After the search for a new Omaha Public School superintendent goes bust leaving parents and teachers calling it an embarrassment, community leaders are calling for a leader who knows Omaha.
During Monday night’s OPS board meeting many parents, teachers, and community members didn't hold back their frustrations.
Pastor Dr. Cedric Perkins of Pilgrim Baptist Church in north Omaha spoke out but views this as a glass half full.
“It may be some divine intervention that now we are at this point,” said Perkins.
A point where Cedrick says the board should choose someone who knows the district.
“That person is Doctor Deb Frison,” said Perkins.
Perkins said Dr. Frison spent over 30 years at ops most recently a principal at Burke High School. Currently Dr. Frison is the Deputy Commissioner for the Nebraska Department of Education.
“This situation that we are in now, I just kind of believe we need someone who already knows the landscape, someone who has the experience, someone who's going to be fair,” said Perkins.
OPS board president Lacey Merica said on Monday they don't know if they will still continue to use the search firm McPherson and Jacobsen.
We talked with Eggers Consulting Company who deals mostly with banking and financial clients on how they view this search.
“By the time you get to this point you're putting even the candidates that you bring to the table, putting their current position in school districts behind the 8 ball if they are at the point where they are just starting over-you kind of leave them in the lurch,” said Egger Consulting Company CEO Randy Lyons.
He says the board might need to re-think how it chooses its superintendents.
“They certainly need to reevaluate possibly kind of their process and whether it’s being effective or not also some other names pitched last night to fill the interim role.
Current OPS Assistant Superintendent Doctor ReNae Keherberg and Council Bluffs Superintendent Martha Bruckner
Bruckner told 3 News Now she didn't want to comment until the board has a more concrete idea of where they are headed.
