Joe Gothard's Abysmal Record as Superintendent of the St. Paul Public Schools

Joe Gothard's status as the National Superintendent of the Year is a metaphor for the intellectually incestuous public education establishment. 

Notice first that Joe Gothard has very slim academic credentials, with an undergraduate degree in biology education (rather than a full-curriculum major in biology, as opposed to biology education) and graduate degrees in education (rather than a major academic field, such as physics, mathematics, history, economics, government, or literature).  Further, Gothard received all of his degrees from the  low-ranked Edgewood College.  Genuine scholars and academically well-regarded individuals generally receive at least one of their graduate degrees from institutions other than those from which undergraduate degrees were received.  

Joe Gothard      (Superintendent, St. Paul Public Schools)

Doctor of Education, Edgewood College, Educational Leadership

Master of Education, Edgewood College, Educational Administration

Bachelor of Arts, Edgewood College, Biology Education

Now notice how Gothard’s National Superintendent Award, received from the establishment organization American Association of School Administrators, after having been selected as the Minnesota Superintendent of the Year by the establishment Minnesota Association of School Administrators (affiliated with the national organization, above), was bestowed despite the following abysmal record.  Gothard is the salient over-hyped official whose main accomplishment is becoming well-liked by colleagues in the public education establishment.

                      2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024                                                                                       

Reading            38%  40%  33%  35% 34%  34%

Mathematics    33%   32%  21%  25% 26%  26%

Science             30%   29%  24%  25% 23%  25%