SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT HEAD SEEMS TO HAVE LEFT THE BUILDING
At last, 'breaking news' from the world of education that doesn't involve digital porn
The entire team here at St. Louis Insider (which would be me) normally would take much pride in scooping the local media on a matter of seriousness involving a vital St. Louis school district.
But on a day when the Post-Dispatch is reporting about yet another high school teacher moonlighting as a porn star, our education exclusive probably won’t be setting search engines afire.
I don’t care: It’s still news, dammit.
Elizabeth Keenan, superintendent of the Special School District of St. Louis County (SSD), has been “placed on administrative leave due to an internal personnel matter,” according to a letter sent Friday to the staff of the district. Keenan was hired to head up the district just four years ago.
The letter stated that Michael Maclin had been appointed acting superintendent. Maclin had been serving as SSD’s executive director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility.
What the letter did not say was whether Keenan had been fired or otherwise had been permanently sent packing. But I found a clue:
“Special School District has full faith and confidence in Dr. Maclin’s ability to lead the District during this time to ensure a smooth transition and no disruption to District operations.” It also extolled Maclin’s substantial resume at length.
So, if the boss –Keenan – was placed on administrative leave and a highly qualified member of her team was going “to ensure a smooth transition,” does that mean she’s gone? I needed to raise this question, even if it seemed I had taken leave of my senses.
The letter established who could speak about this and who could not.
“District employees should direct any media or press inquiries to Jennifer Henry, Executive Director of Communications. Employees should refrain from gossip or speculation regarding a confidential personnel matter such as this one. Such behavior detracts from one’s job duties and the care and education of students, and should thus be avoided. Further, only the Board or its specific designees are authorized to speak publicly regarding this matter on behalf of the District.”
Journalists love passages like that. For us, it’s like someone fired a starting pistol at the Great Race for Gossip and Speculation.
So, I emailed Henry. To her credit, she responded promptly – even though it was Friday night – to tell me she couldn’t tell me anything. She referred me to the district’s attorney, Amanda Colvin, a partner at Brian Cave.
Colvin also made herself available immediately and confirmed the administrative leave part. But could we infer that Keenan would not be returning to SSD?
“There is no other inference that can be made at this time regarding Dr. Keenan’s return and/or the duration or nature of her leave,” Colvin wrote.
Rats. I live for inferences. For now, sadly, we don’t even know what we don’t know.
But that should not be the case for long. SSD is a major public entity with an enormously important mission, as described on its website:
“SSD serves almost 22,000 students with disabilities in our SSD schools and 22 partner district classrooms, over 1,400 students in career and technical education, more than 900 students who attend private/parochial schools, and over 100 adult students working toward their practical nurse licensure.”
Also to be found on the website with a little extra searching was this: The Board of Directors held a special meeting at 2:30 Friday by Zoom after voting to go into closed session. There are some breadcrumbs for you.
Keenan, who came to the job from Chicago, is not well-known in St. Louis. But I found a Chicago Sun-Times news item published about her on April 10, 2019, after it had been learned she was coming here to take the SSD post.
“The head of the Chicago Public Schools’ beleaguered special education department is leaving the district after less than two years on the job, in an abrupt exit that caught advocates off guard on Tuesday.”
The story included a brief statement from a Chicago Public Schools (CPS) spokesman that “we thank Dr. Keenan for her contributions to our students and schools, and wish her the best in her new role.”
But there was this biting critique as well:
“Keenan took over the $175,00-per-year post when (Patrick) Baccellieri — the pick of scandal-plagued ex-CPS Chief Forrest Claypool — left the job in August 2017. Soon after, the Illinois State Board of Education began investigating sudden and unpopular changes to special education at CPS, changes they believed were illegal and “driven by budgetary concerns.”
“An independent monitor was appointed after the state probe ruled the 2016 overhaul delayed and denied services to needy students and uncovered significant problems with CPS’ electronic forms used to develop individual programs for kids in need of special services.
“Christine Palmieri, one of the parents who brought the case to the state board, said Keenan’s exit came as a surprise but offered a chance for the district to “clean house.”
“Palmieri, of the Chicago Special Education Parent Advocacy Committee, criticized Keenan, saying “she never took accountability for any of the violations that happened — some were previous to her, some were under her watch.”
The story noted that she would now be earning $245,000 in her new job in St. Louis. Alrighty then. Again, no inferences. Nothing to see here.
But if any of you dear readers have some gossip or speculation, you know where to find me.