Minnetonka Schools Appoint New Assistant Superintendent

Come summer Minnetonka will have a new Assistant Superintendent of Instruction. The Minnetonka School Board approved the appointment of Eric Schneider, effective July 1, 2011.

The appointment concludes a lengthy search that began when Dr. Mark Larson left the position in Nov. 2009 to become Assistant Superintendent and then Superintendent for Mahtomedi Schools.

“This has been a rigorous search and selection process,” Superintendent Dennis Peterson said in a statement.  “He will reach out to staff, students and parents to build collaborative, respectful relationships that are so important in moving education forward.”

Most recently, Schneider served for two years as Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Educational Standards with Osseo Area Schools, overseeing curriculum renewal, magnet programming, and focus on 21st century skills. Before moving back to Minnesota, he was principal from 2003 – 2009 of a large high school in Napa Valley, California that was recognized as a California Distinguished School. There he led the school in focusing more on college-prep and also implemented a parent portal to improve communication with parents.

Schneider began his educational career as a high school English teacher at Patrick Henry High School in Minneapolis and also served as a coordinator for standards implementation for Minneapolis Public Schools.

“We are experiencing a unique time in education when the forces changing student needs, increased societal expectations, and tight budgets are demanding unprecedented innovation in education,” Dr. Peterson said.  “We found that person in Eric Schneider.”

Schneider said he is excited to join Minnetonka Schools, most specifically because of its forward-thinking in areas like instructional technology, gifted education, language immersion and standards-based grading.

Schneider holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Masters of Education from the University of Minnesota. He completed his professional administration licensure (Superintendent/Principal K-12) through St. Mary's University, MN. For Schneider's complete resume, please see the sidebar PDF.