OKCPS Board Set To Decide On Accepting Superintendent McDaniel's Resignation

The Oklahoma City Public School board will decide Thursday evening whether to accept the resignation of Superintendent Dr. Sean McDaniel.

McDaniel submitted his resignation Monday citing fundamental differences in philosophy with a particular board member.

Since 1992, nobody has held the position within the district longer. According to Yukon Public Schools superintendent, Dr. Jason Simeroth, it is no common feat. “Nationwide 36 months - that’s your average,” says Simeroth. “And that’s a long average. Some people say 24 to 36.”

If that’s the case, you might call Simeroth an outlier. He’s been the superintendent of Yukon Public Schools for a decade. It’s a role that answers to many. “You’ve got your board, you’ve got your community, you’ve got your teachers, you have your students—all those people are your patrons, are the people that you’re responsible for and responsible to,” Simeroth explains.

Success he says, is often found in collaboration and common ground. It is in balancing unique interests - even among members of the board. “Those board members do a good job representing the people that elected them. That can cause some issues,” he points out. “It’s tough. It’s a tough job and the bigger your district gets, the tougher it gets because of so much input.”

In Oklahoma, it doesn’t get any bigger than his neighboring district, OKCPS. When it comes to longevity, its superintendent is above average as well. Should the board accept Dr. Sean McDaniel’s resignation, his term will end at six years. “That's a huge loss, Sean has done a phenomenal job there,” Simeroth says. “As a colleague, he'll be around, but his experience, the ability to call him and say hey, what do you think, it’s going to be missed. It is.”

He says McDaniel set the district on a good path and whoever takes over would be wise to follow; keeping in mind what matters. “Not every day is wonderful, but every day is about kids.”

The OKCPS board meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.