September 30, 2025 DMPS Special Board Meeting & News Conference Part 2
(10-2-25) So how did this happen? The largest school district in Iowa hires a School Superintendent at $300,000 a year, only to find out later that he has been in the country illegally, he had been convicted on a weapons charge, lied on his resume, supposedly passed a background check, has a deportation ruling, when ICE went to find him he had a gun, $3,000 in cash and attempted to escape.
Dr. (?) Ian Roberts resigned yesterday and the Des Moines School Board accepted his resignation. He resigned? Most say he should have been immediately dismissed…another piece to the puzzle that needs to be put into place.
The full statement from the Des Moines School Board
For clarification purposes, the Des Moines School Board wants to provide additional context on the current speculation surrounding Dr. Roberts’ resume.
- Dr. Roberts provided an initial resume to JG Consulting that indicated he earned a doctorate from Morgan State University.
- During the background check, which was the responsibility of the search firm, the degree error was flagged, and the resume was revised to note ABD, or “all but dissertation,” which is required to earn such a degree.
- The revised resume is what Board members had when they interviewed the finalists.
- The Board was aware Dr. Roberts did not graduate from Morgan State University at the time of his hiring.
After Dr. Roberts was hired in May 2023, there was a FOIA request for the documents related to his hiring. At that time, DMPS reached out to JG Consulting to ask them to provide a copy of the documents. The documents provided by JG Consulting included the original resume and not the revised resume.
“I want to be clear. In a world of misinformation and disinformation, speculation becomes narrative and blame is rampant. The Des Moines School Board is also a victim of deception by Dr. Roberts, one on a growing list that includes our students and teachers, our parents and community, our elected officials and Iowa’s Board of Educational Examiners, and others,” said school board President Jackie Norris. “We are committed to the community we serve and will find ways to improve our entire process as we move forward.”
Obama’s Ex-Chief of Staff On Board That Backed $300k/Yr Illegal Superintendent
From the Des Moines Schools web site —
School Board President-Jackie Norris
Jackie Norris is a business owner and community leader. She is currently the President and Owner of the Horizon Group. Previously she worked in a variety of positions, including as the White House Chief of Staff to First Lady Michelle Obama, the CEO of Goodwill of Central Iowa, and served in leadership at the global non-profit Points of Light. Her most rewarding position was as a high school government teacher where she worked with students and encouraged them to use their voices and advocate for causes they believed in.
Norris was born in Ossining, New York and earned a degree in political science from the State University of New York at Geneseo in 1992 followed by a master’s in political science from Iowa State University. In 2002, Norris also received her secondary education teacher certification from Iowa State University. She is the 2005 award recipient of the James Madison Fellowship for her commitment to becoming an outstanding teacher of the American Constitution. Over the years, Jackie has served as an adjunct professor at American University in Washington, DC and John Cabot University in Rome, Italy.
Jackie and her husband, John, live in Des Moines with their three sons Hunter, Cole and Sam who are graduates of Des Moines Public Schools.
Member Since: 2021
Term Expires: 2025
From KCCI TV—Norris’ husband has been in the recent news headlines.…In early January, County Administrator John Norris was placed on paid administrative leave following a heated meeting of the board of supervisors, just days after Norris was reportedly asked to resign and refused.
Under the agreement, Norris will remain on paid leave of absence for 12 months and continue to receive his full salary and benefits through March 6, 2026, after which he will be allowed to use any accrued paid time off once he submits a letter of resignation effective July 1, 2026.
Des Moines officials hired superintendent despite false Morgan State doctorate claim on his resume
Des Moines school leaders say background check flagged incorrect resume from Ian Roberts
This week on Gutfeld it was mentioned that there had to be other candidates for the position…what were they told after Roberts was selected…’that they were looking to go in another direction‘. It just happened to be the wrong direction.
‘Gutfeld!’: Who hired this guy?!
To think this ‘MESS’ is over for Des Moines schools is premature…it is just the beginning.
Mercer County Outlook 