Former Seattle superintendent Goodloe-Johnson dies
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SEATTLE -- Former Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson has died, the school district has confirmed.
Her cause of death was not known; however, WSCS in Charleston, South Carolina reported she had been sick for about a year.
Goodloe-Johnson was fired from her position in March 2011 after a state audit found the school system wasted or misspent $1.8 million on a training program run by Silas Potter.
She moved on to take a post in the Detroit School District.
Seattle School Board member Harium Martin-Morris said some people within the local education community knew that Goodloe-Johnson was ill, but not the extent of the illness.
"It is a humongous loss," Martin-Morris said. "Not only for the family, personally, but for the education community. Maria was a person who was very passionate about education and about helping children."
Despite the way she left the district, Martin-Morris said he hopes Goodloe-Johnson is remembered for more than the controversy that ended her career in Seattle.
"I want people to remember there were a lot of positives and a lot of stability that she brought to the district," he said.
Officials from Seattle Public School released a statement Wednesday night about Goodloe-Johnson's death.
"We are grateful for her years of service to Seattle Public Schools and her efforts during her four-year tenure here to put our students on the path to academic success. The fact that we have seen consistent improvements in student academic achievement is a testament to her leadership. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her husband Bruce and daughter Maya," the statement reads.
Her cause of death was not known; however, WSCS in Charleston, South Carolina reported she had been sick for about a year.
Goodloe-Johnson was fired from her position in March 2011 after a state audit found the school system wasted or misspent $1.8 million on a training program run by Silas Potter.
She moved on to take a post in the Detroit School District.
Seattle School Board member Harium Martin-Morris said some people within the local education community knew that Goodloe-Johnson was ill, but not the extent of the illness.
"It is a humongous loss," Martin-Morris said. "Not only for the family, personally, but for the education community. Maria was a person who was very passionate about education and about helping children."
Despite the way she left the district, Martin-Morris said he hopes Goodloe-Johnson is remembered for more than the controversy that ended her career in Seattle.
"I want people to remember there were a lot of positives and a lot of stability that she brought to the district," he said.
Officials from Seattle Public School released a statement Wednesday night about Goodloe-Johnson's death.
"We are grateful for her years of service to Seattle Public Schools and her efforts during her four-year tenure here to put our students on the path to academic success. The fact that we have seen consistent improvements in student academic achievement is a testament to her leadership. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her husband Bruce and daughter Maya," the statement reads.
RIP Dr Goodloe, God bless your daughter. She did her best with the mess we call Seattle Public Schools
You are HEARTLESS! Who cares about money when an 8 year old girl is left motherless. Where is your humanity? We are all susceptible to illness regardless of our past. Be mindful that your end may only be the next breath away. Life is to fragile to insult someone in their death.
Sounds like her guilt got to her finally. Detroit is a major step down from Seattle.
Just wonder......how's is that guy got arrested in Florida and sent back to Seattle !?
He should be the one !!!!!
Karma........
@Quackula In her defense, such as it is, she operated without any interference from the back-slapping, go-along get-along school board stocked with hobbyists and worthelss hacks that wass supposed to be minding the store.
1.8 million misspent then gets a job in DC which is one of the worst in the nation thats a way to get better DC
1.8 million misspent .... or wasted. I'm sure she must have done some good while in office, but, not according to the auditors. THink of how that money could have been put to GOOD and VALUABLE use in the Seattle school system. Â
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Sorry for her family, but Seattle is better off.
Before making comments about what she did or didn't do while in office, remember that she has a family. Her family is grieving.Â
 @makeadifference  I understand that you may have a different opinion.  I cannot imagine her family would sign in here and expect a love-fest. I don't need a clear conscience to voice my opinion. I'm sorry for her family's loss, but I wonder who benefitted from the misspent or lost money?
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 @Femme Fatale That is just plain cold. I could say more but, it would be deleted.
@Femme Fatale I thought the accusations were more serious than that. Not misspent, not wasted, but more of looking the other way while someone on her staff illegally used the money?
Lung cancer takes a person fast. My father died from it. Very sad to hear of her passing.
 @Koawoodplayer Where does it say she died of lung cancer ?
 @hinterland  @KoawoodplayerÂ
 Koawoodplayer,  You are right she did not died from lung cancer. she has been off and on long illness without able diagnosis and still unclear why she passed away without explaination.Â
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Hinterland, Doxie .. you need re-read to not make mistaken and it did not say she died from lung cancer..  I read it again and puzzled why you brought up about lung cancer. it seem not make a sense  the comment  after you left.  it got me confused.Â
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I copy and paste:  It say " Her cause of death was not known; however, WSCS in Charleston, South Carolina reported she had been sick for about a year. "Â
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 @Margaret Adamski  @hinterland  @Koawoodplayer She died from lung cancer.Â
 @hinterland  @Koawoodplayer I mean I reply to hinterland. not Koawoodplayer. My glasses made my vision with biofocal lense mixed up with wrong names.Â
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Forgive me!
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MargaretA-T
 @Koawoodplayer I just lost my mother-in law to lung cancer just 10 days ago. It was hard to see her go like that. She was a wonderful and, brilliant woman. My husband and I miss her dearly. You are right about is going fast. We just found out about her illness in September.
 @LeftisBest  @Koawoodplayer I'm sorry - been right where you are just a few weeks after diagnosis.  You have our sympathy.
 @Koawoodplayer Sorry for your dad, and condolences around the holidays. It's always hard, even many years later.Â
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We lost a very dear family friend to lung cancer, barely two months after she was diagnosed, and four months after a clean/excellent bill of health at her annual physical.
 @MargeGunderson  @Koawoodplayer Same here with my dad.  He was diagnosed after having seizures because it spread to his brain, very common as well.  He was gone 6 weeks later and never had symptoms of lung cancer at all.
@MargeGunderson Thanks. Yes, my father passed in 1993, but it still hurts a bit. Death was a blessing though.
Lung Cancer - according to this link.http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20121205/PC16/121209646/1180/former-charleston-schools-superintendent-maria-goodloe-johnson-dies-after-battle-with-lung-cancer
I am very sorry to hear this and send condolences to her family and friends. Â Even though she created so much turmoil here in Washington, she still died way to young. Â I hope the family can find peace and solace in these sad days right before Christmas.Â
 @Slingerss She has a young daughter. Very sad.
Not exactly a moving eulogy. Posted yesterday in a Detroit News editorial:
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The EAA's (Education Achievement Authority, a statewide authority given the power to take over Michigan's lowest performing schools) second in command, Maria Goodloe-Johnson, was fired as Superintendent of the Seattle Public Schools amid a massive financial scandal involving the district's business development program. After failing to attain employment in Florida and New Jersey, she was hired here in Detroit. Why is the institution charged with serving the most struggling public schools in Michigan operated by failures and retreads?
 @wysoumible Perhaps because it was the... correct... thing to do?
@TheTruncheon I suspect that the Detroit News takes a lot of heat for their editorial positions, at least in the city proper. They tend to step up on issues like this and ask what's right rather than what's correct.