Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Keith Posley resigned early Tuesday morning, after an hours-long closed-door school board meeting.
Dozens of Milwaukeeans called for Posley’s dismissal at a special school board meeting Monday night filled with chants, interruptions and tension among attendees.
This comes after the State Department of Public Instruction announced that MPS is months late submitting required financial reports. DPI also says some information MPS submitted was incorrect, which could result in reduced funding next school year.
Attendees like Maria Penager called for Posley’s termination and for the school board to resign.
"We believed in you but we no longer believe in you," said Penager. "So, what we will do is when election time comes you will not have your job. Respectfully Superintendent Posley, you are a good man, but you did not represent us well and move our district through."
Speakers including Tricia Hallett, said they regretted supporting a $252 million dollar tax referendum for MPS. Voters narrowly approved the referendum in April.
"I don’t think a dime of that money should go into administration," said Hallett. "It should go to the bones of the school — our teachers, our staff and the heartbeat of the school: our children."
Other critics of the MPS board and DPI said Posley alone shouldn’t be blamed. Milwaukee Alderman Scott Spiker said when action is taken after a crisis there can never be reform.
"Dr. Posley, who in full disclosure I know and is a good man, will be scapegoated I fear tonight," Spiker said. "But he is not without responsibility because the financial house was not in order and where I come from at the city you hold somebody responsible for that."
Posley has been MPS superintendent since 2018. He was supported at Monday’s tense meeting by his pastor, George Jolly who was jeered by the crowd.
"I have never seen DPI come down on the superintendent of the school board like this department of public education did," Jolly said.
The DPI wrote in a letter to Posley that the late reports from MPS could negatively impact every school district in Wisconsin. The MPS Board hired an outside financial consultant, Todd Gray, to resolve its financial reporting issues.
Meanwhile, the board has delayed a vote on next year's budget, which the teacher’s union says is leading to uncertainty for staff and students.
In a statement, the board announced that Southwest Region Superintendent Eduardo Galvan, "Will support and facilitate day-to-day operations for students and families while MPS searches for an interim superintendent."
