District Hires New CAO

And now, former head of Athletics, Eric McCurdy, says he was wrongly let go.

Here's the story from the Seattle Times on McCurdy.

The Seattle Public Schools athletic director accused of bullying a former district employee is appealing his firing in King County Superior Court, claiming he was the subject of a vendetta based on inaccurate information and his race.

Eric McCurdy claims the termination violated his Constitutional rights, endangered his future career opportunities and had “a stigmatizing impact upon him.”

In an appeal and complaint for damages filed in King County Superior Court Friday, McCurdy said he was fired from the school district and asked the court to reverse the district’s decision. McCurdy said in a news release from his attorney that he was fired “based upon hearsay and inaccurate information.”

He is also unhappy that his accuser didn't have to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

Below is the info about the new CAO, Dr. Diane DeBacker.  I note that the district hasn't had a CAO in a long time.  Kyle Kinoshita is Chief of Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction.
From: Superintendent Sent: Monday, December 10, 2018 3:07 PM Subject: CAO Announcement

Dear Staff:

This is an announcement to let you know that Dr. Diane DeBacker will be the district’s next Chief Academic Officer. On January 7, Dr. DeBacker will take the reins of Seattle Public Schools’ academic programs, and the shared responsibility of educating close to 53,000 students.

Diane’s passion for public education has taken her from her first high school classroom of students in Manhattan, Kansas, to advising the education system in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. She has served in nearly every educational role including high school teacher, district curriculum facilitator, high school principal, director of a statewide curriculum center, associate superintendent, adjunct university professor, and elected board of education member.

In her 35 plus years in education, Diane has provided clarity to complex education issues including state education governance structures, school finance, federal education legislation, education policy, and workforce development and training. Under her leadership, Kansas put forth many education initiatives including free career and technical education at technical and community colleges, implementation of multi-tiered systems of supports (MTSS), and development of a model teacher and leader evaluation system. Her insistence that school accountability systems be expanded to include metrics other than student test scores led to a new accreditation system that incorporates relevance, rigor, relationships, responsive culture, and results.

As a senior advisor to the Abu Dhabi Education Council in the United Arab Emirates, Diane led the P-12 sector consisting of curriculum and instruction, national and international assessments, special education, teacher standards and licensure, education policy, professional development and school health. She will bring this same systems level expertise to Seattle and to her work with central office staff, school leaders, and the broader community.

“I’m thrilled to join Seattle Public Schools, Superintendent Juneau and the Seattle community in the journey to excellence for each and every student. Education in Seattle and the United States is at a critical turning point. We know that a cookie-cutter approach to education does not work and we finally have the autonomy to tailor our systems to meet the individual needs of each student. I look forward to working with the talented and dedicated staff and community to put systems and programs into place to move Seattle Public Schools forward,” shared Dr. DeBacker.

Please help me welcome Dr. Diane DeBacker to Seattle Public Schools. I look forward to her joining the district and working together to ensure each and every student graduates prepared with the knowledge and skills they need to have a great life. 

Denise Juneau

Superintendent