Michigan Governor Rick Snyder announced Tuesday, Detroit Public Schools emergency manager, Darnell Earley will resign effective February 29. Earley’s exit comes one day before a Congressional hearing on the Flint water crisis. You may remember he is the Former Flint Emergency Manager where a lead contamination is threatening residents. A district spokeswoman says Earley declined an invitation to testify.
In Gov. Snyder’s official statement regarding the personnel change, Earley said, “I have completed the comprehensive restructuring, necessary to downsizing the central office, and the development of a network structure that empowers the educational leadership of our schools to direct more resources toward classroom instruction. This and other initiatives implemented over the past year were completed ahead of my 18-month schedule as provided in the Act.”
Snyder is expected to announce Earley’s replacement sometime this month. In the meantime, the governor is working to restructure financial and academic concerns for DPS. A hearing is scheduled this week to review legislation, including a $515 million debt elimination plan for the troubled district.
Earley became emergency manager in January 2015 and is the fourth since 2009. His term was not set to expire until this June. Earley’s departure comes with an anticipated $335 million deficit. Exact totals will be established at the end of the school year.
