PUSD Superintendent McDonald Named Candidate for Columbus, Ohio City Schools Top Position

[Updated] The Columbus City Schools Board of Education announced on May 1 that Pasadena Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Brian McDonald is among six candidates for the top leadership position in the Ohio district.

The Pasadena Unified School District would not comment on the matter when reached by Pasadena Now.

Several members of the District’s executive leadership team have left the district recently.

Chief Business Officer Dr. Leslie Barnes, Facilities Director Leonard Hernandez and Chief of Technology Tendaji Jamal have left or tendered their resignations this year.

Late last year, Chief Human Resources Officer Stephen Miller retired.

Late last month, a source within the district told Pasadena Now that several board members wanted McDonald out. 

According to the announcement by the Columbus City Schools Board of Education, the candidates were selected after a nationwide search, with 31 individuals submitting their applications.

Interviews with the six candidates, including Dr. McDonald, were scheduled for May 2 and 4.

Following the interviews, the board will invite the candidates to Columbus for a “Day in the District” on May 11.

During this event, the district will host a “Meet the Candidates” community forum, allowing the public to hear from the finalists in a moderated question-and-answer format. The event will also be available through live stream.

Final interviews are set to take place the week of May 15.

According to the Columbus School Board, the screening process for the applicants considered their administrative experience, academic backgrounds, and input from both the community and the board. Community feedback was collected through various methods, including surveys, small group discussions, stakeholder interviews, and an in-person town hall held on April 25.

The search consultant working for the Columbus School Board reportedly conducted an in-depth investigation to evaluate the candidates further, contacting references and individuals familiar with each applicant to assess their professional strengths and weaknesses.

The other finalists are:

• Dr. Thomas Ahart (Des Moines, Iowa)
• Dr. Angela Chapman (Columbus, Ohio)
• Dr. Jermaine Dawson (Birmingham, Alabama)
• Dr. Stephanie Jones (Chicago, Illinois)
• Dr. George (Eric) Thomas (Minneapolis, Minnesota)