GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — The search for the next superintendent of Green Bay Area Public Schools is down to two.
On Monday, NBC 26 got to meet Jenny Risner, one of the two finalists.
Risner is currently the Director of Special Services at a school district in Oregon.
Over the course of her 27-year career in education, Risner has been all over the country, formerly serving as superintendent at districts in Iowa and Washington.
"You know, one of the things that you do as a leader, the strategies that you use and the organizational strategies, those are the same, regardless of the size of the district," Risner said.
Risner says as superintendent in Green Bay, she would use a community input and a collaborative planning process to tackle issues of declining enrollment.
She says her big goal is closing the achievement gap.
"One of my greatest goals coming in would be to address that achievement gap through curriculum, through equity work, and ensuring that all of our students have the best educational opportunities that they possibly can," Risner said.
GBAPS provides a gifted and talented program.
Risner said she oversees the gifted and talented program at her district, and said it's all about kids meeting their skill levels.
"I think that regardless of what programs students are in, our goal in education is always to provide every student with the best possible education," Risner said.
On Monday evening, parents and community members got to meet Risner at a public meet-and-greet.
"It was extremely important for us to hear her take on where gifted and talented lie, and what that means in her repertoire," parent Melissa Samuels said. "So, she mentioned lots of different things that were comforting, including making it equitable for all students."
"I think she (Risner) said the right things, actually," parent Sumit Ringwala said. "I think that she seems to be very authentic. She's very transparent."
On Tuesday, NBC 26 will meet Dr. Claude Tiller, Jr., the other finalist in the superintendent search.
The school board is set to approve the next superintendent's contract at a meeting in April.
