Former Superintendent of Seattle Schools Maria Goodloe-Johnson dies at 55

BY Alyssa Kleven  on December 5, 2012 @ 6:39 pm (Updated: 7:21 am - 12/6/12 )

Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson
Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson died Wednesday afternoon. (KIRO Radio File) | Zoom
The former Superintendent of Seattle Schools, Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson has died at age 55.

According to the Seattle Times, Seattle Public Schools were notified at about 4:30 p.m. that Goodloe-Johnson had passed away about an hour before.

Her death, district spokeswoman Teresa Wippel told the Times, "was a total shock to everybody here."

A friend and colleague who directs the Council of the Great City Schools, Michael Casserly, told The Seattle Times she was recently hospitalized with cancer.

Goodloe-Johnson's tenure in Seattle was tenuous. She was often the target of criticism from teachers and parents.

In an exclusive interview with KIRO Radio's Linda Thomas in 2010, Goodloe-Johnson responded to her critics.

"I'm tough on issues, but I don't think I'm tough on people," said Goodloe-Johnson. "If leadership is a challenge around providing what's best for our kids, then that's okay. Because it's not okay for some students not to be doing well."

Goodloe-Johnson was fired in May 2011 following a financial scandal: $1.5 million in losses and questionable spending by the school district's Regional Small Business Development Program headed by Silas Potter, Jr. between September of 2005 and August of 2009.

Goodloe-Johnson previously headed the Charleston County School District in South Carolina.

One of her accomplishments in Seattle was negotiating a teachers' contract that included student performance in job evaluations.

The Seattle School District said she improved student academic achievement. The district extended condolences to her husband Bruce and daughter Maya.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Alyssa Kleven, MyNorthwest.com Editor
Alyssa Kleven is an editor and content producer at MyNorthwest.com. She enjoys doting over her adorable dachshund Winnie - named for Arcade Fire front-man Win Butler.
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Comments (19)


  • Add A Comment

  • shark75 wrote...
    *yawn*
    December 5, 2012 6:47 pm
    Who cares. Racist......
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Big Zipper wrote...
    Shark
    December 5, 2012 7:31 pm
    Are you 12?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • shark75 wrote...
    Tiny Zipper wrote...
    December 5, 2012 7:46 pm
    Nope, just taxed to death. The last thing I need is for my money to be wasted on people just for their skin color. She got the job for her skin color, and she handed out contracts to people because of their skin color. Kinda racist and has no place in this "progressive" city that is in the County of King...named after the man who wanted people to be judged on the content of their character. No?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Fuego wrote...
    Pretty young
    December 5, 2012 8:48 pm
    I'm curious what the cause of death is. Condolences to her family.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Citizen of Krazy Town wrote...
    Seattle Times and myriad news outlets report that Goodloe-Johnson died of Lung Cancer
    December 5, 2012 8:58 pm
    Crappy way to go. Condolences to her husband and daughter, tough time for them.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • shark75 wrote...
    AJ McCarrell wrote...
    December 5, 2012 9:45 pm
    Yes, King county was not named for MLK. But you do remember the county, in a dumma*ss move, spending half a million dollars a few years back to name it after the 60's trouble-maker...no?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Scorpio0966 wrote...
    I remember
    December 6, 2012 9:21 am
    and I agree. A waste of money and a direct disrespect for the person this county was really named after.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • steve1138 wrote...
    shark75
    December 6, 2012 11:48 am
    Whats your message shark? That MLK was a troublemaker? What does that have to do with the death of a school superintendent? You speak of racism as if your outside of it somehow, if you think that you have been disenfranchised by the fact that black people had a leader in the 60's and he caused whites to look at themselves for once, then you probably are a racist.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • dexterjibs wrote...
    I hate to see anyone go so young
    December 5, 2012 9:56 pm
    I feel sorry for her family. Even though I believe she did hold anti-white beliefs.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Witchwood wrote...
    "Even though I believe she did hold anti-white beliefs."
    December 6, 2012 12:00 am

    And if she were white and held anti-black beliefs, think we'd be seeing "condolences to the family" type messages?

    I don't care about her or hers. She was not of my tribe.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • wrsawy12 wrote...
    and...
    December 6, 2012 4:37 pm
    and that would make her a racist. (was)
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SickofSeattleite wrote...
    hmmmm
    December 6, 2012 5:41 am
    talk about karma....55? so young.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • justanotheridiot wrote...
    I wonder if...
    December 6, 2012 7:18 am
    this girl can write an artical and actualy give facts. When your headline is that somebody dies, you would think that you might say how. Just another idiot and example as to how this site was informative before and falling apart now. Now its all about gays and pot.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ssbn629g wrote...
    Another idiot....
    December 6, 2012 10:59 am
    Did you mean "article"
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Snout wrote...
    Well......bye.
    December 6, 2012 9:37 am
    One less person with a PHD who demands to be called "doctor."
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ssbn629g wrote...
    Snout...
    December 6, 2012 11:00 am
    Good one!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • bora wrote...
    too much stress
    December 6, 2012 11:06 am
    can't have that
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }