South school briefs: Superintendent search narrowed in Burnsville-Eagan-Savage

District 191 has narrowed its superintendent search from five candidates to two, with Darren Kermes and Joe Gothard advancing to the final round.

A tour and interviews with students, community members and the school board was to take place Tuesday for Gothard. Kermes is scheduled to make the same rounds Wednesday.

Kermes is a local candidate — he is the executive director of the Carver Scott Educational Cooperative and Minnesota River Valley Special Education Cooperative in Shakopee.

Gothard is the assistant superintendent of the Madison Metropolitan School District in Madison, Wis.

While Gothard's interviews were to be completed Tuesday, Kermes was scheduled to attend a community session at 5 p.m. Wednesday in the Senior Campus Commons, upper level, at Diamondhead Education Center, 200 W. Burnsville Pkwy. in Burnsville. That session was to be followed by an interview at 7:45 p.m. with the school board at the Administrative Services Center, 100 River Ridge Court in Burnsville.

At the community session, the candidate will take audience questions, and those attending will be asked to fill out an evaluation.

Board members will most likely make a final selection Wednesday night and start negotiating a contract. The new superintendent will take over on July 1. Current Superintendent Randy Clegg is retiring June 30.

Steven Albaugh, choral music teacher at Rosemount High School, has been chosen as one of 10 teacher of the year finalists in Minnesota.

Albaugh and the others were selected from a group of 39 semifinalists and 135 original candidates from across Minnesota.

On May 4, the selection panel will meet to interview the 10 finalists and to cast their votes. On May 5, last year's teacher of the year, Jackie Roehl of the Edina School District, will announce this year's winner at a ceremony in Brooklyn Park.

The teacher of the year awards are organized by Education Minnesota, the state's teachers union.

Erin Adler