Misty Her is named Fresno Unified superintendent. ‘We must do things differently'
Fresno Unified trustees selected interim Superintendent Misty Her as the full-time leader, making her the first woman to lead the state's third-largest district since its inception in 1873.
The historic Wednesday evening announcement by the school board concluded a tumultuous 15-month search for a new leader after Bob Nelson, the former superintendent, announced his retirement in January 2024.
The board voted, 6-1, in closed session to select Her as the next superintendent, and will approve a superintendent contract at its April 30 meeting. Trustee Susan Wittrup cast the 'no' vote.
Her has worked in Fresno Unified for more than 30 years as a bilingual instructional aide, elementary teacher, vice principal, principal, assistant superintendent and instructional superintendent. She was named a deputy superintendent in March 2021 and took over as interim leader of the district in May 2024.
Her assumes the role of full-time superintendent as the school district faces low student test scores, yawning student achievement gaps and pandemic learning loss. She vowed to focus on improving early literacy rates, closing achievement gaps and increasing the percentage of high-school graduates deemed college- and career-ready.
'Let me be very, very clear, if we want different outcomes for our students, we must do things differently,' Her said. 'We must stay laser focused. We must align our initiatives, our actions and our energy behind our goals, and we must hold ourselves accountable.'
Some Hmong parents and community members spoke in support of Her's appointment at Wednesday's school board meeting, and urged trustees to remove the interim label.
In prepared remarks, Her said she would aim to display 'leadership that builds bridges, not walls' and prioritize students' learning. Her said the lengthy search process took a toll on her family as she received racist and sexist threats after publicly disclosing she applied for the permanent position.
'I ask you that we move forward together with courage, with clarity and with compassion, and let's build a Fresno Unified where every student achieves their greatest potential,' Her said. 'I am honored to accept this role as the permanent superintendent.'
Still, the school board's search process was not without controversy. Trustees initially sought to select a full-time leader last May, but delayed their pick by a year following public criticism over trustees' plan to limit their search to internal candidates only.
The school board expanded to a national search and interviewed candidates behind closed doors earlier this month.
Board President Valerie Davis defended the school board's selection process as 'rigorous, thorough and transparent.'
'We know we have selected the most qualified, experienced, visionary leader to take Fresno Unified to the next era — Mao Misty Her,' Davis said. 'She knows what we need in our community, she has a proven track record with 10,000 employees and leading with her heart, her courage and listening for what's said and not said, and with an unwavering belief that everything is possible in every child.'
Following Nelson's retirement announcement, Fresno Unified launched a search for his successor by holding a series of community listening sessions and spending $40,000 to hire a search firm.
In March 2024, the board decided on a 4-3 closed-session vote to limit its superintendent search to internal applicants, a move that garnered widespread criticism. Trustee Susan Wittrup, the board president at the time, petitioned for a wider search, and more than a hundred parents and community members protested at the district's downtown headquarters on the eve of the scheduled internal interviews, demanding transparency in the search process. The board canceled the interviews.
That same night, the headhunter withdrew from Fresno Unified, citing the search was 'compromised.'
The board appointed Her as interim superintendent last May, and vowed to restart its search to include outside candidates.
Last May, the board spent $100,000 to hire a coach to address frequent infighting among board members.
In February 2025, Fresno Unified spent $34,500 to hire another headhunter firm, McPherson & Jacobson, LLC, to conduct a nationwide search.
That search was done mostly behind closed doors — a move that drew criticism from the Fresno Teachers Association and community members for lack of transparency and public input.
Manuel Bonilla, president the teachers union, told board trustees Wednesday, before they entered closed session, that most rank-and-file members 'have lost a significant amount of trust in you.'
'I want to be clear, it's not because of the person you chose, but because of the process that you led,' Bonilla said.
Bonilla accused the board of ignoring an offer by the union to pay and host a public forum of candidates for the position.
Earlier this month, the board held closed-door interviews with several candidates. The district didn't reveal the names of the other candidates who interviewed with trustees, and argued that a public interview process would have deterred some candidates from applying.
A community advisory panel, whose members were picked by trustees, also participated in the candidate interviews.
The panel was set up as 'an additional opportunity to appropriately gain insight from various members of the community,' said Ben Johnson II, a consultant from the search firm.
Johnson declined to share who served on the advisory panel.
'The panel only provided areas of strength and potential areas of opportunity of the candidates,' he said. 'There is zero ranking. The panel's feedback is consensus.'
Nikki Henry, Fresno Unified's spokesperson, said all trustees and panel members signed non-disclosure agreements to preserve the confidentiality of the candidates and the interviews.
'This confidentiality was critical to ensuring the strongest possible candidate pool,' Henry said. 'Many high-level leaders might not have applied if there had been a public interview process prior to finalist selection, given the potential risk to their current roles, teams, and communities.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
From ‘Tudo bem?' to ‘Gracias,' a growing share of US residents speak a language other than English
Spanish may be the most spoken language at home behind English, except in three U.S. states, but the second most-popular, non-English languages used in each state show off the diversity of the United States in unexpected places, whether it's Korean in Alabama or Vietnamese in Kansas. Almost 22% of U.S. residents age 5 and older spoke a language other than English at home, double the share from four decades ago, according to figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau, and it varied by state. In California, 44% of residents spoke a language other than English at home, while it was 2.5% in West Virginia. The United States is a multilingual nation due to immigration, despite recent crackdowns by the Trump administration, said William Frey, a demographer at The Brookings Institution. 'This is a big part of who we've been over a long period of time,' Frey said. President Donald Trump earlier this year issued an executive order designating English as the official language in the U.S. Spanish was spoken at home by 13.2% of speakers, and it was the top non-English language spoken at home in every state but Hawaii, Maine and Vermont. In Maine and Vermont, home to French Canadian communities, French was the most popular non-English language, and in Hawaii, it was Iloko, a Filipino language. Here's a look at where languages are spoken in the United States. Arabic Outside of English and Spanish, Arabic was the most spoken language at home in Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia. The Detroit, Michigan, area has more Arabic speakers than any other metro area. Central Yup'ik About 1 out of 7 Alaskans who speak a language other than English at home did so in Central Yup'ik, making the native language the second most common non-English language behind Spanish in Alaska. Chinese Chinese was the second-most common non-English language spoken at home in Delaware, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington. If all Chinese dialects are combined, it would be the third most spoken language in California behind English and Spanish. French Although it was the dominant non-English language in Maine and Vermont, French was the second most-common non-English language in Louisiana, Maryland, New Hampshire and North Carolina. German German was the most spoken language behind English and Spanish in eight states — Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina and Wyoming. In total, more than 871,000 people over age 5 spoke German at home in 2021, compared to 1.6 million in 1980. Haitian Florida had almost a half million Haitian speakers , making it the most common language behind English and Spanish. The Sunshine State has the nation's largest Haitian population. Hmong In Minnesota and Wisconsin, Hmong was the second-most spoken non-English language at home. Many Hmong people settled in the Upper Midwest states after fleeing Southeast Asia in the mid-1970s following the Vietnam War. Korean Korean was the most spoken language in Alabama and Virginia behind English and Spanish. Lakota In South Dakota, the Lakota dialect of the Sioux people was the most common language spoken behind English and Spanish. Marshallese The language of the Marshall Islands was the second-most spoken non-English language in Arkansas, where the community is concentrated in the northwest part of the state. Navajo Arizona and New Mexico had the most Navajo speakers in the United States. The Navajo Nation extends into Arizona and New Mexico, where the indigenous language was the second-most popular non-English speech in those two states. Polish Despite a nationwide decline in speakers, Polish was Illinois' second-most common non-English language behind Spanish, primarily due to the Chicago area having one of the nation's largest Polish communities. Portuguese Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island have some of the largest concentrations of Portuguese speakers in the U.S., making it the most spoken language in these states behind English and Spanish. It also is the second-most common non-English language in Utah, which is home to missionaries who served in Brazil and explains its popularity, according to the University of Utah. Tagalog The Filipino language was prevalent in California, Hawaii and Nevada, where it was the second-most popular non-English tongue. Vietnamese In Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas, Vietnamese was the most popular language behind English and Spanish, reflecting that people who speak different languages are no longer concentrated in big cities that serve as entry points for immigrants. 'People of different backgrounds are dispersed to different parts of the country,' Frey said. ___ Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform Bluesky: @ . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
From ‘Tudo bem?' to ‘Gracias,' a growing share of US residents speak a language other than English
Spanish may be the most spoken language at home behind English, except in three U.S. states, but the second most-popular, non-English languages used in each state show off the diversity of the United States in unexpected places, whether it's Korean in Alabama or Vietnamese in Kansas. Almost 22% of U.S. residents age 5 and older spoke a language other than English at home, double the share from four decades ago, according to figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau, and it varied by state. In California, 44% of residents spoke a language other than English at home, while it was 2.5% in West Virginia. The United States is a multilingual nation due to immigration, despite recent crackdowns by the Trump administration, said William Frey, a demographer at The Brookings Institution. 'This is a big part of who we've been over a long period of time,' Frey said. President Donald Trump earlier this year issued an executive order designating English as the official language in the U.S. Spanish was spoken at home by 13.2% of speakers, and it was the top non-English language spoken at home in every state but Hawaii, Maine and Vermont. In Maine and Vermont, home to French Canadian communities, French was the most popular non-English language, and in Hawaii, it was Iloko, a Filipino language. Here's a look at where languages are spoken in the United States. Arabic Outside of English and Spanish, Arabic was the most spoken language at home in Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia. The Detroit, Michigan, area has more Arabic speakers than any other metro area. Central Yup'ik About 1 out of 7 Alaskans who speak a language other than English at home did so in Central Yup'ik, making the native language the second most common non-English language behind Spanish in Alaska. Chinese Chinese was the second-most common non-English language spoken at home in Delaware, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington. If all Chinese dialects are combined, it would be the third most spoken language in California behind English and Spanish. French Although it was the dominant non-English language in Maine and Vermont, French was the second most-common non-English language in Louisiana, Maryland, New Hampshire and North Carolina. German German was the most spoken language behind English and Spanish in eight states — Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina and Wyoming. In total, more than 871,000 people over age 5 spoke German at home in 2021, compared to 1.6 million in 1980. Haitian Florida had almost a half million Haitian speakers, making it the most common language behind English and Spanish. The Sunshine State has the nation's largest Haitian population. Hmong In Minnesota and Wisconsin, Hmong was the second-most spoken non-English language at home. Many Hmong people settled in the Upper Midwest states after fleeing Southeast Asia in the mid-1970s following the Vietnam War. Korean was the most spoken language in Alabama and Virginia behind English and Spanish. Lakota In South Dakota, the Lakota dialect of the Sioux people was the most common language spoken behind English and Spanish. Marshallese The language of the Marshall Islands was the second-most spoken non-English language in Arkansas, where the community is concentrated in the northwest part of the state. Navajo Arizona and New Mexico had the most Navajo speakers in the United States. The Navajo Nation extends into Arizona and New Mexico, where the indigenous language was the second-most popular non-English speech in those two states. Polish Despite a nationwide decline in speakers, Polish was Illinois' second-most common non-English language behind Spanish, primarily due to the Chicago area having one of the nation's largest Polish communities. Portuguese Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island have some of the largest concentrations of Portuguese speakers in the U.S., making it the most spoken language in these states behind English and Spanish. It also is the second-most common non-English language in Utah, which is home to missionaries who served in Brazil and explains its popularity, according to the University of Utah. The Filipino language was prevalent in California, Hawaii and Nevada, where it was the second-most popular non-English tongue. Vietnamese In Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas, Vietnamese was the most popular language behind English and Spanish, reflecting that people who speak different languages are no longer concentrated in big cities that serve as entry points for immigrants.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Associated Press
From ‘Tudo bem?' to ‘Gracias,' a growing share of US residents speak a language other than English
Spanish may be the most spoken language at home behind English, except in three U.S. states, but the second most-popular, non-English languages used in each state show off the diversity of the United States in unexpected places, whether it's Korean in Alabama or Vietnamese in Kansas. Almost 22% of U.S. residents age 5 and older spoke a language other than English at home, double the share from four decades ago, according to figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau, and it varied by state. In California, 44% of residents spoke a language other than English at home, while it was 2.5% in West Virginia. The United States is a multilingual nation due to immigration, despite recent crackdowns by the Trump administration, said William Frey, a demographer at The Brookings Institution. 'This is a big part of who we've been over a long period of time,' Frey said. President Donald Trump earlier this year issued an executive order designating English as the official language in the U.S. Spanish was spoken at home by 13.2% of speakers, and it was the top non-English language spoken at home in every state but Hawaii, Maine and Vermont. In Maine and Vermont, home to French Canadian communities, French was the most popular non-English language, and in Hawaii, it was Iloko, a Filipino language. Here's a look at where languages are spoken in the United States. ArabicOutside of English and Spanish, Arabic was the most spoken language at home in Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia. The Detroit, Michigan, area has more Arabic speakers than any other metro area. Central Yup'ik About 1 out of 7 Alaskans who speak a language other than English at home did so in Central Yup'ik, making the native language the second most common non-English language behind Spanish in Alaska. Chinese Chinese was the second-most common non-English language spoken at home in Delaware, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington. If all Chinese dialects are combined, it would be the third most spoken language in California behind English and Spanish. French Although it was the dominant non-English language in Maine and Vermont, French was the second most-common non-English language in Louisiana, Maryland, New Hampshire and North Carolina. German German was the most spoken language behind English and Spanish in eight states — Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina and Wyoming. In total, more than 871,000 people over age 5 spoke German at home in 2021, compared to 1.6 million in 1980. Haitian Florida had almost a half million Haitian speakers, making it the most common language behind English and Spanish. The Sunshine State has the nation's largest Haitian population. Hmong In Minnesota and Wisconsin, Hmong was the second-most spoken non-English language at home. Many Hmong people settled in the Upper Midwest states after fleeing Southeast Asia in the mid-1970s following the Vietnam War. Korean Korean was the most spoken language in Alabama and Virginia behind English and Spanish. Lakota In South Dakota, the Lakota dialect of the Sioux people was the most common language spoken behind English and Spanish. Marshallese The language of the Marshall Islands was the second-most spoken non-English language in Arkansas, where the community is concentrated in the northwest part of the state. Navajo Arizona and New Mexico had the most Navajo speakers in the United States. The Navajo Nation extends into Arizona and New Mexico, where the indigenous language was the second-most popular non-English speech in those two states. Polish Despite a nationwide decline in speakers, Polish was Illinois' second-most common non-English language behind Spanish, primarily due to the Chicago area having one of the nation's largest Polish communities. Portuguese Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island have some of the largest concentrations of Portuguese speakers in the U.S., making it the most spoken language in these states behind English and Spanish. It also is the second-most common non-English language in Utah, which is home to missionaries who served in Brazil and explains its popularity, according to the University of Utah. Tagalog The Filipino language was prevalent in California, Hawaii and Nevada, where it was the second-most popular non-English tongue. Vietnamese In Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas, Vietnamese was the most popular language behind English and Spanish, reflecting that people who speak different languages are no longer concentrated in big cities that serve as entry points for immigrants. 'People of different backgrounds are dispersed to different parts of the country,' Frey said. ___ Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform Bluesky: @
