St. Paul schools superintendent Joe Gothard chosen to lead Madison district
ST. PAUL, Minn. — St. Paul Public Schools will begin its search for a new superintendent after the man currently heading the district was named the head of Madison, Wisconsin schools.
The Board of Education in Madison confirmed Joe Gothard's appointment to the position Monday.
Gothard is a Madison native and spent much of his career there before coming to Minnesota in 2013. He became SPPS superintendent in 2017.
SPPS said its still working out plans to find its next superintendent.
Gothard's appointment came on the same day as the Saint Paul Federation of Educators announced an intent to strike on March 11 if a tentative contract agreement isn't reached with SPPS. This marks the third time in Gothard's tenure teachers have voted to strike. In 2020, educators walked off the job for three days, while in 2022, a last-minute deal averted a strike.
Bargaining teams from both sides will meet on Friday with state mediators.
Gothard was named 2024's Minnesota Superintendent of the Year and National Superintendent of the Year.
Gov. Tim Walz thanked Gothard for his six-year tenure.
"Thank you for your willingness to make brave decisions on behalf of Saint Paul students and your passion for public education. We wish you the very best," Walz wrote on X.