After the success of the 2015 Jeffco School Board recalls, it was only a matter of time before Jeffco Superintendent Dan McMinimee was shown the door. While not a passionate school reformer, McMinimee was hired by the previous school board, which was ousted. When the new school board announced that they would not renew his contract, many expected McMinimee to stay through the end of the school year. Yesterday, the district announced that he was leaving his position and would serve only in an advisory capacity.
The news comes just days after the district sent out a letter from the new school board on letterhead with previous superintendent Cindy Stevenson’s name along with the new board’s names. How does that even happen? Stevenson resigned in a huff the day after the new school board was elected. Following her departure, Stevenson regularly told the community that she would like to return and was a top donor (other than the teachers union, that is) to the recall effort.
Her departure cost the district $200,000, the recall effort cost the district $250,000, and, now, the new superintendent is poised to make $100,000 more than McMinimee. All of this money could go to schools or teachers’ salaries.
Was this entire episode a bizarre negotiating tactic by the union-beloved Stevenson? She says no. But we’ll be watching. After all, the Jeffco Education Association has been caught in lie after lie.