Dr. Claude Tiller Jr.
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The video has been released of the comments Green Bay’s former superintendent made two weeks ago on an Atlanta radio station.
Claude Tiller resigned from his position on Saturday, less than a week after he was placed on paid leave while a district investigation was about to start into his comments.
While trying to recruit teachers from historically black colleges in Atlanta, Tiller spoke for more than 90 minutes on WAOK radio. The segment was titled “Navigating Educational Leadership: Insights from the First Black Superintendent of Green Bay Schools.”
“Green Bay is about as lily white as I’ve ever seen,” said radio host Dr. Adrienne.
“Lily on top of the lily,” responded Tiller.
A major focus of the conversation was about race.
According to the school district, 38.6% of its 19,000 students are white – meaning a majority are minority.
On the radio show, Tiller says 92% of the teachers in the district are white.
“How important is it for you that you have teachers that are indicative of the population of the students that you have?” the radio host asked Tiller.
“It’s very important,” said Tiller. “Any Caucasian teacher worth his or her salt, weight in salt, they would say the same thing too because what happens is you cannot teach kids if you truly don’t love what you’re teaching in front of you.”
As part of state open records laws, Tiller was able to provide a written statement to explain his side of the video recording.
Tiller’s statement says he is “engaging in necessary, albeit uncomfortable, conversations and deep introspective analysis as a pathway to resolution.”
Tiller says, “All of his commentary was aimed at highlighting systemic issues within public education, emphasizing collective action as the singular path to foster significant enhancements in student learning experiences.”
“I have good teachers that strive to learn the culture of different populations, but you’re not in that culture,” Tiller said on the radio show.
Tiller’s statement says unintended commentary was captured. It reads, “Comments made during non-broadcast segments of the program were recorded via webcam, revealing candid insights outside the formal program narrative. Dr. Tiller was unaware the webcam was recording.”
At several points in the recording, the radio host references the livestream, including at the beginning of the conversation. Tiller also later waves at the camera.
During one radio commercial break, the webcam captures Tiller talking about a subordinate.
“First they’ll say “oh me?” B-I-T-C-H of course it’s you,” said Tiller.
In another, Tiller and the host are talking about businesses in the Green Bay area.
“So do you have the support of those corporations and industries to help support in education?” the radio host asked Tiller during a commercial break.
“So, in here lies the rub, they want to keep the haves and have nots and they don’t know that I notice that,” said Tiller. “So they’ll rear their heads for a party. Oh, they throw gigantic summer parties for them and everything, but that’s about it. And that is their appreciation party, but they want to keep them at a certain level.”
In a statement on his resignation, Tiller says when he arrived to Green Bay he was “immediately embraced by the warmth and strong sense of belonging that defines this community.”
Tiller called the decision to step down an extremely difficult one.
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