EAA chief John Covington resigns
The head of the state's controversial reform school district announced his resignation today.
John Covington, the chancellor of the Education Achievement Authority since 2011, said he is stepping down immediately to care for his ill mother and do consulting work.
"It has been a tremendous honor and a most humbling experience to serve as the chancellor of the EAA and be part of this tremendous work," Covington said in a news release. "The EAA was created to transform traditional education for students who – for far too long – were left with an egregious education gap. The EAA is working. Students are taking responsibility for their education and they are preparing to become 'Next Generation Ready.' "
The EAA board formally will accept Covington's resignation at its meeting Tuesday. It is expected to appoint an interim chancellor and launch a search for a permanent replacement.
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The EAA was created with the goal of turning around the worst-performing schools in the state and began with 15 schools in Detroit. Speculation has swirled in recent weeks that Covington may be leaving, as a bill that would allow the system to expand has stalled in the state Legislature and some critics have raised questions about student performance in the district and its finances.
"It's not a tremendous surprise that he's resigning given the complete lack of leadership on his part, in addition to the multitude of problems that have resulted on his watch: plummeting enrollment, stagnating MEAP scores, chaotic finances," said State Rep. Ellen Cogen Lipton, D-Huntington Woods, an outspoken critic of the EAA.
Gov. Rick Snyder issued a statement this afternoon saying he appreciated Covington's work.
"Dr. Covington embraced the tremendous challenge of building such a school district," he said. "His student-centered approach, with individualized learning plans, longer school days and longer school years allowed children to make great strides. With passion, he built a solid foundation for the work of the EAA to continue and thrive, helping thousands of our young people now and into the future."
Covington has a 4-year contract worth more than $1.5 million including salary and bonuses.
The district, which opened in 2012, has been mired in controversy since Snyder first announced its creation in 2011. A Free Press report in April showed overall enrollment dropped 25% after the EAA's first year, and past MEAP scores showed most EAA students either weren't showing improvement or were getting worse, despite internal testing showing students making big gains. The district lost roughly a third of its teaching staff in its first year.
Earlier this year, state Superintendent Mike Flanagan announced he was terminating an exclusive contract with the EAA because he believes there should be multiple options for placing the worst-performing schools.
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