MPS Staff:
Below is a letter I have submitted to the Board of Education, today, withdrawing
my name as the next permanent Superintendent of Schools for MPS. As you know, the
board's recent decision to move past my previously planned service as interim
superintendent and to move directly to naming me for the permanent post
has caused some controversy.
The voices of dissent are from a radical element in the community and do not
represent the larger group's view, but they persist and that persistence is
getting in the way of the real work of the district.
I am sure my decision comes as a surprise to all and a disappointment to some.
The board is adamant in their opposition to the idea, but willing to respect
my wishes. From you, I ask understanding.
You know as well as I do the importance of the work and the vulnerability of
the population of kids we serve. I believe this is the best way to keep the
focus on them and not on city politics.
##
Sharon Henry-Blythe, Chair
Minneapolis Board of Education
807 Broadway NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
Dear Chair Henry-Blythe:
I came to MPS two years ago with a simple agenda. I hoped to be able to
help a district that was struggling financially and to help poor kids
and kids of color in Minneapolis find the same kind of academic success
as their white and middle class counterparts. I know that Dr. Johnson
and the Board, and you in particular, share that dream.
With her departure, however, other events have begun to take over center
stage on our agenda and they are beginning to get in the way of the real
cause we pursue. It is for that reason, that I must use this means to
withdraw my name as the successor to Dr. Johnson and recommend that the
Board pursue a different course of action.
I will not dwell on the events of recent days and the obvious
speciousness and venality that underlie the charges and accusations made
toward the Board and toward me. It is tempting to fight the fight
against this lunacy and win, which we would surely do. What nags at me
is the likelihood that we would win the battle but the kids would lose
the war.
You and I both know the responsibility for why kids of color are lagging
behind academically must be shared by many. Part of it belongs to us and
to the system we run. The good news is that we know it and have
committed ourselves to doing something about it.
The rest of the story, however, is that part of the responsibility also
falls directly on the shoulders of the community itself. If we force
this issue around my appointment and "win", we will have just handed a
perfect excuse for inaction to anyone in that community who is looking
for such an excuse. We cannot do that. It might feel good to us for a
time, but it would also condemn us to failure in the real mission long term.
Instead, I recommend a simple plan. I will stand by my original
commitment to the board and serve as interim superintendent until a
suitable replacement can be named. I will assist you in organizing and
conducting that search in a timely way and in finding the right leader
to continue the dream we share.
Sincerely,
David M. Jennings
Chief Operating Officer
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