MPS Superintendent Darienne Driver Leaving For United Way In Michigan

Milwaukee Public Schools is going to lose its superintendent shortly after the end of this school year. Darienne Driver announced Tuesday she will be stepping down as superintendent in July to become president and CEO of the United Way for Southeastern Michigan.

Driver took over as interim superintendent in July 2014, according to The Associated Press, and began her role as superintendent of the state’s largest school district permanently in October 2014. Before becoming superintendent, Driver was MPS’s first chief innovation officer, focusing on closing the achievement gap in some of the district’s worst performing schools.

Some of the accomplishments Driver is touting as she announces her departure include continuing to improve early literacy scores, increasing four-year graduation rates and a 10 percent increase in the number of students who move on to the 10th grade.

Driver is returning to Detroit where she began her career as an elementary school teacher in the Detroit Public Schools. Her last day is July 6, according to the announcement Driver released Tuesday.

“I am excited to return to Detroit, where I began my professional career as a teacher, and to play a role in the rebirth of this great American city. But it is a bittersweet moment; I have great admiration for so many of you and am proud of the accomplishments we achieved together since my arrival to Milwaukee in 2012 as the district’s first chief innovation officer. Our work encompasses a relentless focus on equity and inclusion, building positive relationships and partnerships to improve outcomes for our young people,” Driver said in the release.

Driver’s departure came as a surprise to Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

“I told her I had seen a very bad April fool’s joke that said she would be leaving the city,” he said, adding that her leaving would be a loss for Milwaukee.

In terms of Driver’s successor, Barrett said he wants someone who will focus on higher graduation rates — the rate currently stands at 62.5 percent. The school district has some of the country’s highest racial achievement and graduation gaps, according to AP.

While MPS has made gains in retaining superintendents for longer periods of time, Barrett would like for Driver’s successor to stay longer. At one point, MPS had seven different superintendents within nine years, a trend that has improved in the last 15 years, Barrett said.

In a statement, MPS School Board President Mark Sain said since her arrival in Milwaukee, Driver built “much-needed relationships with a variety of groups and organizations.”

Jenni Hofschulte, president of Parents for Public Schools of Milwaukee, said she wishes Driver had stayed in the post longer. Adding that some parents would have liked to see improvements made faster under Driver’s tenure.

“She’s been present. She’s hosted many superintendent’s roundtables and meetings around the city and has just been a little bit of a different energy than most recently past superintendents,” Hofschulte said. “So I think people are generally kind of bummed.”

While Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association President Kim Schroeder, wished Driver well, he also urged her to reconsider proposed cuts to the 2019 budget, which will go to the Milwaukee School Board, calling them “some of the most harmful cuts to MPS students and educators since Act 10.”

“We wish her well in her endeavors and hope that the MPS School Board will help select a new superintendent who will unapologetically stand with our students, community, and educators and fight for the public schools our students deserve,” Schroeder said.

Editor’s Note: This story was last updated at 5:10 p.m. Tuesday, April 3, 2018.