Hensley Slams Hargens in Resignation from JCPS

Attention Fayette County: 

Capable district school administrator has just become available

In a rare display of professional integrity, JCPS chief academic officer resigns, 

blasts leaders for "pseudo-innovation, noise of indecision" 

Former KDE associate commissioner claims he's been made scapegoat by critics

This from the Courier-Journal:

Dewey Hensley, the chief academic officer for Jefferson County Public Schools, has abruptly submitted his letter of resignation, leaving another hole in Superintendent Donna Hargens' already decimated cabinet.

Hensley's last day will be Friday, JCPS spokeswoman Bonnie Hackbarth confirmed.

In his resignation letter, Hensley said working conditions at JCPS have "not been very enriching."

"It has been a time of marginalized voices, eroded credibility, and a great deal of time devoted less to developing quality schools for children and more about managing perceptions for adults," he wrote in the letter addressed to Hargens and board chairman David Jones Jr.

He said "perhaps the most beneficial time" in JCPS was when "the cabinet worked to reorganize the district so 'children and classrooms were at the center of the universe,'" but said that since then, "it has been a challenge to be heard above the 'noise' of indecision, the circling buzz of perception, and the hammer strikes to fabricate an image."

His resignation letter attacked what he called "pseudo-innovation," and said his team was often left to take the brunt of criticisms.

"It is clear I am expected to be accountable for results, but secondary in the inputs," he wrote. "This makes me a scapegoat, not by chance, but by design."

He wishes Hargens and Jones luck, adding that "I am certain with the changes in assessment and accountability you seek, JCPS will be able to communicate progress. I hope the children get what they need in the process."

Hensley has not returned calls to his cell phone Wednesday night or Thursday morning.

Hargens is already on the hunt for people to fill the open chief communications and community relations and chief of data management positions, as well as someone to fill the new chief business officer position, which she created months ago.

Hensley's resignation means Hargens' seven-member cabinet is less than half-filled.

"I was saddened to learn from Dewey of his decision to resign as Chief Academic Officer of JCPS, effective Oct. 9," Hargens said in a statement released Thursday morning. "Dewey has been an unwavering champion for the success of all students, including those who are excelling, those who are struggling, and those who have yet to discover their passion. I will miss his honest counsel and fierce determination."

Hensley has expressed frustration in recent weeks, including in a "3-page white paper" he sent to school board members late last month. That paper talked about attacks to the "cocoon of change" he and his team had put around efforts to revamp JCPS' alternative schools system.

The "white paper," which also included additional pages of his own thoughts at the end, was sent following a concern from board member Chris Brady that Hensley's alternative schools revamp wasn't completely thought out. Brady sent the email Sept. 17 asking for an update about the reorganization of the alternative schools after he'd received a message from a concerned teacher at Liberty High.

Hensley's "white paper" and accompanying note charges that many JCPS schools don't want to deal with the most challenging students and that the current system gives students with emotional behavioral disabilities "no home."

While the white paper laid out some suggestions for changes, such as creating permanent units in several schools for students with emotional behavioral disabilities, Hensley also spent a significant amount of time in the document talking about teacher pushback against change and calling out how the alternative schools have long been run, charging that "in the past these schools were run by people" whom JCPS allowed to serve as "benevolent dictators."

"It is amazing how many people in our alternative schools are connected to each other," Hensley wrote, "in some cases in ways that even the least cynical of us would have to raise their eyebrow and question."

A JCPS spokeswoman recently said that Hensley's Success Pathways approach to the alternative schools system is a "process" to "really create a culture change" and that changes can't happen overnight.

Hensley has been with JCPS off and on for decades and has been chief academic officer since February 2012. He is making more than $163,000 a year.

Before becoming chief academic officer, he was an associate commissioner with the Kentucky Department of Education, having been tapped by the state after he helped turn around JCPS’ economically challenged Atkinson Elementary in his five years as principal there.

Hensley arrived in Jefferson County in 2003 and was principal of Bates Elementary before he went to Atkinson.

In his time as JCPS chief academic officer, Hensley helped the state’s largest school district as it tried to turn around persistently low-achieving schools and implemented new state-mandated tests aligned to the Common Core.

He pushed for a third-grade reading pledge to have all JCPS students reading on grade level by the end third grade.

And one of his catchphrases, “more effective instruction in more classrooms more of the time,” has become an oft-repeated phrase within the district whenever discussions about progress come up.

JCPS Academic Officer resignation letter

Mr. David Jones and Dr. Donna Hargens

Jefferson County Public Schools Board of Education

3332 Newburg Road

Louisville KY 40218

Dear Mr. Jones and Dr. Hargens,

After a great deal of careful consideration and reflection, I have decided to resign from my post as the Chief Academic Officer of Jefferson County Public Schools.

First, I am very proud of the roles I have played in Jefferson County Public Schools. In each role I did my absolute best to help the children and families of our community and I have worked with alented teachers and leaders who taught me much about teaching and leading. Perhaps the most beneficial time was the year when the cabinet worked to reorganize the district so “children and classrooms were at the center of the universe.”

Nonetheless, since those first bold steps of reorganization, the factors surrounding the "working conditions" (yes, those actually apply to all employees, not just JCTA members) have not been very enriching. It has been a time of marginalized voices, eroded credibility, and a great deal of time devoted less to developing quality schools for children and more about managing perceptions for adults. I have rarely left any leadership meeting without a boulder-sized sense of frustration regarding our lack of focus, our emphasis on perception above reality, and the lacking sense of urgency around achievement.

After that first year of my tenure it has been a challenge to be heard above the "noise" of indecision, the circling buzz of perception, and the hammer strikes to fabricate an image. I have attempted to raise my voice regarding the lack of congruency between our strategic plan and our actions; our focus on perception and pseudo-innovation (as opposed to real innovation) and lack of investment in our students from poverty by the superintendent, my team did so, only to be left to take the full brunt of the "adult-centered pushback." Often “credit” weighed much more than “credibility” in our work.

This empowered those with the least accountability and the least experience while silencing many whose lives are focused on this work and who are most accountable for results. Obviously, it is not wise for a person, no matter how willing he or she is to accept accountability, to have the responsibility to do something, but none of the decision making capital.

After an exchange with Dr. Hargens and Diane Porter and another exchange with Public Relations and Dr. Hargens this week, it is clear I am expected to be accountable for results, but secondary in the inputs—this makes me a scapegoat, not by chance, but by design. For some, a large salary makes that an acceptable arrangement—and for some like me, will do it if it adds value to the greater good and the cause.

However, it seems much more based on perception and ideological stances rather than the cause. Mywork has always been done not for the superintendent or for the board; it is for kids and families. I don’t mean this in the “it’s about the kids” rhetoric of some, but rather in measurable results, which,as we found out this year, can’t be achieved without real focus and time.

I wish both of you all the luck in getting what you want--I am certain with the changes in

assessments and accountability you seek, JCPS will be able to communicate progress. I hope thechildren get what they need in the process.

Leadership isn’t seeing where everyone is going and jumping to the front of the line. It is about rising above the “human politic” to create the “future stories” children need.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve in this role. I am requesting my resignation be effective on Friday, October 9, 2015 at 5:00 P.M. I have great confidence my team will be able to meet your needs in my absence.

Sincerely,

Dewey Hensley