Candidate Latonya Daniels emphasizes equity, data and visibility in ISD 191 superintendent interview

Latonya Daniels, assistant superintendent of Richfield Public Schools, told the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191 scribe board on the evening she is seeking the superintendent job and would prioritize equity, visibility in schools, data-driven instruction and community engagement if selected.

Daniels, who said she has "been in public education for a little over 28 years," described a leadership approach that pairs scheduled, intentional building visits with an instructional focus and systems-level work to reduce disparities in outcomes for historically underserved students.

Why it matters: The district is recruiting a new superintendent to follow the work of the current superintendent and faces familiar issues including curriculum adoption, budget priorities, facilities projects and declining enrollment. The scribe board conducted a one-hour interview with Daniels and will continue deliberations before notifying candidates.

In her answers, Daniels emphasized concrete steps she said she uses to improve outcomes. On equity, she described analyzing quantitative data on attendance, behavior and course-taking, then holding listening sessions with students and teachers to understand the experiences behind the numbers. "Experiences, I believe, inform outcomes," she said, and recounted previously leading targeted efforts that increased representation of students of color in rigorous courses from about 30% to about 65% at a past high school.

She described a two-track approach: technical work such as improving data input and curriculum review and adaptive work that requires changes in mindset and practice. Daniels said her district conducts a "Spring Roadshow" to vet priorities with principals, instructional leadership teams, the union and families before rollout and that she involves parents in curriculum review through district advisory committees.

On being visible, Daniels said the practice is scheduled and normalized: "For me, I know my schedule. ... On Fridays, I intentionally ... keep my calendar open so I can start my day visiting buildings and just being present in buildings." She added that being visible is paired with a team that can cover work when she must respond to urgent needs.

On supporting struggling administrators and teachers, Daniels described a plan-do-study-act approach: set clear, desk-level expectations tied to data, vet plans with instructional coaches, collect classroom evidence and hold follow-up check-ins. She said accountability comes from clear goals and frequent, structured meetings: "Clear expectations. Clear expectations."

Regarding special populations, Daniels said she aligns teaching-and-learning leaders with student-support leaders so students with IEPs, multilingual learners and gifted students are served first as general education students with targeted supports layered in. She described co-teaching models, talent-development specialists for enrichment and professional learning for teachers to implement supports.

On budget development, Daniels said the budget must reflect strategic priorities and acknowledged that roughly 80% of K–12 budgets typically go to staffing. She said her process would include presenting priorities to principals and the board, soliciting staff and community feedback (including targeted outreach to Somali and Spanish-speaking families), and prioritizing spending that directly aligns to the district's strategic plan.

Daniels also described a recent, high-profile incident she handled as a principal — a viral video of a cafeteria worker discarding a student's hot meal — as an example of communicating transparently under pressure. She said the response included public acknowledgment, policy changes, listening to students to learn barriers to meal-payment access, and creating student and parent advisory groups to rebuild trust.

Board members asked about near-term priorities for a new superintendent; several directors mentioned facilities work and relationship building in the community, and one director noted a pending property sale with the city and concerns about declining enrollment.

The scribe board closed the interview by saying it will contact candidates after the scribe board finishes its deliberations.