It was a tearful Reading School Board meeting as the board voted to accept the resignation of the man credited with pulling the district back from the brink seven years ago.
The board, with regrets, voted 9-0 to accept Dr. Khalid N. Mumin’s resignation.
Mumin announced last week that he has accepted the job of superintendent of the Lower Merion School District in Montgomery County. His last day in Reading will be Oct. 8.
“It’s been quite a ride,” board President Robin Costenbader-Jacobson said Wednesday night, fighting through tears. “You will be greatly missed not only by the district, by your boards of directors over the seven years you’ve been here and certainly the entire community. Thank you for everything that you’ve done and everything that you’ve changed.”
Mumin took the time to thank the board, district and community for their support.
“The last few days have been extremely emotional,” Mumin said. “Sometimes people forget where we started seven years ago.”
Back then, the district was labeled a failing district by then-state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale.
Mumin managed to right the ship in five years, and DePasquale praised the district for its turnaround and called it a model for other Pennsylvania school districts.
“This journey has been one that has been, of course, a lot of challenges,” Mumin said. “But it feels good to be successful and have districts nationally and throughout the commonwealth look at the work that is being done in the Reading School District as a model of success.”
Mumin listed some of the accomplishments in his resignation letter:
- Developed a five-year financial and operations plan to avoid state receivership.
- Ended four years of negotiations impasse with eight bargaining units.
- Increased the graduation rate by 10% over four years.
- Created an on-site cyber academy.
- Created three on-site credit recovery centers.
- Established six university/college partnerships.
- Created hiring practices focusing on cultural competency.
- Developed professional development supporting culturally responsive teacher strategies.
- Developed a five-year strategic plan to address safe schools, academics, communications, finance, operational effectiveness and community partnerships.
- Created the International Welcome Center addressing students with limited or interrupted formal education.
- Reformed special education programming.
“What I love so much about this district, we talk about being a Red Knight, is there is a level of toughness and resiliency that comes along with that,” Mumin said. “Where we are today, the district is in a much better place. The reason why it’s in a much better place is because we have stakeholders here who never, ever gave up.
“I’m glad you took a chance on me.”
The board also bid farewell to district Communications Director Kristin Boyd Edwards.
“We’re really going to miss her,” Costenbader-Jacobson said. “She certainly created a footprint here and really put us on the map here in a very good way.”
Boyd Edwards last day is Sept. 22.
Source: Berkshire mont
Be First to Comment