In Minneapolis, School Chief’s Tenure Debated

The superintendent of the Minneapolis schools has resigned after only a year and a half on the job, leaving in her wake angry debates about the roles that race, politics, and her own job performance played in her departure.

Even those who disagree most sharply, however, agree that Thandiwe Peebles was a strong and effective academic leader. Under her watch, test scores in the 39,000-student district increased sharply, and the performance gap between students of different races narrowed.

She resigned on Jan. 27, just ahead of what some say was a likely firing. Whether her troubles were rooted in other people’s resentments and agendas, or in her own missteps, depends...