Minneapolis Superintendent Ed Graff has announced that he plans to leave the Minneapolis Public School district when his contract ends on June 30.
The announcement from Graff came on Wednesday in an email to school board members.
Superintendent Graff said he is proud of what has been accomplished.
“For the past six years, the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Directors has given me the extraordinary opportunity to fulfill a life calling and make a difference in the lives of children. MPS has a team of committed and dedicated educators, parents and community members who want our students to succeed and I am confident they will continue to join hands with the School Board to make that happen. I am committed to doing everything I can to ensure a smooth leadership transition.”
MPS School Board Chair Kim Ellison said in a statement that they're grateful for Graff's leadership and service.
“Always with students as the focus, Superintendent Graff has brought systemic and transformational change to MPS during an extremely challenging time in our history," says Ellison. "He has repeatedly delivered on the School Board’s values, implemented equity-driven structural changes, and kept students and staff safe and learning through a pandemic. I am grateful for his service and all he has done for Minneapolis Public Schools.”
The announcement from Graff comes days after the district agreed to a new contract with the Minneapolis Teachers Union which had been on strike for nearly three weeks.
There has been opposition against Graff in the district, which was shown when the Minneapolis school board voted 5-4 to begin negotiating a contract extension with him in October 2021.
The extension had not made its way before the board for approval, and now it won't at all, following his email on Wednesday.
Throughout Graff's time as superintendent, the district has been through a lot, including a controversial redistricting, which saw thousands of students be sent to new schools last fall.
The plan was to distribute resources more equitably with redistricting, but instead, it caused outrage among parents.
Graff is from Bemidji and served as a superintendent in Anchorage, Alaska, while also putting in time as a teacher, principal, and administrator.
He was hired by Minneapolis in 2016 and is now leaving just six years later.
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