Cecilia Saddler and Carla Steinbach-Huther Out, Significant Reduction of Department of Teaching and Learning Staff >>>>> Major Staffing Changes at MPS Davis Center as of October 2019

Major staffing changes have been made at the Minneapolis Public School (MPS) Davis Center (MPS Central Offices, 1250 West Broadway) as of October 2019.

In the ranks of the senior leadership, Deputy Chief of Academics, Leadership, and Learning Cecilia Saddler is no longer in that position;  and Carla Steinbach-Huther is no longer an associate superintendent. 

 

No intention to replace the positions occupied by Saddler and Steinbach-Huther seems to prevail.  In the case of Saddler, this relieves the district of a salary that had ballooned to over $158,000;  and in the case of Steinbach-Huther, the remuneration burden is lightened by over $151,000.  But in the positions of associate superintendent, there remain two holdovers from academic year 2018-2019 and two additions, for a net burden of one additional position:  What had appeared to have been an increase from three to five associate superintendents now resides as an increase from three to four;  Ron Wagner and Brian Zambreno remain, while Shawn Harris-Berry and LaShawn Ray have joined the ranks at that ineffective position.

 

Saddler had long been in limbo at the Minneapolis Public Schools, having been passed over for promotion to Chief of Academics, Leadership, and Learning upon Michael Thomas’s departure for Colorado Springs, Colorado;  and having been among those failing to gain an appointment as academics chief when that position was given briefly as an additional responsibility to Eric Moore and then posted as open in spring 2019.  Saddler presented the academics portion of the tentative version of the new MPS Comprehensive District Design at board meetings in spring 2019 but seems to have been minimally involved in writing that part of the design.  Then over the summer, the district hired Aimee Fearing to fill the executive director position at the Department of Teaching and Learning, taking a role rather nebulously associated with Saddler during academic year 2018-2019.

And that Department of Teaching and Learning has undergone a favorable reduction in staff members.  Just three years ago a bloated administrative burden containing over 50 members now resides at 22 staff members, including Fearing, down from 30 members during academic year 2018-2019.

Lists of current senior leadership and Teaching and Learning composition in the aftermath of the noted changes are given as follows:

 

MPS Senior Leadership, October 2019

 

Ed Graff (Superintendent)

Eric Moore (Chief of Accountability, Research, and Equity)

Ibrahima Diop (Chief Financial Officer)

Fadi Fadhil (Chief Information Officer)

 Karen Devet (Chief Operations Officer)

Suzanne Kelly (Chief of Staff)

Amy Moore (General Counsel)

Muhidin Warfa (Executive Director of English Learning and Global Education0

Rochelle Cox (Executive Director of Special Education and Health Services)

Julie Schultz Brown (Executive Director of Marketing and Communications)

 

Associate Superintendents  >>>>>

 

Shawn Harris-Berry

LaShawn Ray

Ron Wagner

Brian Zambreno

 

MPS Department of Teaching and Learning Staff, October 2019

 

Aimee Fearing (Executive Director of K-12 Academics)

 

Mark Berg (Science Materials Handler)

Jeff C. Carlson (Materials Coordinator)

Tommie Casey (AVID Programs Manager)

Paula Killian (AVID Middle Schools Coordinator)

Ashley Krohn (Library and Media Information District Program Facilitator [DPF])

Jeanne Lacy (Executive Assistant)

Timothy Lilla (Science Senior Materials handler)

Christen Lish (Advancement Via Individual Determination [AVID] Coordinator)

Sara Loch (K-12 Health and Physical Education DPF)

Katie MacDonald (Materials Handler)

Kelly McQillian (9-12 Advanced Academics and K-12 IB Programmes)

Hibaq Mohamed (Secondary English Language Learner/ Literacy DPF)

Tara Newhouse (Senior Materials Handler of Living Organizsms)

Lisa Purcell (K-12 Social Studies DPF)

Christina Ramsey (K-8 Talent Development and Advanced Academics)

Jenn Rose (K-12 Science DPF)

Nora Schull (K-12 Arts DPF)

Donell Shinder (Science Materials Handler)

Julie Tangeman (K-5 Literacy DPF)

Marium Toure (K-5 Math DPF)

Christopher Wermimont (6-12 Math DPF)