Trustees have begun negotiations on a contract to make Misty Her the next Fresno Unified superintendent, multiple sources tell GV Wire.

Her is currently the interim superintendent of the state’s third-largest school district.

She emerged as the top choice of the trustees after they interviewed a field of finalists on Wednesday at the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Fresno. The finalists were also interviewed by a community advisory panel comprised of representatives chosen by the trustees.

A high-ranking Fresno Unified administrator confirmed the choice of Her as superintendent, and talk of Her’s selection spread quickly through the district’s ranks Thursday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the leader of the teacher’s union described Her’s selection as a missed opportunity.

“I know that many people will feel like the fix was in from the very beginning,” said Manuel Bonilla, president of the Fresno Teachers Association. “The board had a unique opportunity to use this process as a way to rebuild its trust with the community. Unfortunately, it seems like they missed that opportunity. So, to many people, this process will be like a mandate of the status quo.”

A Fresno Unified spokesperson said Her could not comment on board actions. Board President Valerie Davis did not return a call from GV Wire, and trustees Veva Islas and Susan Wittrup declined to comment.

Trustees need to approve a contract publicly. Their next regularly scheduled meeting is Wednesday, April 23.

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Three Highly Qualified Out-of District Candidates

One source said that some members of the advisory panel believed that other candidates were more qualified to lead the district. In addition, one of the members told GV Wire that the trustees had subverted the hiring process for the district, which has long struggled to improve student learning.

For example, the seven panel members were limited to asking questions from a district-supplied list. Additionally, they were not allowed to discuss the candidates amongst themselves, give recommendations, rank candidates, or see resumes. One source called the search a “waste of time.”

Ben Johnson with search firm McPherson Johnson said panel members were chosen to give the consultants what they thought were candidates’ strengths and weaknesses. He said panelists were not supposed to disclose their findings to the public.

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At one point, one of the the advisory committee members became so frustrated by the limited scope of their duties that they nearly walked out.

Multiple sources told GV Wire that the three out-of-district finalists were highly qualified and had new ideas to steer the district in a positive direction. They said while  Her agreed that the district was headed in the wrong direction, she could not demonstrate how she used her nearly 15 years in leadership to turn the district around.

“The board has three candidates with long accomplished records as reformers and change agents with years of proven records as outside candidates,” a source said. “If they want to take the district in a new direction, then they have three solid options. If they want to stick with the status quo, then they can choose the interim, and the public should not expect any improvement in student outcomes.”

For more than a decade, the district has tested far below state academic standards. So when four trustees in 2024 wanted to only look internally for a replacement for former Superintendent Bob Nelson, public outcry, led by then-Board President Wittrup and community members, spurred trustees to change course and promise transparency and a nationwide search.

In the year since voting to broaden the search, several trustees have tried to speed up the selection process. Trustees also scheduled public comment on the interview process at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, but no residents showed up to speak.

Can New Superintendent Scale Initiatives District-Wide?

During her year-long tenure as interim superintendent, Her mentored teachers and met with chronically absent students. But a source said that she failed to demonstrate during interviews how she would scale those efforts district-wide.

A source predicted that maintaining the status quo could mean further declines in student achievement and enrollment. As Sanger Unified, Central Unified, and Clovis Unified have added students, Fresno Unified has shrunk.

But even as enrollment and attendance — major factors in funding — decline, school districts still have the same financial liabilities, such as pensions and bonds, as they do when they were bigger.