NEW GLARUS - New Glarus schools Superintendent Barbara Thompson soon may have many more students under her direction.
Thompson, who has been with the New Glarus district since 2003, is one of two finalists for the same position in the Montgomery, Ala., district. Four members of the Montgomery County Board of Education and two Montgomery magnet school principals wrapped up a two-day visit to New Glarus on Friday, according to the Montgomery Advertiser newspaper. The board members met with Thompson, community leaders, teachers, parents and current and former New Glarus school board members.
"She has so much to offer Montgomery," Beverly Ross, chairwoman of the Montgomery County Board of Education, told the Montgomery Advertiser.
"I want to make sure we have the best candidate," Montgomery school board member Melissa Snowden told the newspaper. "I think we have a long way to go. Barbara is smart and very strong and New Glarus is an incredible village, but it's the opposite of Montgomery."
The New Glarus school district has about 1,000 students. Montgomery schools have nearly 32,000, with a large makeup of black students from single-parent homes. Thompson is New Glarus' first black superintendent, and fewer than 1 percent of the community's 2,100 residents are African-American.
Thompson told Montgomery school leaders that she is ready to move on from New Glarus because she feels the district is prepared to forge ahead with the changes she has put in place since she arrived six years ago - even if all the changes have not been popular.
"I'm comfortable because I know my district is in good shape," Thompson was quoted as saying in the Montgomery Advertiser.
The other finalist for the Montgomery post is Samantha Ingram, superintendent of Fairfield County Public Schools in South Carolina.
Thompson said she is prepared to join Montgomery Public Schools before the first day of school on Aug. 10. She also was a finalist for the Janesville and Beloit school district superintendent positions earlier this year.
Thompson, who has been with the New Glarus district since 2003, is one of two finalists for the same position in the Montgomery, Ala., district. Four members of the Montgomery County Board of Education and two Montgomery magnet school principals wrapped up a two-day visit to New Glarus on Friday, according to the Montgomery Advertiser newspaper. The board members met with Thompson, community leaders, teachers, parents and current and former New Glarus school board members.
"She has so much to offer Montgomery," Beverly Ross, chairwoman of the Montgomery County Board of Education, told the Montgomery Advertiser.
"I want to make sure we have the best candidate," Montgomery school board member Melissa Snowden told the newspaper. "I think we have a long way to go. Barbara is smart and very strong and New Glarus is an incredible village, but it's the opposite of Montgomery."
The New Glarus school district has about 1,000 students. Montgomery schools have nearly 32,000, with a large makeup of black students from single-parent homes. Thompson is New Glarus' first black superintendent, and fewer than 1 percent of the community's 2,100 residents are African-American.
Thompson told Montgomery school leaders that she is ready to move on from New Glarus because she feels the district is prepared to forge ahead with the changes she has put in place since she arrived six years ago - even if all the changes have not been popular.
"I'm comfortable because I know my district is in good shape," Thompson was quoted as saying in the Montgomery Advertiser.
The other finalist for the Montgomery post is Samantha Ingram, superintendent of Fairfield County Public Schools in South Carolina.
Thompson said she is prepared to join Montgomery Public Schools before the first day of school on Aug. 10. She also was a finalist for the Janesville and Beloit school district superintendent positions earlier this year.