The Edina School Board voted 7–0 to give Interim Superintendent Dr. Daniel Bittman the position of permanent superintendent this evening after interviewing him in a work session.
Three weeks ago, the school board paused the external search for the next superintendent with the intention of formally interviewing Dr. Bittman for the position. According to a statement from Edina Public Schools, this decision was based on the “strong alignment between the district’s current and future needs and the leadership Dr. Bittman has demonstrated.”
The school board’s interview of Dr. Bittman consisted of 15 questions regarding his experience with conflict resolution, community engagement, student support and performance, and future goals. After each question, members filled out a sheet with their impressions and rated Dr. Bittman’s response on a three-point scale.
Dr. Bittman emphasized his value of open dialogue with EPS district members and 16 years of superintendent experience. “I am a person who is driven, a person that is going to work collaboratively, and a person that’s going to make sure that the things we’re doing for kids, families, and staff are done really right and well,” he said regarding why he believed he was a good fit for Edina superintendent. “There’s probably not anything that could or would happen in Edina that I haven’t been through before.”
When asked about how his priorities intersect with the EPS 2030 Strategic Plan, which lays out the district’s core goals and plans for the 2020–30 decade, Dr. Bittman said that his focuses include an inclusive educational environment, multilingual and global learning, early learning and family partnership, accessible learning opportunities, and staff leadership.
After the interview portion, each member completed a form ascribing Dr. Bittman a score based on their sheet that was then compiled into an overall review for discussion. Comments were positive; Assistant Treasurer Michael Birdman noted that he was glad to see that board members generally agreed on “very high scores and ‘exceeds’ in key areas.” Assistant Clerk Elliot Mann said that Dr. Bittman’s qualities of being mission-driven, proactive, and strategic almost exactly matched the board’s leadership profile for an optimal superintendent.
“There was an event in an elementary school on Friday, and this guy was very concerned about ICE presence… he was asking me a lot of questions, and I did not know the answers… and so I sent [Dr. Bittman] a message. He got back to me instantly [and] said, ‘Give this person my phone number. Love to have a conversation.’ And I followed up with [the guy’s] parents today, and they said, ‘Yes, we had a wonderful conversation,’” Clerk Cheryl Barry said.
The session ended in a 7–0 vote to give Dr. Bittman the position of permanent superintendent. Dr. Bittman will enter contract negotiations with the governance committee and seek board approval for the contract in the following months to secure the position.
