The vote was unanimous. The Kansas City School Board announced Wednesday night after a national search that Interim Superintendent Jennifer Collier is their choice to be Kansas City Public Schools’ next superintendent.

What’s left now are the details of a contract negotiation, but the board hopes soon to finalize the promotion of the district’s popular leader.

“Dr. Collier has proven in interviews and as interim superintendent” that she brings both “exceptional leadership and pride in our school district,” said Kansas City school board member Tanesha Ford in announcing the board’s choice.

Because the contract has not been finalized, the board and Collier limited their comments, but Collier did take a moment to express her thanks to the board and the community.

“I am super excited about the future of Kansas City Public Schools,” she said.

Collier was picked out of a list of 17 applicants forwarded by the district’s hired search firm. She was one of five chosen for a second round of interviews and then picked from two finalists.

“Dr. Collier,” Ford said, “has respect for the historical legacy” of the Kansas City Public Schools.

Across her 23 years in the district, Collier fully experienced the district’s story, through its most difficult, challenging times and as a leader in its recent rise.

The district achieved full accreditation in 2022 under previous Superintendent Mark Bedell with Collier as deputy superintendent and is now enjoying something of a renaissance in its leadership.

The school board agreed that promoting Collier from interim is the surest way to keep this momentum going.

Previously, she’s been a teacher, assistant principal, principal and chief human resource officer.

She ran classrooms, led school buildings, built communities and ran departments — praised as a reliable and consistent presence through times of changing superintendents and lost accreditation.

When Bedell shaped the administrative team that would finally lead the district all the way back to full accreditation, he picked Collier as his top lieutenant, naming her deputy superintendent.

As deputy superintendent, she was in charge of the academic vision built into the district’s 2030 Blueprint plan, and has carried it forward as interim superintendent.

As deputy, she oversaw the Departments of School Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction, Professional Development, Student Support, Equity and Inclusion and Human Resources.

Bedell made his decision to move on after six years to take a superintendent opportunity closer to his home. He was able to make that decision, he said, knowing that the Kansas City Public Schools were in good hands with Collier.

Collier is from Kansas City, was educated in Kansas City — earning her master’s degree at Avila and her education specialists degree and doctoral degree at UMKC.

She earned strong marks at every level of her career: Raising test scores and attendance as principal at Border Star; hiring top certified talent and increasing the district’s number of teachers of color in classrooms as chief human resource officer; and leading the improved academic, social-emotional and operational functioning of schools as deputy superintendent.

She has the trust of the community, demonstrated in the widespread positive response to her handling of the difficult and ongoing school-closings process.

By Joe Robertson/LINC Writer