Superintendent Keith Posley resigns following MPS special board meeting
Updated: 8:15 a.m. on June 4, 2024
MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Two public officials are commenting on the resignation of MPS Superintendent Keith Posley
Dr. Jill Underly, Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson each issued statements early Tuesday, June 4.
Johnson said that his primary concern is for the children who attend Milwaukee Public Schools, pledging to utilize "every resource and every opportunity" to ensure MPS students do not suffer during the coming school year.
"Regardless of how the district got to this point, what our students need – and our community deserves – is accountability, stability, and solutions. I have discussed with both DPI and MPS the plan in place to resolve the reporting and accounting mismanagement that landed MPS in this situation. We will secure the needed resources for our community’s children and educators," said Johnson.
"I hope the resolution of the financial reporting issues and the appointment of new leadership at MPS will serve as an impetus for leaders and community members alike to work more closely together to benefit all children, and not be used as an opportunity to further divide us."
Underly said that her team is working with MPS to help solve the immediate challenge, working with them on a daily basis.
"In Wisconsin's system of local control, elected school boards make decisions about district superintendent staffing. No matter how the board chooses to move forward, under my leadership, the DPI will continue working with the MPS team to resolve the current challenge."
She added, "As we go forward, our primary focus is on improving outcomes for all of Milwaukee’s children."
Updated: 2:47 a.m. on June 4, 2024
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The Milwaukee Board of School Directors released this statement at about 2:30 a.m. following Superintendent Keith Posley's resignation:
On Tuesday, June 4, 2024, the Milwaukee Board of School Directors accepted the resignation of Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Keith P. Posley, effective June 30, 2024.
In the meantime, Regional Superintendent for the Southwest Region, Eduardo Galvan, will support and facilitate day-to-day operations for students and families while MPS searches for an interim Superintendent. Mr. Galvan has served MPS for over thirty years, operating in many roles throughout the district. The Board has full confidence in Mr. Galvan’s leadership during this time.
The Board will begin the search for an interim Superintendent right away.
The Board cannot comment on personnel matters or on matters that are discussed during Executive Session.
Updated: 1:53 a.m. on June 4, 2024
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Superintendent Keith Posley has resigned following an MPS special board meeting.
The board accepted his resignation unanimously after hours in closed session.
Posted: 10:18 p.m. on June 3, 2024
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- In recent months, most meetings of the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) Board of Directors have drawn :fewer than two-dozen attendees. That wasn't the case Monday for a special hearing amid a financial fiasco that could lose the district millions of dollars in state funding.
Every seat in the auditorium was packed, and an overflow crowd was steered into a basement auxiliary room.
During a contentious meeting, the board also discussed the future of Superintendent Keith Posley, whose tenure has drawn intense scrutiny.
The board called Monday's special meeting to address the revelation MPS was eight months overdue on reporting its 2023 financial data to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI).
State education officials have said the delays from the state's biggest district make it impossible to calculate early 2024-25 aid estimates for every Wisconsin school district.
DPI officials notified Posley and the board in a May 24 letter the delay could cost the district its June allocation of special education funding.
Beyond that, the DPI said the district's most recent reporting is inaccurate, leading to overpayments to MPS. To offset those overpayments, the state will now "likely" withhold a significant amount of general state aid for the 2024-25 year.
In recent days, current and former MPS employees have reached out to CBS 58 to share their concerns about the leadership of Posley and other top MPS administrators.
According to the DPI employee database, Posley had been earning a salary of more than $300,000.
CBS 58 obtained a copy of the exit letter written by Calvin Fermin, who resigned from his job as deputy superintendent in December 2021.
"I am leaving my position because of the poor leadership and flawed philosophical approach of the superintendent that is allowing dysfunction and a culture of fear and toxicity to thrive," Fermin wrote.
Fermin, now an administrative law judge with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, did not respond to messages Monday.
Much of the public anger in recent weeks has stemmed from neither MPS nor state officials disclosing the delayed reporting prior to voters' narrow passage of a $252 million referendum.
"The vote would have been very different had the state not decided to keep its mouth conspicuously silent before the vote was cast," Ald. Scott Spik a.m. er, whose district encompasses much of the city's southwest side, said during public comment.
In a press conference immediately before the meeting, Board President Marva Herndon announced the board has hired former Waukesha superintendent Todd Gray to help the district sort out its finances and get accurate data to the DPI.
Herndon left the press conference without answering any questions.
During nearly three hours of public comment, one speaker after another took Posley and the board to task over the delayed data reporting.
"In my role with MPS, I don't get to be eight months on anything I do. I would've been walked out," Sarah Gruettner, an MPS school nurse, said. "Posley and the financial department need to be fired immediately. Walk him out tonight!"
Maria Penager drew some of the loudest applause for her remarks as an MPS parent. She said she passed up on an opportunity to move to Wauwatosa because she wanted to keep her kids in MPS.
"We stayed in this district because we believed in you," Penager said. "We believed in you, but we no longer believe in you."
At several different points, the meeting was interrupted by loud arguments within the crowd. At one point, Posley critics argued with members of Posley's church congregation.
Later, one of the administration's most outspoken detractors, Jamel Harris, clashed with members of the teachers' union, the Milwaukee Teaching and Educators Association.
"If you want some of this we can go outside," Cecelia Collins told hecklers at one point.
Eventually, the board retreated into executive session to discuss Posley's status.
Posley was named interim Superintendent in May 2018 after his predecessor, Darienne Driver, resigned that spring to become CEO at the United Way for Southeastern Michigan.
The MPS board voted in October 2018 to remove the interim tag and gave Posley a two-year contract to serve as superintendent.
Milwaukee lawmakers getting involved
After learning about MPS's dire financial situation, Democratic lawmakers from Milwaukee asked to meet with DPI staff. During their meeting on Monday, Rep. LaKeshia Myers said one of the biggest concerns raised was how MPS was overpaid during the 2023-2024 school year due to multiple errors in their financial reports, according to DPI.
"We need to figure that part out," Myers said. "What will the financial implication be during the next school year? How will the district repay those funds?"
Myers said DPI did not disclose how much money MPS owes the state.
When it comes to Posley's future as superintendent/being fired, Myers said she hopes others involved are held accountable, including DPI, who was aware of the issues months before the district asked voters to approve a $252 million referendum.
"I don't think this is squarely on the shoulders of Dr. Posley," said Myers. "If anybody is to be let go or disciplined you look at every individual involved."
Myers added, "I don't believe the referendum would have passed had the public known we were in this financial predicament."