MPS Chief of Accountability, Strategic Partnerships to Depart in October

Minneapolis Public Schools announced Tuesday that Jill Stever-Zeitlin, chief of accountability and strategic partnerships, would be leaving her position effective Oct. 11.

Below is Superintendent Dr. Bernadeia H. Johnson's Leader Letter regarding the departure:

Dear MPS partners and friends, 

Chief of Accountability and Strategic Partnerships Jill Stever-Zeitlin will be departing from Minneapolis Public Schools effective Oct. 11, 2013, to take over homeschooling her son and spend more time with her MPS-attending daughter. We thank Jill for her service to MPS. During her time with the school district, she focused on implementation of the 2007-12 strategic plan, which included key strategies such as increasing teacher and principal effectiveness, establishing a comprehensive accountability system, restructuring the lowest performing 25 percent of schools and authorizing high performing autonomous new schools. 

Of her departure, Jill said, “I have been so fortunate to work with passionate colleagues and community partners during my five years with the school district. I will continue my deep commitment to the MPS vision of every child college and career ready, the superintendent and the critical work our leadership team has underway. I am proud of the fact that we have made steady gains in increasing academic achievement, closing our gaps to the state a few points each year in reading and increasing the four-year graduation rate from 42 percent to 50 percent. We now have the right strategies and the right people in place to be able to make even greater progress.” 

Cultivating and maintaining strategic partnerships continues to be a priority for MPS. As I finalize my organizational structure, I will identify the best way to meet this need. 

Please join me in thanking Jill for her service to our students, families and staff and wishing her well in this transition. 

Sincerely, 

Bernadeia H. Johnson, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools