CPS board tried to work with ex-Superintendent Wright even as complaints mounted | Opinion
Many of you might be curious about why I have refrained from commenting on the recent controversy surrounding former superintendent Iranetta Wright and the Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education. It wasn't prudent for me to engage in a manner that could potentially exacerbate the situation, particularly given the prevalence of inaccurate information circulating.
Since Fall 2023 and early this year, I have listened to our union membership continue conversations and requests to the board about their failure to be able to work collaboratively with the former superintendent and her executive leadership team. Concerns began in the fall of 2023 regarding the delay of school budgets, delayed staffing information, violations of contractual union timelines and filed grievances.
Beginning in January, this time under the new Board President Eve Bolton and Vice President Mary Wineberg, not only were union voices finally being presented to the board collectively (which was not done under former board president Ben Lindy), the board also heard community concerns from significant community partners and state agencies, including the state auditor, the Office of Professional Conduct, the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and CPS alumni associations, to name just a few. The concerns received from these agencies were against the former superintendent and members of her leadership team directly, and they each carried the same messaging regarding the lack of communication, the lack of collaboration and/or possible violations.
As a board, collectively, (and some board members, individually) we worked to continue to counsel the former superintendent and provided her with guidance and direction to protect the district, our students and staff. There were many challenges, but the decision to continue to work with and support the former superintendent was a collective one by all members of the board, even as complaints and concerns continued to mount into early May.
Iranetta Wright is a smart and talented educator, however, there were specific areas of concern that have never been corrected or resolved, including communication and collaboration. She resigned from her position as superintendent, willingly accepting the terms offered to her, and there were a multitude of things involved in the resignation offer that was presented, including and not limited to pending/ongoing investigations by many of the agencies listed above. The decision to offer a resignation was a tough decision, but I believe she'll be able to turn things around in her next endeavor.
Unlike what was shared in the recent op-ed by Enquirer Opinion Editor Kevin Aldridge, I was not voting to push out the former superintendent. My vote was to accept her resignation, agreeing to terms that she desired.
Now, it's time for CPS to heal, rebuild and grow. I'm not going to gossip about Wright or share any personal details about her time with the district. As an elected official, I can only share information that is publicly available.
For those who believe I have been negligent in expressing my opinions, I direct your attention to the interview I conducted with the I-Team on April 4 as well as the interview I conducted with the Enquirer's Madeline Mitchell on May 9, where I openly share my thoughts and concerns for CPS prior to any union voting. Furthermore, I have consistently utilized my public Facebook page (Dr. K for Education) as a platform to share district and education information, board votes and relevant updates along with links to meetings. I have attempted to respond to emails in a timely manner, albeit with occasional delays, and have made myself available to meet with parents, district staff and community members, either over coffee or at requested meetings.
It is my commitment to be as transparent as legally permitted, while refraining from contributing to negative discourse about the former superintendent. Instead, I will continue to disseminate factual information and make every decision with the best interests of our students at the forefront.
Likewise, I am committed to working collaboratively with my colleagues on the board, particularly during these challenging times, to close a newly discovered $30 million budget gap instead of the nearly $6 million one reported a few weeks ago by the former superintendent. It is imperative that CPS has the full support and cooperation of all its stakeholders. Divisive commentary that only serves to foster negativity is counterproductive and detrimental to our district's progress.
Our students, staff and families deserve our best, and we need to focus on closing this newly discovered budget gap and maintaining our current level of services for our students and staff. This will be a difficult and daunting task, I'm willing to work with each board member, whether we agree or not, to make this happen.
Let's all come together − staff, community and city − to support our Cincinnati Public Schools students. Together we are CPS Strong!
Dr. Kareem Moncree-Moffett is a member of the Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: CPS board, staff must come together in wake of Wright resignation
