3 finalists for Re3 superintendent

Interviews to be conducted March 3 by Re-3 School Board; decision likely to be announced March 15

Three finalists were announced for the superintendent position of the Morgan County School District Re-3 that has been filled by Interim Superintendent Dr. Rena Frasco since Dr. James Hammack’s resignation in June 2020.

The finalists are: Kevin Case, Dr. Joseph Libby and Antwan Wilson.

Kevin Case

Kevin Case was most recently superintendent the Emporia Public School District in Kansas from 2016 until November 2020. He had previously worked as the Superintendent of Inman, Kansas, public schools and as the principal of Smoky Valley High School in Lindsborg, Kansas. He graduated from Kansas State University with a bachelor’s degree in business in 1987, returned for a master’s degree in 1989 and got his superintendent cer tification at For t Hayes State University in 1993.

Case said his communication skills, visibility in his role, foresight and track record running a diverse school district gave him qualities that would make him a superintendent.

Most importantly to him, though, is leadership skills he’s developed over his career.

“A school superintendent’s major role is not only to provide leadership for the district, but more impor tantly, to develop collective leadership capacity within the organization. Continuing to refine, devel

op and grow my leadership skill set is extremely impor tant to me,” Case said in his cover letter.

Case resigned from the Emporia School District after the Emporia Public School Board approved a separation agreement in a special meeting.

Dr. Joseph Libby

Dr. Joseph Libby is the Teaching and Learning

Ser vices Executive Director at West Des Moines Community Schools. Since beginning his career in education in 2005, he’s ser ved as an assistant principal, has been a principal of three different middle schools and as an Assistant Director of Inclusive Education before taking his current role. He received his bachelor’s degree in elementar y education from Iowa State University in 1994, a master’s degree in Education Administration from Saint Cloud State University in 1999 and a doctorate in Leadership in Education in 2004 from Saint Mar y’s University of Minnesota.

In his application, Libby stated his experience in rural and urban districts, strategic planning, budget management, community engagement and commitment to equitable programs for students would bring a distinct and valuable skill set to the district.

“With the assistance of a great staff, we have been able to develop and maintain educational systems that have produced quality results for all students in the areas of post-secondar y, career and life readiness,” Libby said. “With 23 years in administration spanning Assistant Principal to Executive Director, I continue to look for oppor tunities to give back to the profession.”

Antwan Wilson

Antwan Wilson is currently the CEO of Schoolwise Education Consulting in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he also works as a visiting professor of education at Nebraska Wesleyan University. Wilson began his career in education in 1996 and taught middle and high school in Nor th Carolina, Kansas and Nebraska. He moved to the administrative side in 2001 at Wichita Public Schools, first as the Assistant Principal of Wichita High School before becoming the Principal

of Pleasant Valley Middle School.

In 2005 he moved to Colorado to become Principal of Montbello High School in Denver, until becoming the Instructional Superintendent for High Schools in 2008 and then Assistant Superintendent of Post Secondar y Readiness in 2009. In 2014 he moved districts to become the Superintendent of the Unified School District in Oakland, California. In 2017 he was hired as the Chancellor of District of Columbia Public

Schools.

In his application Wilson stated his commitment to a student-first approach to teaching across his many different roles.

“Throughout my career working as a University Professor, Educational Consultant, Chancellor, Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Principal and teacher I have prioritized continuous professional and personal growth while serving the community in the interest of providing young people a quality education,” Wilson said.

Wilson left the District of Columbia Public Schools amid controversy after he had allegedly asked the Deputy Mayor for Education to exempt his daughter from an admissions lotter y, which he addressed in his cover letter.

“My last district leadership position as Chancellor of DCPS did not end the way I would have liked. Much of the coverage of my transition from the district did not provide an accurate picture of the circumstances at play,” Wilson said. “To be clear, I always operate with integrity and did so there, and I am proud of what we accomplished in DCPS under my leadership.”

The Re-3 Board of Education will begin conducting inter views with the finalists on Wednesday, March 3, and will announce their decision on March 15. The new superintendent will start on July 1.