California schooling official resigns amid criticism above East Coastline residency, using the services of process

SACRAMENTO — A very-compensated California education administrator who led the state’s equity application from his Philadelphia residence has resigned amid criticism more than his lengthy-distance status and how he was employed.

The departure arrives soon after POLITICO claimed Daniel Lee was named California’s to start with superintendent of equity very last 12 months irrespective of dwelling on the East Coast and running his possess company there. California’s human means department told POLITICO that point out personnel can live in other places only beneath uncommon instances wherever out-of-condition residency is required for the job, this sort of as staff lobbying Congress in Washington, D.C.

California Office of Education and learning spokesperson Maria Clayton explained previously Monday that the POLITICO tale was the to start with time the company was conscious of these limitations on workforce. Department officials formerly defended the hire as a reward of common distant do the job circumstances through the pandemic.

“Following current advice from CalHR, Dr. Lee presented, and we have approved, his resignation,” Clayton said Tuesday evening in a assertion. “We thank him for his get the job done setting up and advancing CDE’s instructional fairness and student psychological well being agendas. That significant perform proceeds and, in the coming months, we will get started the prospect research to fill the situation.”

Lee, 51, answered the door very last thirty day period at his Philadelphia business enterprise tackle alongside a household street but declined to discuss to POLITICO and did not return cell phone phone calls. He was initially employed in 2020 by the California Office of Education’s nonprofit affiliate, but moved into a office position this summer season with a salary array among $161,400 and $179,832.

CDE told POLITICO that the nonprofit affiliate in no way posted Lee’s placement publicly. Point out Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, who was influential in the use, has recognised Lee for approximately 3 a long time because they ended up social personnel in Philadelphia, and they grew near enough that Lee was in Thurmond’s wedding celebration.

“The point that we have recognised each and every other for 30 years … if he’s carrying out good top quality operate, what difference does it make how prolonged we have acknowledged each individual other?” Thurmond reported in an job interview Friday.

Lee was dependable for addressing inequity in California schools, which have extended suffered from an achievement gap amongst minimal-profits learners of shade and extra affluent white learners. Over and above that, group activists have filed fit alleging that disciplinary measures disproportionately penalize Black and Latino learners unfairly.

In an 18-page resume, Lee seemingly experienced no prior knowledge in California colleges or interactions with college districts. Carl Pinkston, director of the Black Parallel University Board in Sacramento, which is suing the state about disciplinary practices, criticized Lee’s seek the services of, expressing that “to have anyone from out of condition who is not acquainted with California’s dynamics and politics and challenges come in and try to do this function only furthers the elementary trouble.”