Tulsa Public Schools To Narrow Search For A New Leader This Week

The Tulsa School Board announces four candidates in the running to become Tulsa Public Schools' next leader. <br/><br/>Current superintendent Doctor David Sawyer retires at the end of June. The board

Sunday, May 7th 2006, 1:43 pm

By: News On 6

The Tulsa School Board announces four candidates in the running to become Tulsa Public Schools' next leader.

Current superintendent Doctor David Sawyer retires at the end of June. The board will start interviewing finalists this week.

News on 6 Education reporter Ashli Sims says of the candidates are no strangers to controversy.

One of four educators could be Tulsa Public Schools next superintendent. Dr. Julia Earl currently heads up Nashua Public Schools in New Hampshire. The district is about 30-minutes from Boston and enrolls about 13,000 students, a third of the size of TPS.

Earl is only in her first year at Nashua but according to area newspapers, she's already involved in a budget fight with the city's mayor. He slashed the school's budget by $4-million and reportedly more than 130 employees could be laid off.

Dr. Sidney "Chip" Zullinger is the former superintendent of Manassas Public Schools a district of about 6,700 students outside of Washington D.C. The Potomoc News reported the Manassas school board ousted Zullinger last September, after he served four years with the district. The paper reported the school board decided not to renew Zullinger's contract and relieved him of his duties immediately.

The Washington Post reported last October that Zullinger and the school board did not get along and the board didn't feel Zullinger was doing enough to raise test scores. A January article in the Potomoc News stated the school board "was flooded with complaints and pleas to consider reinstating his contract."

Zullinger also left the top job at Denver Public Schools after serving less than a year. A Denver Schools press release said, "there were concerns about Zullinger's leadership style."

Dr. David Flowers has been the superintendent in Fargo, North Dakota which serves about 11,000 students for about seven years. Flowers also worked as a deputy superintendent in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Dr. Johnny Brown is an education consultant from Stone Mountain, Georgia. An October 2004 press release from DeKalb County schools said the board and Brown "mutually agreed" to part ways and Brown would become a consultant to the board.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported he was bought out of his contract with Dekalb Schools.

The Tulsa school board will start interviewing the four finalists Monday.