Schools

Updated: Former Cooper High School Teacher Fired By Minneapolis Public Schools

Patrick Exner, accused of fudging the results on state standardized tests last year while at Ubah Medical Academy in Hopkins, was fired last week.

Just days after Minneapolis Public Schools confirmed the hiring of a new Washburn High School principal Patrick Exner,  the new hire was put on administrative leave amid accusations of tampering with test results at his previous school. Exner has now been fired.

Exner, who is a former Robbinsdale Cooper High School English teacher, was accused of falsifying students' state test scores in his former job as deputy head of Ubah Medical Academy in Hopkins. The accusations are described in a "detailed" letter sent to Minneapolis schools officials and state regulators, according to the Star Tribune
"I believe that Washburn High School needs a leader who will accelerate the positive momentum that has been building over the past few years," Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson wrote in an email sent last Friday morning, Aug. 9. "The issues surrounding Mr. Exner’s hiring have created an additional distraction that we cannot allow to continue."
You can read the full letter from the superintendent on Southwest Minneapolis Patch.

In the interim, Assistant Principal Linda Conley will lead the school, with help from Assistant Principal Nilo Guanzon and retired district administrator Craig Vana. Vana was Washburn's interim principal after former principal Carol Markham-Cousins was reassigned last spring amid student protests. 

Johnson invites parents to a meeting at the Washburn auditorium at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, to learn more about the district's plans for the school.

Exner has a B.A. in English from the University of St. Thomas and a Masters in Curriculum Design and his K-12 principal license from Saint Mary’s University. Besides working at Robbinsdale Cooper he has also been Adjunct Professor in School of Education at Saint Mary’s University and University of Saint Thomas Director of Teaching and Learning West Metro Education Program.

Patch will continue to update this story as more information becomes available. 


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