Josh Pauly announces resignation from Minneapolis school board

Minneapolis school board member Josh Pauly said he has resigned, effective immediately.

Pauly's term as an at-large board member began in 2019 and was set to end in 2023. He was not planning to run for re-election, he said.

His decision comes amid the second week of a teachers strike that has closed Minneapolis Public Schools.

Union members have occasionally picketed outside the homes of school board members, calling on them to be more involved in negotiations and encourage them to join the picket lines.

Pauly said he decided to resign, in part, because trust between board members, the district and the community is broken.

"My doubts around district leadership are not new," Pauly said. "I don't feel like I am in a place where I can work towards rebuilding trust with the current MPS leadership."

Pauly was one of four board members who voted in October against renewing Superintendent Ed Graff's contract, which is still being negotiated and has not come back before the board.

Pauly said he first considered resigning after that vote.

"I wanted to use my skills, experiences in the classroom, and professional background to address important structural and policy issues that would strengthen our school district," Pauly said.

As a board member, he felt that change was incremental, he said.

"We admire the problem, and we create committees and reports, but the action piece seems to continuously be missing," Pauly said, adding that he felt that little "meaningful change" has been made under the district's priorities of literacy, equity, social emotional learning and support systems for students.

In a statement on Wednesday, Board Chairwoman Kim Ellison said: "In recent years, school board service has been increasingly difficult and at times deeply personal and confrontational. Like our communities, school board directors are parents, caregivers, and your neighbors. We are always doing our best to serve our students and city but we also need to take care of ourselves and our families. Public education is at a pivotal moment and it's time for our city to come together in supporting our children.

We wish Mr. Pauly the best in his next endeavor."

Pauly, a former social studies teacher at Sanford Middle School, was endorsed by the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers when he ran for school board in 2018.

Pauly also came under fire recently for taking a job with Paper, a tutoring service that Minneapolis Public Schools has contracted with. That contract did not come before the school board, and Pauly's employment does not represent a conflict of interest, the district has said.

Check back for more updates on this developing story.