HEADLINE YESTERDAY
Ousted Mesa Superintendent issues public statement, calls accusations "false and misleading" (By Danielle Lerner 03.06.2020)
BLOGGER NOTE: Right from the very beginning on this blog questions were raised about the selection process to hire Ember Conley as the superintent of the largest school district in the State of Arizona, when her only prior administrative experience was in a much smaller school district with only 45,000 students in Park City, Utah. Michael Cowan, the previous superintendent was forced to resign over the same "financial irregularities" in his inner circle.
"Still, Conley maintains there was no wrongdoing and says she resigned because of personal challenges and the demands of the superintendent job.She says in part, "There is no mystery or wrongdoing... This situation in Mesa has resulted in hundreds of hours being taken away from educating the students and has eroded the public trust. It is troubling to read reports of wrong-doing or deception on the part of the Superintendent, which are false and misleading."
YES IT IS - From both sides in these non-stop attempts by city officials to try-to-fix problems in the generations-old political system by smoothing-over and damping-down the oxygen in the room when scandals flare-up time-and-time again.
"Mesa Public Schools, responding to the public statement by saying, "The Governing Board appreciates the service of Dr. Conley during her term as superintendent and wishes her well in future endeavors."
The district is currently searching for a permanent replacement and hopes to name a new superintendent by April 14
In a 14-minute video and three-page written statement Conley recounts her achievements as superintendent and addresses the restructuring of district leadership and questions regarding executive team compensation.
She resigned amid questionable spending on executive pay raises and contracts that may not have received Governing Board approval, which violates state law.
A district internal audit later found there were more than $140,000 in unapproved raises for eight different members of the superintendent’s staff, along with two contracts which were never approved by the board, totaling $270,000.
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"Mesa Public Schools, responding to the public statement by saying, "The Governing Board appreciates the service of Dr. Conley during her term as superintendent and wishes her well in future endeavors." The district is currently searching for a permanent replacement and hopes to name a new superintendent by April 14
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Ousted Mesa Superintendent issues public statement, calls accusations "false and misleading"
(Image inserts from other sources)
MESA, AZ — For the first time, Dr. Ember Conley is directly responding to questions regarding her paid administrative leave last fall, and eventual resignation as superintendent of Mesa Public Schools.
MESA, AZ — For the first time, Dr. Ember Conley is directly responding to questions regarding her paid administrative leave last fall, and eventual resignation as superintendent of Mesa Public Schools.
She resigned amid questionable spending on executive pay raises and contracts that may not have received Governing Board approval, which violates state law.
A district internal audit later found there were more than $140,000 in unapproved raises for eight different members of the superintendent’s staff, along with two contracts which were never approved by the board, totaling $270,000.
— Danielle Lerner (@DanielleLerner) March 7, 2020More from Dr. Conley’s public statement regarding her being put on paid administrative leave and eventually resigning as @mpsaz superintendent... linked to unapproved executive pay raises and contracts. I’ve reached out to the district for comment, haven’t heard back yet. pic.twitter.com/I1X1LOjk08
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