Interlude >>>>> Assessing the Likelihood of Ed Graff's Resignation as Superintendent of the Minneapolis Public Schools

At the Minnespolis Public Schools (MPS) Board of Education monthly.meeting of 12 October, four members voted against holding discussions that would lead to a new contract for MPS Superintendent Ed Graff that would inaugurate another three-year term on 1 July 2022.

Those voting against negotiating a new contract with Graff were Sharon El-Amin (District 2), Siad Ali (District 3), Adriana Cerrillo (District 4), and Josh Pauly (At-Large).

Voting for negotiations were Jenny Arneson (District 1), Nelson Inz (Distruct 5), Ira Jourdain (District 6), Kim Caprini (At-Large), anf Kim Ellison (At-Large).

Given the majority vote, contract talks will be entered officially on fhe docket.

But Ed Graff most likely will resign well before July 2022.   

A four to five tally falls well short of a vote of confidence.

Discontent at the Davis Center (MPS central offices) is rife.  An already widespread disssatisfaction deepened to demoralization with the 5-4 vote.  

Should Graff continue as superintendent, staff departures would ensue.  

Should the departures include staff at the ineffective Department of Teaching and Learning and others in the Academuc Division, the departures would constitute a favorable development.  But those departures would most likely involve many talented key figures outside the Academic Division whose loss would be lamentable in the extreme.

Currently only 35% of MPS students are proficient at grade level in mathematics;  only 44% read at grade level;  fewer than 25% of students on Free/Reduced Price Lunch and in key demographic categories function at grade level in those skill areas.

Nothing in tbe MPS Comprehensive District Design articulates a viable plan for academic progress or for the design of knowledge-intensive, skill-replete curriculum for logically sequenced implementation throughout the pre-K through 12 grades.

Ed Graff is a failure as an academic.leader;  he should---  and in all likelihoid will---  do what most superintendents who receive such a slim vote of confidence have done  >>>>>

resign.