is lead instruction,” said Trustee Keshia Thomas.

Neither Her nor the board has a timeframe for her tenure. They haven’t discussed the vacant deputy superintendent position as Her has become the interim.

The board is in contact with a consulting firm to figure out the next steps, said Thomas, but the board hasn’t made crucial decisions that can be reported to the public. Members did not provide an update at the Wednesday board meeting on the search status.

“We’re still in the process of using the firm to decide what direction; I think our goal is to make sure the community is involved,” Thomas said.

Thomas added that the board is examining strategies to encourage outside applicants to be interested in the job.

Board President Susan Wittrup said having an interim superintendent in place releases some of the pressure off the board.