Politico reports that Daniel Lee is one of the highest-paid officials in California’s Department of Education, for which he works as its first-ever “superintendent of equity.” He might also be breaking the law by living in Philadelphia and working a second job there was still being reimbursed by California taxpayers.
New: California’s first ever superintendent of equity, a six figure taxpayer-funded job dedicated to kids of color, lives on the east coast, where he holds another job. (He was also in Thurmond’s wedding.)
His hire appears to violate state worker policy. https://t.co/eelaMvB0Vr
— Mackenzie Mays (@MackenzieMays) December 12, 2021
Mackenzie Mays writes:
Daniel Lee, a psychologist, life coach and self-help author, owns a Pennsylvania-based psychology firm and is the president of the New Jersey Psychological Association’s executive board. He has also been serving as a deputy superintendent for the California Department of Education since July 2020, a role dedicated to the success of children of color that was originally backed by a foundation grant but is now funded by state taxpayers.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, who was instrumental in the hiring, has known Lee for more than two decades since they were social workers in Philadelphia and included Lee in his wedding party. The Education Department’s nonprofit affiliate initially hired Lee without publicly posting the job that now pays up to $179,832, and Lee’s 18-page resume shows no prior experience in California or relationships with school districts in the state.
Huh, they didn’t even publicly post the job before giving it to Lee. California legislator Kevin Kiley has formally requested a review of the legality of Lee’s out-of-state residency.
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California is illegally paying six figures to a “Superintendent of Equity" who lives and works as a life coach in Philadelphia. He was in the wedding of our state schools chief who hired him. pic.twitter.com/euhRBmJMRk
— Kevin Kiley (@KevinKileyCA) December 14, 2021
Being the “superintendent of equity” already sounds like a grift even without him living on the opposite coast.
https://twitter.com/EmamiClaudia/status/1470086171111821312
This feels like terrible optics at an absolute MINIMUM
— Holly Amaya (@HollyAmaya) December 12, 2021
“Running government like a business” — where you can usher a buddy into a no-competition role without all that tiresome red tape.
— Stannie Holt (@stannieholt) December 12, 2021
A lot about residency requirements but what about the whole having another job issue?? Seems like that is WAY more of a conflict and can’t be written off to a pandemic the way remote work is.
— Jennifer Saha (@Jen_Saha) December 12, 2021
There shouldn’t be any outrage. Positions like “superintendent of equity” are created to hire your friends. Period.
— Fang Benson (@FangBenson1) December 13, 2021
The corruption in California has no bounds.
— Brian Gress (@bgresshrh) December 13, 2021
Oh, this is rich.
— Tired of being politically correct (@USBornNRaised) December 13, 2021
https://twitter.com/Disaster_GeekCA/status/1470086248991657986
Schools are giant money laundering schemes. Always have been. Always will be.
— Heather Grimes (@Heather65591392) December 13, 2021
This is just the tip of the iceberg for the black hole of bureaucratic waste in CA.
— Ezra (@EzraHODL) December 14, 2021
This state is incredibly corrupt
— NorCalU (@NorCalU1) December 14, 2021
We don’t see this going well for the superintendent of equity.
Related:
Economics professor: Ohio State has an army of 132 people on its diversity, equity, and inclusion staff costing $13 million https://t.co/es3gn3BMQ6
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) December 7, 2021
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