Portland Schools Settle on Five Candidates to Replace Carole Smith

Portland Public Schools have narrowed to five their list of candidates to replace Superintendent Carole Smith who abruptly quit last month after a scathing report about the district's handling of the lead crisis.

The candidates will be at an open house on Tuesday to give the public a chance to meet them.

"We want to make sure the public has a chance to meet them and be a part of the process," district spokeswoman Courtney Westling told Patch.

The candidates - first reported by the Oregonian - include a former deputy superintendent from Portland, and former superintendents from Centennial, Hillsboro, and Newberg.

The candidates met with members of the school board, various school administrative officials, and human resources officials from the district on Thursday.

The board will hire one of the candidates to serve as interim superintendent while the district conducts a nationwide search next year.

The candidates are:

Pat Burk, who spent 25 years as an administrator in the Portland schools including stints as a principal and deputy superintendent before becoming deputy state schools boss and a professor at Portland State University;

Paula Radich, who earlier this year filled the same role in Beaverton, acting as interim chief when their superintendent left for another job in Georgia. Radich also served as the interim superintendent in Salem-Keizer;

Bob Mckean, the former superintendent of Centennial Schools;

and Joe Rodriguez, the former superintendent of Hillsboro schools.

There was a fifth candidate who was interviewed by phone or FaceTime or Skype.

The district hopes to hire the interim superintendent in the next couple of weeks.