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The San Francisco Board of Education has decided that the superintendent of the Washington, D.C., school system is the best candidate to lead the San Francisco Unified School District. 

Arlene Ackerman was one of three finalists interviewed by the school board on Sunday. The other two were Berkeley Unified School District Superintendent Jack McLaughlin and Henry Der, a deputy superintendent with the California Department of Education. 

But Ackerman’s selection still isn’t official. On Monday, SFUSD spokesperson Elaine Koury said Ackerman, who previously worked as deputy superintendent in Seattle, is now in negotiations with the district over salary, timing and length of contract, among other matters. 

Koury said Ackerman was selected Sunday by consensus as the seven-member board met at the district’s Franklin Street headquarters, but the formal vote 

confirming her appointment will not take place until a 6 p.m. closed session meeting today. 

Apparently, the other candidates won’t be notified until today either. As of early Monday evening, McLaughlin hadn’t received any phone call from the SFUSD about a decision – “but I’ve heard the news on the TV,” he told the Daily Planet. 

Koury admitted that officials were not expecting to release the news Monday, but word leaked out before the contract could be finalized. 

“It’s not a done deal,” she said. “We’re very, very hopeful that this will, in fact, be completed.” 

Ackerman will take over for Linda Davis, who has been serving as interim superintendent since Bill Rojas left the job to run schools in Dallas. 

“Her work in Washington and Seattle have earned her the reputation of being a knowledgeable, creative, no-nonsense leader,” Koury said. “Her first task in Washington was to close – in seven months – a $62 million deficit caused by years of fiscal mismanagement.” 

Koury declined to draw parallels with San Francisco’s problems, although budget woes in the 65,000-student district are well known. 

“It was a difficult decision because there were some good, qualified candidates and each of the finalists would have brought significant strengths and skills to the position,” Koury said. “We are very proud of the process and the choice.”