Fresno Unified trustees on Wednesday chose Misty Her to be the district’s next superintendent. The school board selected the interim superintendent as the only finalist to take the top leadership role.

In her first speech to the public as the all-but-official superintendent, Her said they’ve already begun to implement plans to turn the district around. She cited four specific goals the district has already begun to implement through her time as interim superintendent.

“We are not guessing, we are not improvising, we have a blueprint,” Her said.

She also said she would bring accountability to the district.

“If we want different outcomes for our students, we must do things differently,” she said.

Board Will Approve Her’s Contract April 30

The board will present Her’s contract to the public and officially name her superintendent at the April 30 board meeting, according to Fresno Unified spokesperson Nikki Henry.

Trustees said Her was the best candidate they interviewed. Roosevelt-area trustee Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas said based on input from community feedback sessions people wanted someone with classroom teaching experience, ties to the Central Valley, a strong educational background, and other qualities.

“Those are the qualities we found 100% in Misty Her,” Jonasson Rosas said.

The board voted 6-1. Bullard area trustee Susan Wittrup gave the only dissenting vote.

Despite the opposing vote, Wittrup called her a strong educator committed to her role.

“These are the qualities I deeply respect and I look forward to working with you and supporting you,” Wittrup said.

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Four Goals Will Focus on Literacy, College and Career Readiness

Moving away from the district’s dozens of metrics, Her said she would focus on four specific goals for students.

She wanted students testing at grade for reading by first grade. Those who don’t would receive literacy intervention outside of the classroom.

Older students preparing to leave high school would get college prep or career prep, including career technical education. Students would also learn essential life skills.

Her came to Fresno after being born in a prisoner-of-war camp at the tail end of the Vietnam War. Both of her parents worked at the district as custodians, each of them for 30 years, she said.

Her inspiration for leadership came from the children’s book “Madeline” a librarian at a Fresno Unified school gave her.

She said even though the main character looked differently than her, she identified with the character who was also different than everyone else.

“It is why I became a teacher. It is why I became a principal, it is why I stand before you now today,” Her said.

Community Reacts to Misty Her’s Appointment

Members of the Hmong community came out to support the board, thanking them for supporting diversity.

The district reserved the first three rows of seats for Her’s family. While the board was not supposed to have made a decision at that point, Henry said they had expected Her to become superintendent.

One member of the Hmong community, now a high school counselor, said he was part of the first wave of Hmong refugees. He thanked trustees for putting homegrown talent in a position of leadership. “I think you will be engaging in a very historical move,” he said.

Others, however, felt the district did not uphold its promise for a transparent process and did not, in earnest, look at outside candidates.

President of the Fresno Teachers Association Manuel Bonilla congratulated Her on the new position, saying her success would lift the district. But he said a supermajority of teachers in a recent poll said they’ve lost trust in the district because of the process. “It’s about a pattern of closed-door decisions,” Bonilla said.

Granville Homes President Darius Assemi said the district has for decades failed in terms of reading and writing. He cited statistics showing Black students testing below grade level in reading and math.

“I thought this was going to be different,” Assemi said. “I thought this was going to be a new day.”

(Disclosure: Darius Assemi is the publisher of GV Wire)

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Questions Arise About Board Transparency

After becoming a teacher and principal in Fresno, Her joined the district’s leadership in 2011 as instructional superintendent for school leadership, according to Fresno Unified. In 2021, she became deputy for former superintendent Bob Nelson, who left the position in July 2024.

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When a majority of board members wanted to limit the search to only internal candidates, the community — led by then Board President Wittrup — strongly opposed the limited search process.

Fresno Unified students consistently test among the worst in the state in English language arts and in math.

Board Addresses Search Process, Says Her Was the Best Candidate

Board members spent much of their time addressing concerns from community members and the media about the search process.

Board President Valerie Davis called the search “rigorous and thorough.” She called opposition to the search “noise fueled by personal and political agendas.”

“We focus on outcomes, not optics,” Davis said.

Her said she and her family received many threats as well as racist and sexist accusations.

Trustee Veva Islas said even though the process was not perfect, accusations of working in secret are “ludicrous.” She said California’s Brown Act — which says how public meetings and decisions are made — keeps them from doing backdoor deals.

Trustee Claudia Cazares said she was proud of the decision to appoint Her.

Trustee Keshia Thomas said Her’s selection made her proud to be a woman. But she also said she expects the district to turn student outcomes in a positive direction.

“We’ve been waiting for real results,” Thomas said. Thomas has been a trustee since 2018.

Trustee Andy Levine said when they committed to the nationwide search, Her rose to the top of the candidates. However, he said student outcomes need to “significantly improve.”

He said he would hold Her accountable as the community should hold trustees accountable for results.

“Nobody should be even remotely satisfied with where we are,” Levine said.