With each
passing academic year of ineptitude, key academic decision-makers at the
Minneapolis Public Schools witness their salaries rise.
This was
been particularly true for Cecilia Saddler before her autumn 2019 departure
from the district; her pay rose as she
moved from principal at South High School to associate superintendent to her
current role as deputy chief of academics, leadership, and learning; for current associate superintendents. A similar pattern was true for Carla
Steinbach-Huther, who exited the district about the same time as did Saddler.
And the
pattern is also observable in the jobs held by Ron Wagner, Brian Zambreno,
Shawn Harris-Berry, and LaShawn Ray---
the former three holdovers from academic year 2018-2019; the latter two having moved from
undistinguished performances as principals, with Shawn Harris-Berry having
turned in a specifically wretched performance at North High School.
Aimee
Fearing, for a while in late summer through autumn 2019 the executive director
of the Departm,ent of Teaching and learning, has insubstantial academic
credentials for assuming the post of Interim Director of Academics, Leadership,
and learning.
Neither Michael
Walker (Director, Office of Black Male Achievement) nor Jennifer Simon
(Executive Director of the Department of Indian Education) have impressive
academic credentials. the former has failed
to raise African American male achievement in his five years on the job; the latter replaces the failed Anna Ross in
heading a department that has no ability as presently constituted to to raise
American Indian performance.
Readers
should pay careful attention to my detailed presentation of objective salary
information in Chapter Thirty-Seven of Part One: Facts.
There is much that the astute reader will learn, many conclusions that
she or he will draw.
Here is a
reminder of the salary raises for key academic decision-makers from academic
year 2018-2019 to this academic year of 2019-2020:
Davis
Center Academic Year Academic Year
Academic 2018-2019 2019-2020
Decision-Maker
Cecilia Saddler $151,980 $158,896
Shawn
Harris-Berry ---------- $150,096
LaShawn
Ray ---------- $150,896
Carla
Steinbach-Huther $144,330 $150,896
Ron Wagner $144,330 $150,896
Brian
Zambreno $144,330 $150,896
Aimee
Fearing ---------- $135,000
Michael
Walker $128,169 $133,137
Jennifer Simon ---------- $109,273
Total
___$1,296,513______
Key
administrators Superintendent Ed Graff, Chief of Staff Suzanne Kelly, and Chief
of Research, Evaluation, Assessment, and Accountability (REAA) Eric Moore also
have roles in academic decision-making.
Graff has acted erratically in attempting to secure and academics
chief. Moore was given the post for a
short time during October-December 2018 but then his status was ratcheted down
to interim status duringt spring semester 2019.
Then, before Fearing was given the interim title, Graff effectively
assumed the role of Chief of Academics, Leadership, and Learning--- withdrawing a posting for the position, demoting
Moore, and opting not to promote Saddler.
Moore now has returned officially to the sole position of chief of what
is now known as Research, Equity, and Accountability. Kelly has taken a key role in formulating the
concept and presentation of the MPS Comprehensive District Design.
Salary
figures for these three officials are as follows:
Davis
Center Academic Year Academic Year
Academic 2018-2019 2019-2020
Decision-Maker
Ed
Graff $225,000 $230,000
Suzanne
Kelly
$177,333 $185,402
Eric Moore $162,600 $154,630
Total
___
$570,032______
Thus
Kelly received a five percent (5%) annual salary increase, Graff received a
moderate increase, and with his relegation from a dual role to the single role
of REAA chief Moore received a five percent (5%) reduction. When the salaries of Graff, Kelly, and Moore
are added to those of the academic decision-makers given above,
the grand
annual salary total for these key officials becomes >>>>>
>>>>> $1,865,513_____
Graff,
Kelly, and Moore serve multiple, some valuable, functions at the Davis Center.
This is
not true for the others. Thus, the grand
total of $1,865,513 was an onerous burden, and the $1,296,513 in annual salary Shawn
Harris-Berry, La Shawn Ray, Steinbach-Huther, Ron Wagner, Brian Zambreno, Aimee
Fearing, Michael Walker, and Jennifer Simon was a complete waste.
Salaries
for Harris-Berry, Ray, Wagner, Zambreno, Fearing, Walker, and Simon remain an
unproductive burden on the students of the Minneapolis Public Schools.
In view of
the inability of these key academic decision-makers to plan and implement a
program to raise student basic skills to grade level proficiency and to impart
a knowledge-intensive, logically-sequenced curriculum throughout the preK-12
years; and in view of the $1,296,513
that they are costing the Minneapolis Public Schools; all should be terminated in their employment immediately
and their functions reassigned, including the re-conception of the head of the
legislatively mandated Department of Indian Education as having academically
serious responsibilities.
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