Monique Felder 🠊 Shawn Joseph 🠊 Jerry Weast: [2016] Critic Sees 'Cronyism' In Metro Schools Hiring

The Parents' Coalition followed what went on in Nashville back in 2016 - 2019 because it involved so many former MCPS administrators.  You can see the stories we posted at this link.   

When Monique Felder took a position with the Nashville public schools it was to go to work for someone that she had worked with before.  

Monique Felder moved to Nashville to work for Shawn Joseph.  Shawn Joseph was the new superintendent of Nashville Metro Schools. 

Shawn Joseph was being mentored in that position by former MCPS Superintendent Jerry Weast.  

Thanks to News Channel 5 Nashville for connecting the dots back in 2016.  

...But Joseph recently told NewsChannel 5 Investigates, "I feel real good about who we have."

He defended the fact that, when he wanted the best chief academic officer in the country, he hired a longtime colleague from Maryland, Monique Felder.

The best chief of schools he could find: another colleague, Sito Narcisse.

The best executive officer for diversity: Narcisse's then-fiance, now wife, Maritza Gonzalez.

The best executive officer for priority schools: another colleague, Mo Carrasco.

Two other executive lead principals -- Karen Desouza Gallman and Linda Iverson -- are also from Maryland.

"If I know extraordinary people," Joseph said, "then I think it's great for me to do what I can do to recruit them."..

...Meanwhile, we obtained an email in which Doctor Joseph's longtime mentor cautioned him about hiring so many outsiders.

That came after Joseph hired an outsider as his chief of staff. That meant that three of the four people on his leadership team were from out of state. The only Metro Schools veteran was former interim director Chris Henson.

"Chief looks good and well rounded. BUT she is another outsider," Joseph's former boss, Jerry Weast cautioned...

Has Metro's new director of schools hired some of the nation's best -- or just his best friends?