As Eden Prairie Schools searches for a replacement for outgoing Eden Prairie High School (EPHS) Principal Nate Gibbs, the district is seeking community input and feedback on three candidates for the role.
The EP Schools community – including staff, students, and families – is invited to an upcoming forum where candidates will introduce themselves, discuss their backgrounds, and respond to questions.
Three consecutive “Community Conversation” sessions will occur from 5 to 7:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 11, in the EPHS auditorium. Attendees are asked to park at the North Entrance of EPHS, located at 17185 Valley View Road.
The event will be in person only and will not be recorded or livestreamed. Live translation services to Somali and Spanish will be available, and light snacks will be provided.
The district has asked attendees to RSVP if they plan to attend. Community participants will be asked to score each candidate’s responses to the questions and offer any additional feedback. To evaluate responses fairly, the district has requested that attendees stay for all three interviews if they choose to participate.
The community can also submit interview questions and fill out a feedback survey, regardless of whether they plan to attend.
Dirk Tedmon, EP Schools’ executive director of marketing and communications, said that, as of April 9, more than 100 people had indicated they would attend, so the event has been moved to a bigger space than originally planned.
Tedmon said it’s unusual to have a public interview forum for candidates for principal, but that the district wanted to ensure the community had the opportunity to play a significant role in the process of choosing who will fill such a key role.
“In addition to being the high school principal, this person will also be a community leader since we only have one high school,” he said.
The job posting, including a list of requirements for eligible candidates, can be viewed here.
In addition to the community forum, candidates will meet that same afternoon with panels of students, EPHS faculty leaders, and site administration. Final interviews will take place with the Superintendent’s Cabinet the week of April 15.
Learn more about the principal search process and access all feedback and RSVP forms here.
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