AKRON, Ohio — Akron Public Schools has narrowed down its field of candidates for its vacant superintendent position.
On Thursday, the district announced that seven candidates have been selected to take part in the first round of interviews that will begin next week.
The candidates are:
- Dr. Nia Campbell, Chief Academic Officer, Aurora (CO) Public Schools
- Dr. Jermaine Dawson, Chief Academic and Accountability Officer, Birmingham (AL) City Schools
- Larry Johnson Jr., Supervisor of Secondary Schools, Akron Public Schools
- Mary Outley, Interim Superintendent, Akron Public Schools
- Dr. C. Michael Robinson, Chief Academic Officer, East Baton Rouge (LA) Parish School System
- Dr. Kenny Rodrequez, Superintendent of Schools, Grandview (MO) C-4 School District
- Dr. Charles Smialek, Superintendent of Schools, Parma City Schools
According to the district's timetable, the second round of interviews would begin sometime around June 29, followed by the anticipated decision by the APS Board of Education. The preferred start date for the new superintendent is slated for August 1.
The district announced May 1 that it would be conducting a national search for "an experienced, energetic leader" to take over as superintendent following the resignation of Christine Fowler-Mack in February.
Mary Outley, who has been serving as interim superintendent since Fowler-Mack's departure, is one of the seven final candidates. She was encouraged to apply for the permanent position by the Akron Public Schools Board of Education, citing her more than three decades of experience with the district as a teacher, principal, and administrator. She was also a student of the district herself.
"She's really walked in the moccasins of a lot of people, so she knows what it's like to be there in the trenches, and she hasn't forgotten that," said APS Board President Dr. Derrick Hall back in February. "I think that's what makes her such a fantastic administrator, is the fact that she does have that wealth of experience."
