Sergio Paez was chosen to lead the Minneapolis Public Schools two days before a Massachusetts advocacy group published a report alleging that special education students had been mistreated at a school in the Holyoke district where he was superintendent.

Michelle King, the district's No. 2 administrator under former Superintendent Ramon Cortines, is taking the reins of the nation's second-largest school district while the search for a permanent schools chief stretches into the new year.

The Mississippi Department of Education alleges that an elementary school principal in the Clarksdale school district participated in, directed, or failed to report cheating on state assessments at her school.

Minneapolis school officials said it was seeking more information about the treatment of special education students in Holyoke, Mass., while Sergio Páez served as superintendent of the district.

Gov. Rick Snyder has hinted for months that the Education Achievement Authority's status has been under review while lawmakers his latest plan to overhaul public education in Detroit.

After a tense day in the nation's second largest school district, officials ruled that schools were safe and would reopen Wednesday.

The national winner will be announced at AASA's annual conference in February.

All students and teachers were told to stay home as police investigate a bomb threat that was received by a member of the school board. New York City officials said they determined a similar threat there was a hoax.

Sergio Paez, who was picked last week to lead the Minneapolis school district, is facing questions in his old district, Holyoke, Mass., about allegations of abuse and neglect at one school.

Newark, N.J., schools have agreed to take a series of steps by the end of February to halt an ongoing federal investigation of possible civil rights violations in the district.