Superintendent

Dr. Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed is a trailblazer. She is the first woman and the first person of color to serve as a Hopkins superintendent. Her vision is to bring Hopkins Public Schools from great to world class so that all Hopkins scholars reach their full potential. 

 

World class does not mean elite or exclusive. It means, the best. And every child in Hopkins deserves the best.

-Dr. Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed

About Dr. Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed

Dr. Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed has served in public education for over two decades. Improving the lives of others has been a driving force throughout her life. During her time as a student at Bloomington Kennedy High School, she became intrigued with community service while in the role of a candy striper for the Minnesota Masonic Home for the elderly. While attending Yale University, she became even more involved in the community through tutoring adolescents, volunteering weekly at the local Head Start, and serving meals at a homeless shelter. These experiences helped her realize the impact that high quality education can have in young people's lives, and she decided to make education her lifelong ambition.

After graduating from Yale with a teaching license, she returned to Minnesota to begin her career as an educator. Mhiripiri-Reed taught social studies at Highland Park Junior High in Saint Paul, later served as an assistant principal at her alma mater Bloomington Kennedy, and then as a high school principal for five years at Champlin Park in the Anoka-Hennepin School District. She was soon after admitted into Harvard University's new doctoral program in Education Leadership, which resulted in a doctoral residency with District of Columbia Public Schools, building a principal training program. Before moving back to her home state, Mhiripiri-Reed served as Associate Superintendent in the Monterey Peninsula Unified District in California for three years. 

Mhiripiri-Reed has served as Hopkins Public Schools' superintendent since 2016. Under her leadership, Hopkins created a bold plan to go from great to world class through a community designed strategic plan, Vision 2031, a vision of innovation to reimagine Hopkins Public Schools starting from the ground up.

Mhiripiri-Reed lives with her husband Frank and their two children Sterling and Maddie who are both Hopkins scholars. She is a self-described workaholic, but in her downtime you may find her running on one of the metro trails, connecting with friends, or maybe watching some reality TV.

Education

  • Bachelor’s degree in psychology and graduate of the teacher preparation program, Yale University. 
  • Master’s degree in education policy and administration, K-12 licensure, University of Minnesota. 
  • Doctor of education leadership, Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Photo of Dr. M-R

Contact Dr. Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed

Superintendent Blog

The future of education not only calls for students to exercise more voice in their learning but requires us to think differently about learning space.

Where you send your children to school is important. In Hopkins, our goal is to provide rigorous learning that is personalized, culturally affirming, and inquiry-driven.