Beleaguered Alabama superintendent Michael Sentance resigned Tuesday morning, a little more than a year after taking office and after a tumultuous, months-long battle with state board of education members.

Sentance confirmed with AL.com an agreement was reached to end his employment as superintendent. "Not much to say," Sentance responded when asked for comment. Sentance said he met with senior staff at 10:15 Wednesday morning.

"I am humbled and appreciative of the opportunity to serve as state superintendent in Alabama," Sentance said in a statement issued later Wednesday morning.

"There are many good things happening in public education in this state. My hope is that Alabama makes educating all children the state's highest priority, allowing the state to make significant educational gains and truly becoming the jewel of the south that it has the ability to become," the statement continued.

Reaching the agreement allowed Sentance to avoid an expected vote to fire him at Thursday's regular board meeting. Details of the agreement are not yet known, but today is Sentance's final day of employment.

Gov. Kay Ivey said Sentance submitted his resignation to her, as President of the State Board of Education, this morning.

"I do not take this situation lightly, and as President of the State Board of Education, I will ask the Board to accept his resignation," Ivey said.

"Over the past two years, Alabama has experienced far too many changes in state government. As with previous changes in leadership positions, we will use the pending resignation of the state superintendent as an opportunity to move forward and begin a new chapter in public education.

"I have spoken with Mr. Sentance, thanked him for his commitment to public service and education, and wished him well."

In a statement to AL.com, Ivey's spokesman Daniel Sparkman said after Ivey received Sentance's resignation letter, members of the Governor's office and Sentance's attorney discussed the resignation, and Ivey signed the separation agreement, "which is expressly subject to ratification and approval by the State Board of Education."

Board member Mary Scott Hunter, R-Huntsville, supported Sentance, but said, "This is the right resolution. I appreciate the Governor's office working that out with him."

"A negotiated settlement that ends his employment saves taxpayers money and more importantly keeps the focus on students."

"Sentance's departure is a good time to self-reflect and see what part the board and the department have played in not meeting the needs of school systems," she said.

Sen. Dick Brewbaker, R-Montgomery, told AL.com, "For whatever reason, the school board has seen fit to move Mr. Sentance along. They need to find somebody they can get behind. Because if there's one thing for sure, Alabama public schools are failing our students in a lot of ways."

"And all of this ego-driven conflict at the top is not helping. And I think a lot of the conflict has been ego-driven. I think the Legislature, frankly, made it worse by getting involved. And I think that when you've got a state with NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) scores as bad as ours, and a state where ACT Aspire scores were so bad that they just dumped the test, we've got bigger fish to fry than fighting about who the state superintendent is.

Brewbaker said the fact that Sentence was fired after just a year on the job might make some potential replacements wary.

"That's a pretty quick trigger. And I think that's going to complicate hiring the next person."

Rep. Craig Ford, D-Gadsden, said, "I think the way he was hired and the cloud that he came in under was never going to be dismissed and it's the best thing for our Department of Education and all our schools in Alabama.

"I think if I was the Board of Education, I would go and beg Dr. Pouncey to come back and take the position if he would be willing."

"Michael Sentence had a good plan for improving education in Alabama, and it was one that I think could have been successful if implemented," said Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, chair of the House Education Policy Committee. "Unfortunately, he was not fully given that opportunity."

"I hope the state school board will find a new superintendent that is committed to improving results, maintaining high standards, and implementing education reforms that are rooted in conservative ideals and principles," Collins added.

Hunter expects the board to name an interim superintendent at Thursday's regular board meeting, which starts at 10 a.m.

Jefferson County superintendent Dr. Craig Pouncey will hold a 1:30 p.m. press conference to discuss Sentance's resignation.

Pouncey filed a lawsuit against Hunter, former interim superintendent Philip Cleveland and three state department attorneys for their role in handling an anonymous allegation Pouncey violated ethics laws. Pouncey alleges the group mishandled the allegation and it cost him the state superintendent position.

Pouncey was a candidate for the state superintendent position when Sentance was hired in August 2016.

In his short tenure, Sentance started many projects, including penning a new strategic plan called Alabama Ascending and positioning Alabama to create its own state test to measure academic achievement.

But his proposals met resistance.

And board members have not been shy about their criticisms, with most of their concern focused on Sentance's self-admitted lack of communication skills.

Most recently, Sentance came under fire for a possible budget deficit the department could be facing.

The state department of education, in a statement, said that prior to coming to Alabama, Sentance worked as an education consultant and has worked with state, federal, local officials, and advocacy groups on strategies to improve public education. He has also served as the Secretary of Education in Massachusetts, as the Senior Education Advisor to Massachusetts Governors William Weld and Paul Cellucci, and in a senior-level position for the U.S. Department of Education.

This post will be updated.

AL.com reporter Mike Cason contributed to this story.