Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Denise Juneau has announced that she will resign at the end of June.
The Seattle Times reports that her resignation follows a demand from the local NAACP for her termination.
"There has never been a more important time for unity and healing," Juneau said in a statement. "For progress to continue in Seattle, the full-throated support of a united school board is essential. This school board must choose a superintendent with whom they can co-lead and move forward together."
The relationship between Juneau and some school board members has been strained over the past year; the pandemic has added to heightened concern about the district’s direction.
School Board President Chandra Hampson says Juneau has some traits of someone who is steady through a crisis, but that she lacks the skills to effectively manage the district's operational challenges and respond to feedback from community members, particularly around allegations of racism, abuse and misconduct in schools.
Juneau's efforts to address those issues haven't been systemic enough, Hampson says.
