Youngstown schools CEO to leave in 2019

By AMANDA TONOLI

atonoli@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Despite telling The Vindicator in recent weeks he planned to stay with the district, Youngstown City Schools CEO Krish Mohip announced Friday he will not seek a contract renewal in July 2019.

Mohip said the decision was a difficult one to make because of how much he likes the city, but through “soul searching,” he decided it was best for him.

On Sept. 26, Mohip told The Vindicator he planned to stay with the district and was hopeful for a contract renewal. He also did not hint of departing last week in an editorial board meeting at East High School.

In a lengthy prepared news release, however, Mohip said: “With the continued success of the district in mind, I believe it is important to inform the [Youngstown Academic Distress] commission of my present intentions as soon as possible, as providing early notice may play a significant role in the commission finding a quality leader to carry on the worthy cause of transforming the Youngstown City School District.

“... I remain dedicated to my role as CEO of the Youngstown City Schools and, by providing this notice now, confirm my commitment to support the commission and the district in a smooth transition to a new leader.”

The Youngstown Academic Distress Commission approved a $6,000 bonus for Mohip on Sept. 27, just weeks after the district received an overall F grade on the Ohio Department of Education State Report Card.

Reaction to Mohip’s announcement was swift.

School board member Dario Hunter, a longtime Mohip critic, said in a statement it appears the CEO “plans to get out of Dodge before the district hits financial as well as academic rock bottom.”

“His administration has focused on his personal PR [public relations] gloss rather than hard-won results achieved by making difficult but necessary collaborative decisions with all stakeholders,” Hunter said. “He has never really understood Youngstown, and most often refused to understand the city he served when that understanding clashed with his own ill-conceived, untested plans.”

Brenda Kimble, school board president, said she commends Mohip for stepping down.

“We know we will get another CEO, and it has to be someone effective in turning the district around,” Kimble said. “I think Mohip knows there’s nothing more he can do. I commend him for allowing someone else to come in, and I wish him luck wherever he’s going.”

Kimble said she could foresee Mohip’s departure coming, which is why she was upset about his $6,000 bonus coming weeks after the district scores “the lowest F it has ever had” on the state report card.

“We cannot deal with false growth anymore with our children,” she said.

She attributed the failure of Mohip’s efforts to a lack of collaboration with the “true community” and the board, which Mohip refers to as an advisory board.

“It shows that we as leaders of this community, elected by this community, knew exactly what we were talking about,” Kimble said. “We were correct in what we have been saying all along.”

She added she’s hopeful the next CEO is more willing to work with teachers, board members and “allowing the community to tell them what is wrong and what needs to be done.”

The Ohio Department of Education, which employs Mohip via the academic distress commission, praised Mohip.

“We’re grateful for Krish Mohip’s efforts and the progress that has been made on behalf of Youngstown’s students,” said Brittany Halpin, ODE spokeswoman. “We appreciate the notice he’s provided, which gives the commission and the district time for an orderly transition. We wish him well.”

Jon Keeling, Gov. John Kasich’s press secretary, said Mohip’s plan will remain in place.

“Youngstown’s schools failed students for far too long,” he said. “Thanks to the new governance model made possible by the General Assembly and under Krish Mohip’s leadership during the past three years, long-overdue progress is finally emerging. Making sure that progress endures depends on everyone continuing to put the interests of children ahead of everything else and remaining committed to the forward-thinking reforms that have made possible the turnaround we’re beginning to see.”

Mohip said he wouldn’t go if he didn’t think the community and the school district could not succeed moving forward.

Mohip became the district’s first chief executive officer in summer 2016. He was appointed CEO by the commission under a new state law. House Bill 70, commonly referred to as the Youngstown Plan, was signed into law by Kasich in July 2015. It enabled a state-appointed academic distress commission to hire a CEO to lead the district.

The bill gives Mohip complete operational, managerial and instructional control.

In recent months, Mohip also made news for his actions outside of the district.

In August 2017, Mohip acknowledged he was paid by a company whose owners had done business with the city school district in February 2017 via another company they also owned. Questioned by The Vindicator on Aug. 9, 2017, about the relationship between Atlantic Research Partners and Education Research & Development Institute (ERDI), both of Chicago, Mohip quit being a paid consultant for ERDI that very day.

In November 2017, The Vindicator learned Mohip, when he was a paid ERDI consultant, also had contracted with a company to perform services in the city schools that was a partner of ERDI.

In March, Mohip applied for and was in the running for three superintendent positions in North Dakota, Colorado and Minnesota.