Fresno Unified’s new interim superintendent met with reporters Wednesday afternoon to talk about her life story, her longtime connection to the district as a student and staffer, and her plans for moving the state’s third-largest school district forward.

Misty Her said her top priorities will be boosting student academic outcomes, including double-digit improvements on assessment tests that measure not only proficiency, but also the progress students are making to reaching proficiency, and ensuring equitable access to a high-quality education for all students.

She said she is in the process of refining a “100-Day Plan” that she’ll be developing with the School Board, staff and students, “but you can bet that on it is going to be student achievement.”

Her, the district’s deputy superintendent for the past three years, said she welcomes the challenge of being compared against other candidates for the superintendent’s job when the district conducts a national search.

“I fully, fully support a nationwide competitive selection process. I have always said this,” she said during the news conference in the board room. “I want to competitively compete and I want us to do a national search. I look forward to participating in this process.

“This endeavor will ensure that Fresno Unified continues to benefit from visionary leadership and diverse perspectives that will align with our values and aspirations.”

Advantage Over Other Candidates?

But Her ducked a question from GV Wire about whether she thinks she might have a leg up over other candidates as the district’s interim superintendent.

“I’ve always said this, if it’s me, great. If it’s not me, it’s OK, because all we have to do is make it a win for our kids,” she responded. “And so I truly believe that.

“I’m not wavering from my commitment to this district, and I’m fully committed, to this position. And then I will be fully committed to the national search. And again, whatever happens, let’s make it a win for our children.”

The School Board initially had opted to interview only internal candidates and was prepared to do so at an April 3 special meeting. However, in the weeks leading up to the meeting community pressure over that decision ramped up, including news conferences held by Fresno City Councilmembers, Board President Susan Wittrup, top officials in the teachers union, and other community leaders.

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The board has yet to announce how it plans to conduct the national search.

The closed session Wednesday included a discussion of Her’s revised contract and any changes to her pay and benefits, which will be announced later Wednesday in the open session.

Outgoing Superintendent Bob Nelson told GV Wire last week that he will remain on the payroll until his departure on July 31 to provide Her any assistance and advice as needed. Nelson is leaving the district for a job on the Fresno State faculty.

Future Dreams

Her said that during her school days as a member of the Student Advisory Board, she spent time in the board room observing School Board meetings and dreaming about one day sitting on the dais in the top job.

She noted that in the district’s more than 150-year history, she is the first woman to serve as superintendent.

The appointment makes her the highest-ranking Hmong-American educator in the nation, a position that Her said she could not have achieved without the support of her husband and three children, the sacrifices her parents made to bring the family to Fresno from a refugee camp in Thailand after leaving the prisoner-of-war camp in Laos where she was born, and the encouragement of her family and co-workers, particularly Nelson.

“In closing, I extend my heartfelt appreciation to our Board of Education and the entire Fresno Unified family for this remarkable opportunity,” she said. “I just want all of you to know, our families and our students and our staff, you are not invisible to me. I see you. I see the work that you do every single day. We value you. We care about you. We could not do this without you. And more than anything, we love you. So together, let us write the next chapter of excellence, equity and achievement for every student who walks through our doors.”

How Will Her’s Plan Impact Bond Measure?

At the start of the board meeting a few minutes later GV Wire Publisher Darius Assemi congratulated Her on her promotion and said he was eager to see her “100-Day Plan,” especially since the trustees appear to be moving forward with plans to put a $500 million bond measure on the November ballot.

“We hope that that plan gets released to the public, hopefully soon, and definitely ahead of when the bond measure is going to be put on the ballot, so taxpayers know what measures are in place to help make changes in the education of our kids before we go for that one,” he said.