SCS adviser leaving cabinet

Schools’ leadership has no educators

Dr. Roderick Richmond, chief academic officer for Shelby County Schools, is leaving the post June 30 over apparent differences in style with Supt. Dorsey Hopson.

Both Richmond and Hopson are graduates of Memphis City Schools. Richmond, 45, worked in MCS for two decades, beginning as a teacher, then as principal at Ross Elementary and later at Ridgeway Middle. He joined the central office staff under Supt. Carol Johnson, who put him in charge of turning around failing schools. Later Supt. Kriner Cash promoted him to deputy superintendent in charge of academics and gave him a $27,000 raise shortly before he left Memphis.

Richmond currently makes $185,960 a year. The posting closes April 30.

Richmond did not respond to a request for comment texted to his personal phone. Several sources said he was asked to leave the post but is free to apply for other openings.

As chief academic officer, Richmond has been in charge of evaluating and improving district educational programs and curriculum, and holding principals responsible for results.

The departure means Hopson has no one in his inner circle with a background in education. The closest is Brad Leon, district innovation officer, who taught two years as a Teach for America corpsman and later served as a TFA regional executive director. The rest have come from business, including two FedEx transplants, Reggie Porter, Hopson’s chief of staff, and Emily Owens, interim head of IT.

“It’s highly unusual,” said Dan Domenech, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators. “In most districts, you will find there are individuals on the administrative leadership team who are not necessarily educators ... The personnel director may not have education

experience (or) the business manager, people in charge of transportation and the cafeteria.”

Hopson is a lawyer. Some have criticized the school board for giving a noneducator the top post.

That makes the makeup even more unusual, Domenech said. “Those individuals tend to surround themselves with educators to make up for lack of experience in that area.”

A district spokeswoman said many members of the academic team, including regional superintendents, participate in cabinet-level discussions.

Hopson’s cabinet has been in flux nearly since he introduced it to the school board i n late March 2013.

Of the 10 original appointees, three remain, i ncluding Richmond. Most left to take jobs in the suburban municipal school districts.

Richmond, who has spent his career here, was considered by many to be a logical choice for superintendent.

Cash sought to have him named interim superintendent when he resigned in January 2013, and Martavius Jones nominated Richmond for the interim post. But Jones was the only one who voted for him.