The Akron Board of Education voted late Thursday night to move forward with pursuing C. Michael Robinson Jr. to be the district’s next superintendent.
The board voted, after more than six hours in executive session, to allow chair Derrick Hall to engage in contract negotiations with Robinson, who is chief academic officer for East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools. The district has previously said it hopes to have a superintendent in place by Aug. 1.
Robinson was superintendent of Pine Bluff School District in Arkansas and worked two-and-a-half years as a leadership coach in Texas before his time at East Baton Rouge, according to his resume. Before that, he had administrative and principal jobs at public schools in Maryland and Georgia after about six years spent as a teacher.
The board has been working under a tight timeline, kicking off the search in earnest just last month, after former Superintendent Christine Fowler-Mack left the position in March, less than a year and a half on the job following strained relations with the board.
Robinson won out over two other finalists, including internal candidate Mary B. Outley, who is the interim superintendent and has worked at the district for more than 30 years. The other finalist was Jermaine Dawson, chief academic officer for Birmingham City Schools in Alabama.
Nia Campbell, chief academic officer for Aurora Public Schools in Colorado, another finalist, had removed herself from consideration, Board Chair Derrick Hall said earlier this week.
Robinson during a candidate forum Wednesday night said school safety and community engagement were two priorities for him, the Akron Beacon Journal reported.
