Duluth Public Schools names Marissa Garvick Herrera director of advancing equity

The Duluth Public School District on Monday introduced Marissa Garvick Herrera as its new director of advancing equity, a position the district says is intended to center equity as academic and instructional work across preK–12 schools.

Assistant Superintendent Anthony Bonds told the school board he had asked to "pull an audible" to introduce Herrera, who "just joined the district recently" and was "already hitting the ground running." Herrera spoke briefly about her background and goals.

Herrera said she began her career as a kindergarten teacher in Denver and later worked at Denver Public Schools as a founding member of a culturally responsive education team. She described roles as a district project manager and a specialist coaching 25 schools on culturally responsive practices, and said she has also worked as a K–12 consultant and as a director of programming at the Jeremiah Program, a nonprofit supporting single mothers pursuing higher education.

"For me, it's really important to show up as disrupting some of the narratives that are common around equity," Herrera said, adding that she wants the work to be seen as "academic leader[ship], an instructional leader[ship]."

Board members asked about Herrera's immediate staff and reporting lines. Herrera said the office of equity will consist of her as director, a shared clerical executive assistant, and school-based staff she will supervise, including the American Indian education department and integration specialists (ISECs). She said families-in-transition staff are likewise aligned to the office but are supervised at school sites because they are embedded with teachers and students.

Superintendent Ken (first name used in the transcript as Magus) Magus and board members framed the hire as part of a multi-year restructuring that added director roles to reduce supervisory spans and give principals greater support. Magus said the district—s three strategic areas include "supporting every student, advancing equity, and improving systems," and he praised the decision to elevate equity into a director-level role rather than treating it as a checklist.

Board members welcomed Herrera and said they view the position as a signal of long-term commitment. Member Derek Geter said the newly created director role "shows a commitment to our equity work" and that the board—s support for the position indicates the district is "serious about it," despite national controversy around equity topics.

Herrera said her immediate priorities include focusing on adult behaviors that affect student outcomes and beginning with literacy; she told the board that culturally responsive practice includes both representation and rigorous instruction that ensures children read on grade level.

The district said it will update organizational charts and web pages to reflect the new structure and contact information for the teaching-and-learning department.

Speakers quoted in this article spoke during the board meeting transcript provided by the district.