Yes, Superintendent Jones is Leaving SPS
Via SPS Communications:
Dear SPS Families and Staff,
After much reflection and heartfelt conversations, I have decided to conclude my tenure as superintendent this fall. My last day with the district will be Sept. 3, 2025.
I am sharing this news now to be respectful of our school community and to allow as much time for transition as possible.
During my tenure, I proudly led several key initiatives that strengthened Seattle Public Schools (SPS) in our pursuit of academic excellence, including the passage of our levies, advancing equity and inclusion, expanding student support services, strengthening community partnerships, and navigating the challenges of the pandemic. We have emerged stronger, and recent research has found that we have achieved accelerated academic recovery from pandemic declines at a significantly faster rate than Washington state as a whole or compared to similar districts in the state.
In my remaining months, I will focus on assisting with the superintendent search, collaborating with the state legislature to advance funding for SPS, presenting a balanced budget for the upcoming year, laying the foundation for the next strategic plan, and leading the successful start to the 2025-26 school year.
Further details on the superintendent search process will be announced in the coming weeks.
Thank you for your support and dedication to our students and schools. Together, we will continue to build a brighter future for Seattle Public Schools.
Sincerely,
Dr. Brent Jones
Superintendent
Seattle Public Schools
Of course, a BIG thank-you to Superintendent Jones. I believe he has tried his best but again, the sick bureaucracy at JSCEE seems to weigh every superintendent down.
Again, I hope this Board goes in a new direction to find a new superintendent.
Update: I left off how great it is that Jones will stay until the beginning of next school year. While that is somewhat of a short window to find a new superintendent, it can be done. No interim superintendent needed. I wonder if Jones was deliberate in that decision.
Comments
Nepo District
- Good luck
https://saveseattleschools.blogspot.com/2025/02/seattle-school-board-meeting-february.html
Start of the quote:
Superintendent Contract Extension
The consent agenda was approved and then we went onto the Superintendent's contract. There was never ANY documentation provided which I see as a big red flag.
I thought this was a weird action and I wasn't alone; President Gina Topp also found this weird. That's because they just signed off on a two-year contract in October 2024.
Director Liza Rankin tried to explain but, per usual, she muddied the waters. And she said she would be voting no.
Director Joe Mizrahi also thought it odd. He stated that the question was, to him, "what gives us the greatest chance to meet goals and give Jones the runway."
Topp echoed Mizrahi and said they had "ambitious goals and difficult things ahead of us" and she worried out loud what might come from the feds.
No one else spoke and the vote was taken. There were four ayes (Hersey, Mizrahi, Clark, and Topp), two voted no (Briggs and Rankin) and one person abstaining (Sarju).
Folks, that's not a big vote of confidence on something that should have been explained and open to the public for discussion. I also think Director Evan Briggs should have explained her vote. Director Michelle Sarju always abstains on votes that make her uncomfortable.
~~~~~ End Start of the quote
The Board first gave this guy the job which they had promised not to consider him for, then has kept him despite poor results on AAMA goals, then gave him a raise and contract renewal last October since he asked for those, and yet again gave him another one-year extension since he asked for it last month.
Another student died during school recess just 1.5 weeks ago, and he is called out for neglecting the care. Now, he says he is leaving and is definitely dissociating himself from "the greatest chance to meet goals and give (himself) the runway" for which he just added one more year signed into his contract.
After all the waste of people's time about school closures and ridiculously high salaries for himself & his cronies, I hope the Board won't use any more of the public fund as a parting gift, in other words, a hash money.
SPS Board Needs to Be Sued
So many possibilities (in no particular order): 1) Jones rolls over for SEA and they get everything they wanted while Jones rides off into the sunset leaving a broke district behind; 2) Jones plays hardball and becomes Dr. No, yielding not one inch to SEA, precipitates a strike and then rides off into the sunset; 3) Jones has inside info on the lege and knows they're gonna let SPS somehow not pay back the borrowing from the bonds they've already done, lift the levy limit, plus more ongoing $$ is going to be authorized so Jones can roll over for SEA and look like a hero except there will be money for a few years... and that's just off the top of my head.
Also, this board will hire in their image - make of that comment whatever you will. I can't decide if it's good they will make a hire *before* the board elections and thus maybe held to account or if it would be better for the public to weigh in on the Board composition that will make the hiring decision. Who am I kidding??? It won't matter! Seattle voters have proven they will hire a can of soup endorsed by the Stranger over a competent managerial type.
- An Angry Angry Parent
- SWWS
That’s what happens to otherwise healthy brains reacting to the shamelessly move by the “Racial Equity Superintendent” running away with his loot right after another child’s death at SPS.
Please, Melissa, why did you say, “Also, I have learned that Susan Enfield, who was an interim superintendent in SPS, is not working anywhere currently”?
SPS Board Needs to Be Sued by the People
SEA had nothing to do with Dr. Jones being appointed Superintendent. Please don’t spread misinformation. Hopefully there is an open and transparent process this time with ample community engagement.
- Sigh
-Tough to get accountability