Head of Carver-Scott Ed. Coop in Running for Burnsville Superintendent

The head of the Carver-Scott Educational Cooperative could become superintendent of the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage school district.

Darren Kermes, the executive director of the Carver-Scott Educational Cooperative (CSEC), is one of five semifinalists vying for the job, which will be vacated by retiring Superintendent Randy Clegg at the end of the school year. Kermes also serves as the executive director of the Minnesota River Valley Special Education Cooperative (MRVSEC).

The Scott-Carver cooperative, also known as District 930, provides services to non-traditional students and those with special education needs, from early childhood into adulthood. CSEC draws students from Belle Plaine, Chaska, Jordan, New Prague, Norwood Young America, Prior Lake-Savage, Shakopee, Waconia and Watertown-Mayer school districts. CSEC is closely linked to MRVSEC.

According to a report in the Chaska Herald from July 2011, Kermes (then director of special education for CSEC) was initially hired as interim director to replace retiring executive director Randy Zitterkopf. He has been executive director at MRVSEC since 2006. 

In his bid for the Burnsville position, Kermes will contend with Joe Gothard (assistant superintendent of the Madison Metropolitan School District in Wisconsin), Dr. Raymond Queener (assistant superintendent of Stillwater schools), Dr. Teri Staloch (assistant superintendent of Osseo Area Schools) and Dr. Robert Slotterback (superintendent of the Richfield School District).

The Burnsville Board of Education will go through five rounds of intensive interviews with the candidates over the next two days. The board is expected to narrow the field to just two finalists before the week is out.