Richard P. Mills
Encyclopedia
Richard Paul Mills is an American educator most notable for having served as the Commissioner of Education for both Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...

 and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 States.

Early life and career

Mills was born in Paris, Illinois
Paris, Illinois
Paris is a city in Paris Township, Edgar County, Illinois, USA, south of Chicago, and west of Indianapolis. In 1900, 6,105 people lived in Paris, Illinois; in 1910, 7,664; and in 1940, 9,281. The population was 8,837 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Edgar County.-Geography:Paris is...

 to a former teacher and college professor turned insurance salesman.

He earned a bachelor's degree in History at Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...

 in 1966 and a master's degree in American History at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...

 in 1967. He began his career as a history teacher at the Dalton School in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 and helped found the Elizabeth Seeger School in 1971. He pursued an MBA at Columbia Business School
Columbia Business School
Columbia Business School is the business school of Columbia University in Manhattan, New York City. It was established in 1916 to provide business training and professional preparation for undergraduate and graduate Columbia University students...

, graduating in 1975, and an Ed.D.
Doctor of Education
The Doctor of Education or Doctor in Education degree , in Latin, Doctor Educationis, is a research-oriented professional doctorate that prepares the student for academic, administrative, clinical, or research positions in educational, civil, and private organizations.-Differences between an Ed.D...

 at Teachers College, Columbia University
Teachers College, Columbia University
Teachers College, Columbia University is a graduate school of education located in New York City, New York...

 in 1977.

He moved to work for the New Jersey Department of Education
New Jersey Department of Education
The New Jersey Department of Education administers state and federal aid programs affecting more than 1.4 million public and non-public elementary and secondary school children in the state of New Jersey. The department is headquartered in Trenton.The Department is responsible for ensuring that...

 in the mid-1970s where he held various administrative posts. Governor Thomas H. Kean picked him to serve as special assistant on education in 1984. In 1988, Governor Madeleine M. Kunin
Madeleine M. Kunin
Madeleine May Kunin is a Swiss-American diplomat and politician. She was the 77th Governor of Vermont from 1985 until 1991, as a member of the Democratic Party. She also served as United States Ambassador to Switzerland from 1996 to 1999. She was Vermont's first and, to date, only female governor...

 selected him to serve as Commissioner of Education for Vermont.

Years as New York Commissioner of Education

In 1995, the Board of Regents appointed him Commissioner of Education for New York State
Commissioner of Education of the State of New York
The Commissioner of Education of the State of New York is the head of the state education department. The Board of Regents chooses a Commissioner of Education who heads the State Education Department and also serves as the President of the University of the State of New York office...

.

Initiatives and State results

Including his calls for high standards. Since 1995 Mills has taken many unprecedented steps including the end of local school boards of education autonomy to grant diplomas through the new mandary Regents Diploma

His calls for increased education spending, doubling the amount spend on schools in NY since 1995 with NY now ranked second nationally in educational spending, with the latest spending not accounted for it is expected NY will now be first in per pupil spending.

Despite this spending NY's graduation rate is 58%, according to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation the third worst in the nation behind only South Carolina at 54%, and Georgia at 56%. Neighboring Pennsylvania garners 81%.

Roosevelt School takeover

Most troubling is that for the first time the commissioner removed an elected school board for overspending $1.9 million. and having low test scores.

In the aftermath of that takeover in 2002 Mills appointed the new superintendent and board of education yet the academic numbers have steadily worsened along with enrollment. Yet in 2007 a state audit now found the school had overspent $12 million.

After the state brought in report cards six months late, the state refuses to publish the data for Roosevelt Schools. It is the only time the state has refused to publish a report card, even though the district is under direct state control.

"Jacqueline Farquharson, a senior at Roosevelt High School, said at the forum that her teachers did not have enough textbooks for all their students and that the school computer lab did not have enough toner to print student papers. 'I have three siblings in this district,' she said. 'I want to know that my school district is not going to fall through the cracks.' "

"Mills acknowledged that a May 2006 audit by the State Education Department had flagged 63 weaknesses in the district's financial controls. 'I knew then there had to be a problem with the deficit,' he said, 'but at that time I couldn't tell how large the deficit was.' "

Contacts with Public Education

Mills has also drawn calls of hypocrisy: despite his leadership of the NY State Education Department, Mills has never taught in a public school, never been a principal or superintendent in a public school, nor even attended a public school. His only teaching experience comes from the exclusive, private Dalton School
The Dalton School
The Dalton School, originally called the Children's University School, is a private university-preparatory school on New York City's Upper East Side and a member of both the New York Interschooland the Ivy Preparatory School League...

.

Under Mills' tenure, a series of scandals happened with multiple school districts on Long Island, including contractor lawyers who were being listed as full time employees by multiple school districts and claiming lucrative public pensions and benefits. He was also criticized for the rampant "double dipping" practice by school district officials, especially on Long Island. At the top of the list was Mr. James Hunderfund, interim superintendent of Malverne, who was entitled to an annual payment of $516,245 in 2008. Each year, Mr. Mills' department granted one third of all of the waivers of New York states to "double dippers", people who collects full public pensions and earn more than $30,000 a year. Many times, top level of school district officials are rehired as top level school district officials, even before they are officially retired.

Retirement

Mills recently announced he has prostate cancer.

Recent calls by New York State Senate
New York State Senate
The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve...

 members have been so far unaddressed by Mills.

On October 31, 2008, Mills announced he would leave his post in June 2009.
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