Des Moines school board member Teree Caldwell-Johnson resigns in wake of health issues

The longest-serving board member for the Des Moines Public Schools, Teree Caldwell-Johnson, who has been battling cancer, has resigned after nearly two decades.

School Board Chair Jackie Norris confirmed Tuesday afternoon that Caldwell-Johnson — who has been on the board since 2006 — had submitted her resignation.

Caldwell-Johnson has also pulled back from her role as CEO at Oakridge Neighborhood, a Des Moines nonprofit that provides services such as housing for families in need, to focus on her health, according to a news release.

Caldwell-Johnson — who served multiple times as school board chair or vice chair over the years — announced last year she had been diagnosed with cancer. In recent months, she has attended school board meetings online.

Board members dressed in shades of green Tuesday night in honor of Caldwell-Johnson's favorite color: kelly green. While she did not attend the board meeting, several people said she was watching online.

"It has been my privilege to have been elected to serve on the Des Moines public school board over the past 18 years," Caldwell-Johnson wrote in her resignation letter. "And my greatest honor is to have served … as the board chair. Our district's commitment to student outcomes and policy focused governance has created a win-win for our district and our current and future students."

It is her expectation that this will continue under Superintendent Ian Roberts and the board's leadership, she said.

Both past and present board members spoke during the meeting about Caldwell-Johnson's style, insight around education and her many contributions to the district and community.

Roberts told those gathered that he spent time with Caldwell-Johnson on Saturday.

"During two hours or more of conversation you continuously asked how you can be helpful to me,” he said of Caldwell-Johnson. "You shared so many nuggets of wisdom during that time that no amount of schooling or life experiences will ever be able to replace those. I will continue to keep those near and dear as I lead and serve this amazing school system."

Caldwell-Johnson has always been a person who does not mince words, said former board Chair Dwana Bradley.

“It was a blessing for me to be able to sit down with her, the amount of style and grace that she shows, her strength, and I think you all can agree with me that when Teree spoke, we listened,” Bradley said.

Former board chair helped herald district change

Caldwell-Johnson's time on the board has been marked with two national superintendent searches and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Caldwell-Johnson was part of the superintendent search for former Superintendent Nancy Sebring's replacement and later longtime Superintendent Tom Ahart's replacement, said Phil Roeder, district spokesperson. In total, she has helped oversee three superintendents and one interim superintendent. Ahart also served as interim superintendent for a year after Sebring resigned.

Most recently, Caldwell-Johnson and the board hired Roberts to oversee Iowa's largest and most diverse school district.

At the height of the pandemic, Des Moines schools and in particular Ahart came under fire for the board's decision to have students start the 2020-21 school year online. Board members said at the time Ahart was just following their orders. The superintendent later received a written reprimand from the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners for the move.

Caldwell-Johnson has also been known not to back down from controversy.

During the district's State of the Schools address in February 2023, Caldwell-Johnson asked lawmakers to "leave our public schools alone" in response to a question about what legislators can do to help schools besides an increase of funds.

“We don't need your interventions around curriculum, what we teach, how we teach, who we teach, and Des Moines Public Schools has been in existence for 116 years and we've been doing pretty darn well," she said at the time.

Related: Des Moines names ex-Olympian as superintendent — first person of color to lead district

During her final full year on the board, Caldwell-Johnson was instrumental in the search for Roberts and helping to build a relationship between Des Moines schools and Drake University during construction of the shared stadium, Roeder said.

Caldwell-Johnson helped lift up Black male students

During the 2018-19 school year, district leaders met with community members to discuss a number of issues impacting Des Moines Public Schools. Out of those conversations came the district and board's commitment to improve academic outcomes for Black male students particularly in the areas of math and reading.

Board member Kim Martorano noted Caldwell-Johnson "tirelessly championed" for marginalized communities and the "empowerment of Black males in our district."

"Your unwavering commitment to addressing the unique challenges faced by this demographic group has been nothing short of inspirational," Martorano said. "Through your leadership, you have sparked meaningful conversations, implemented targeted initiatives and paved the way for a more inclusive and equitable educational experience for all students."

While the district has struggled to make some of these goals, Caldwell-Johnson has continued to advocate for students.

Caldwell-Johnson, the daughter of educators, summed up her reason for running for the board in a video the board showed from her time with the district.

"I ran understanding that kids that are in need and live in impoverished neighborhoods need a voice and so I decided that I wanted to be the voice for our little brown and Black children," she said in the clip.

Teree Caldwell-Johnson saluted as the 'mayor of Oakridge'

Since 2004, Caldwell-Johnson has served as the CEO of Oakridge Neighborhood. She has also sat on several nonprofit boards, including the Mid-Iowa Health Foundation, Greater Des Moines Community Foundation, Planned Parenthood and Spelman College Museum of Fine Art.

In an emailed statement, officials at Oakridge said Caldwell-Johnson "transitioned out of her day-to-day responsibilities" at the nonprofit to prioritize her health. They also thanked Caldwell-Johnson for her years of dedication to fulfilling the organization's mission.

"Speaking on behalf of our entire team, Teree is a dear friend, a wonderful mentor and one that brings the secret sauce to make Oakridge Neighborhood such an inspiring place," said spokesperson Chris Irvine in a statement. "We are so thankful for her, her guidance and her example.

"Because of her and the strong legacy she has built, we know Oakridge Neighborhood will continue to thrive in supporting children and families as it has for the last 55 years."

The board of directors has selected Kristin Clayton, vice president of finance and administration, to take on Caldwell-Johnson’s role as acting CEO.

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Over the years, Caldwell-Johnson has been widely recognized for her work in the community, strong faith and leadership. She is the 2024 recipient of the state’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award.

Last year, she was awarded the Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice and the President's Volunteer Service Lifetime Achievement Award. She was also named a 2022 “Remarkable Woman” by WHO-TV’s Nexstar Media Group.

Caldwell-Johnson was nicknamed the Mayor of Oakridge by state Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad for her work in the community. Abdul-Samad previously served on the board.

To honor Caldwell-Johnson, Abdul-Samad announced she was receiving a certificate of recognition from the state House of Representatives for “her long-lasting positive impact on the students of Des Moines Community School District, the community of Des Moines and the state of Iowa.”

“Teree, you’ve always been the shoulders a lot of us have stood on, and you have been an inspiration to a lot of us when we got down and thought there was nowhere to go,” said Abdul-Samad.

Samantha Hernandez covers education for the Register. Reach her at (515) 851-0982 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @svhernandez or Facebook at facebook.com/svhernandezreporter.

F. Amanda Tugade covers social justice issues for the Des Moines Register. Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @writefelissa.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Teree Caldwell-Johnson resigns from Des Moines school board