Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson dies

CHARLESTON, SC — Former Seattle Schools Superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson has died.

Goodloe-Johnson was ousted from her Seattle Schools post  in 2011. The Seattle School Board voted unanimously to fire her after a state audit raised questions about $1.8 million spent on a program to promote small business contractors.

A spokesperson from Seattle Public Schools said that Goodloe-Johnson most recently was employed by the Detroit School District.

Family members of Goodloe-Johnson told Charleston's WCSC Television on Wednesday that she had been sick for about a year. Funeral arrangements had not been completed, according to her family.

Seattle Public Schools issued the following statement:

All of us at Seattle Public Schools are saddened to learn of the death today of our former Superintendent, Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson.

We are grateful for her years of service to Seattle Public Schools and her efforts during her four-year tenure here to put our students on the path to academic success. The fact that we have seen consistent improvements in student academic achievement is a testament to her leadership.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to her husband Bruce and daughter Maya.

KIRO