MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The search firm Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, hired by the Memphis-Shelby County School Board to conduct their search for the next superintendent, announced their three finalists for the job Saturday, including a controversial internal candidate.
MSCS Interim Superintendent Toni Williams, Dr. Brenda Casselius of Boston Public Schools, and Dr. Carlton Jenkins of Madison, Wisconsin, Metropolitan Schools were announced as finalists in front of the school board Saturday morning.
Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates said 34 people applied to the job in total, and 21 were advanced to interviews and background checks.
Brenda Casselius was most recently the superintendent of Boston Public Schools for three years, and was the statewide education commissioner in Minnesota before that.
She earned her doctoral degree at the University of Memphis in 2007, and has background with MSCS, leading the district's middle schools from 2004 to 2007.
Carlton Jenkins was the first Black superintendent for Madison, Wisconsin, when he took the job in 2020, and announced his retirement from the district in February.
He has a long track record in education including a previous superintendent position in Minneapolis.
Interim Superintendent Toni Williams was found to be a candidate for the permanent job amidst much controversy after it was publicly announced in August she was given the interim job due to no interest in applying for the permanent role.
Althea Greene, the chair of the Shelby County Board of Education, said in August, 2022, Toni Williams was chosen as the interim Superintendent largely because she had no intention of taking the permanent role.
“We decided that we wanted someone to serve as an interim who did not have intentions on applying for the superintendent [job],” Greene said. That's why I am nominating Chief Toni Williams, because she does not want the job as superintendent."
The MSCS Board questioned the decisions of the search firm, namely wondering why they did not disclose the search rubric to the Board before the finalist announcement.
The Board also demanded the names of the other 31 applicants who did not make it to the finalist process.
“Our board had some concerns with the finalists who were proposed by HYA and its process for selection, so we are taking a step back. HYA will contact all candidates and ensure they are willing to remain in the process, then we will publicly release the list for full transparency," said Althea Greene, MSCS Board Chair. "While we believe all of the proposed finalists are viable, we must have a level of confidence that they are truly the best for this critical role."
The public finalist interviews, scheduled for April 21 and 22, have been canceled until the finalists can be confirmed by the board.