Meet the School District Superintendent Finalists

BRADENTON – This Wednesday the School District of Manatee County will interview the top three superintendent finalists during a special meeting of the school board. Members of the public are invited to attend the proceedings in person or watch live on Manatee Schools Television (MSTV). The public interviews will be followed by a meet and greet with the community later the same evening.

 

The school board meeting interviews will begin at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 10, at the Walter E. Miller School Support Center, located at 215 Manatee Avenue West, downtown Bradenton. MSTV will also be airing the meeting live at www.ManateeSchools.net with broadcasting also available on Spectrum Channel 646 and Frontier Channel 39. After the meeting’s conclusion, a recording will be available for playback on the district’s YouTube Channel.

 

The three candidates will each take part in an hour-and-a-half live interview, in the order their applications were received:

 

Scott Schneider: 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Dr. Jason Wysong: 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Doug Wagner: 1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m.

 

Following the meeting interviews, from 6-8 p.m., the finalists will attend a community meet and greet. The public is invited to attend and engage with each of the finalists. The meet and greet will be held at the Urban Loft at Manatee Central, located at 902 Manatee Avenue East, Bradenton. There is no R.S.V.P. or preregistration required to attend the free event.

 

 

The district’s current superintendent, Cynthia Saunders, announced that she will retire at the end of this school year. Applications to fill the position were narrowed down by board members to three finalists during an April 28 school board workshop meeting. The following are short bios/resumes of each candidate remaining.

 

 

Mr. Schneider holds Education Certificate credentials from the Florida Department of Education for Integrated Curriculum Grades 5-9, Principal Certification, ESE Educator K-12, and Professional Education leadership. He earned a Bachelor of Arts, Special Education from the University of North Florida in 1999 and a Master’s in Education Leadership from UNF in 2006.

 

Mr. Schneider’s work experience shows 12 years of administrative leadership in Duval County. He has served as Chief of Schools in Duval from 2021 to the present. From 2019-2021 he served as the Region Superintendent of High and Alternative Schools and was principal of the Robert E. Lee High School in Duval County from 2011-2019.

 

In 2002, Mr. Schneider was recognized as "Teacher of the Year," and in 2017 he received two recognitions from the Florida School Counselors Association, Administrator of the Year and the Laurel K. Anderson Award.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Wysong has worked in the field of K-12 education for 23 years. He has served his most recent 15 years as a school and district leader with Seminole County Public Schools. Dr. Wysong holds Education Certificate credentials from the Florida Department of Education for Educational Leadership, Social Science Grades 6-12, and Principal Certification.

 

In 1999, Dr. Wysong earned a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Political Science and History from the University of Florida. He earned a Master of Education, Social Studies from the same university in 2000. In 2006, he completed the Educational Leadership Education Specialist Masters in Education at the University of Central Florida and went on to earn a Doctor in Education in Educational Leadership from UCF in 2013.

 

Dr. Wysong has most recently served as the Deputy Superintendent of Seminole County Public Schools from 2021 to the present. Prior, he served as Executive Director of Instructional Excellence and System Equity and Executive Director of Education Pathways and Strategic Partnerships, as well as Director of Education Pathways and Strategic Partnerships in Seminole County between 2013 and 2021. He served as an assistant principal of Lake Brantley High School in Seminole for three years, where he was also a dean the year prior. Dr. Wysong taught social studies and was a debate coach for seven years between 2000 and 2007.

 

In 2006, Dr. Wysong was recognized by the National Federation of High Schools Speech, Debate, and Theatre Association as an Outstanding Educator for the State of Florida, and in 2017 was awarded the Lamp of Knowledge Leadership Award by the Seminole Association of School Administrators.

 

 

 

 

Mr. Wagner currently serves as the Deputy Superintendent of Operations for the School District of Manatee County, from 2018 to the present. He previously served as Executive Director of Adult, Career, and Technical Education and Executive Director of Manatee Technical College in Manatee County. Mr. Wagner earned a Bachelor of Social Science with a major in Political Science from Florida State University in 1988. He went on to earn a Master's in Education, majoring in educational leadership and administration from FSU in 1990.

 

Mr. Wagner has spent the better part of 30 years in the field of adult education, technology education, and/or educational leadership and administration. From 1996-2001, he was the State Supervisor of Technology Education and the Acting State Supervisor of Industrial Education for the Florida Department of Education. He also has a long resume of volunteer leadership service dating from 1984 to 2022.

 

Mr. Wagner listed multiple awards and recognitions on his resume, including (but not limited to), a 1994 Superintendent Award for Outstanding Achievement in Education from the Clay County School District, a 2001 recognition for Outstanding Leadership, Service, and Dedication by the Florida Technology Student Association, the Distinguished Technology Educator of the Year in 2013 from the International Technology and Engineering Education Association, and a Kent C. Schulz Distinguished Leadership Award in 2019 from the Manatee Alumni Association.

 

 

To view each candidate’s complete application, written responses, resume, and letters of recommendation, visit the district’s superintendent candidates information web page: www.manateeschools.net/superintendent.