St. Paul Schools Superintendent, who was hired this morning to be the new superintendent in Austin, Texas, has just issued this statement:

"A few moments ago, Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees voted to name me as the lone finalist to be the next superintendent of the Austin Independent School District. It is with mixed emotions that I accept Austin's invitation.

"As I noted last week, I am deeply honored to have worked with the Saint Paul Public Schools families and staff. It is thanks to their commitment that we have come such a long way in the District in such a short time. I am proud of the work we have begun together, and my work here in SPPS is not yet complete.

"My plan is to remain SPPS superintendent through the end of the school year, and I will continue to work as hard as I have the last three years to address the District's current and future challenges. We have created a solid foundation for this school district's future through our Strategic Plan for Continued Excellence, the 2006 referendum and, more recently, through the development of Large-Scale System Changes. That work will continue now with the help of a dedicated professional administrative team and through the leadership of the Board of Education.

"Saint Paul Public Schools is now better positioned to address achievement and structural challenges than even a few short years ago because the staff serving SPPS students have had the courage to identify those challenges and take action to address them. Having focused so much of myself on SPPS these last few years, I will be proudly watching the District's progress even as I begin a new opportunity in Austin."

Meria Joel Carstarphen
Superintendent, Saint Paul Public Schools

She is apparently in Austin today. She's worked in St. Paul since 2006.