Milwaukee Schools Superintendent Departing For United Way of Southeastern Michigan
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools is leaving for a top United Way job in Michigan.
The United Way for Southeastern Michigan tweeted Tuesday that Darienne Driver has accepted a position as its president and CEO. Driver issued a statement a short time later which said she would leave MPS in July. Driver returns to Detroit where she began her career as a teacher.
Big announcement! We are thrilled to share that Dr. Darienne Driver, current superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools, will serve as our new CEO!
— United Way SEM (@UnitedWaySEM) April 3, 2018
Welcome back to Detroit, @DrDriverMPS!https://t.co/2I7FxGvXHh
She joined MPS in 2012 as its chief innovation officer. Driver took over as interim superintendent in July 2014 and was named permanently to the post in September that year.
Her departure comes at a difficult time for the state's largest school district which has among the highest racial achievement and graduation gaps in the country. The district's schools and central offices are facing budget cuts for the 2018-2019 school year.