The secret sauce for CPS superintendent success and other opinions you read most

Life after Iranetta Wright began this week for Cincinnati Public Schools as the board of education shifted its focus to finding Ohio's second-largest school district a new leader. On Monday, the school board approved an interim superintendent and interim deputy superintendent − Shauna Murphy and Alesia Smith − as well as Wright's resignation. Outside of dealing with a budget deficit that's ballooned to nearly $30 million, the big questions now in CPS surround the superintendent search and who the board will ultimately select to assume the top job.

What is the school board looking for in the superintendent? That perhaps is the biggest unknown. Gary Favors of Avondale said Cincinnati Public Schools new CEO should be home-grown. His letter to the editor topped our most-read opinions this week.

"The Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education must not rush to hire a new superintendent until members figure out how to hire a proficient, child-focused, relationship-building professional with union experience who can go the long haul," said Favors, a special education teacher who has been a candidate for school board and Cincinnati City Council in the past. "When looking back on the history of past superintendents, it appears that the secret sauce might be found in the home-field advantage."

The school board seemed to be, at least partially, on the same page with Favors when members chose two familiar faces in Murphy and Smith to restore stability and confidence in district leadership in the short-term. But let's hope the board spends more time finding Wright's replacement than it did the interim superintendent.

Board member Ben Lindy called out his colleagues at Monday's meeting, saying they took a mere 10 minutes to interview interim candidates and didn't ask for any data, work product or references from them. Lindy called the board's rush to oust Wright without a transition plan "reckless."

I, too, took the board to task in a column on Tuesday for speed dating interim superintendent candidates. Lindy's disclosure was surprising to me, especially given the criticism the board had taken in the wake of the Wright drama for their ineffective recruiting, vetting and selection process.

"Drive-by interviews with candidates won't do much to reassure the public that the board's judgment has improved... (It) isn't a good look."

You can read my column in full here.

I want to know, what kind of a leader do you think CPS needs? Should the district bring in another outsider, or do you agree with Favors that CPS would fair better with someone closer to home at the helm? How would you grade the school board's handling of the Wright situation? What is your confidence level in their leadership? I'd love to hear all your thoughts on this topic. Send me a letter or op-ed.

And in case you missed them, here are two other opinions you read most this week on the Wright situation:

Column: From the editor: After Wright's exit from CPS, we must confront our appetite for change.

Op-ed: CPS board tried to work with ex-Superintendent Wright even as complaints mounted.

All aboard the money train

One of the biggest talkers of 2023 was the sale of the city-owned Cincinnati Southern Railway. Voters approved Issue 22 in November authorizing the city to sell the 337-mile railroad that runs to Chattanooga to Norfolk Southern Corp. for $1.6 billion. The proceeds from the sale were put into a trust and then invested.

The first quarterly update on the Cincinnati Southern Railway Trust was released on Tuesday and showed the fund has grown by $14 million in its first two months. That's promising news, especially when many railroad sale detractors speculated the city and railway board might squander or lose money on the investment.

It's still early and there are no guarantees the trust will always stay on its current trajectory, but I felt the railway board deserved some praise nonetheless. This a group that got beat up pretty good by critics during a nasty, contentious election campaign. So far, things have panned out as advertised and the railway board is operating transparently. That's why they earned a hearty handshake from me this week.

City not connecting with community on Connected Communities

Next let's move from handshakes to hand slaps. Many residents feel Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval, City Council and Planning Commission have slapped them in the face by not listening to their concerns about the zoning overhaul proposal, known as Connected Communities. Mike Cheetham, president of the Mt. Lookout Community Council, said the Connected Communities plan ignores the unique challenges facing city neighborhoods. He said the mayor and some council members have dismissed opposition from community councils as "resistance to change."

"This claim and the underlying viewpoint are an insult to the work of the community councils and the many residents and business leaders who have spent time and effort to review the plan, consider its possible risks and benefits, and clearly articulate well-founded concerns," Cheetham wrote. "It ignores the fact that community councils exist to drive change and improve their communities."

Cheetham isn't alone in his viewpoint. In fact, one letter writer, Allen V. Kroth of North Avondale, urged voters to recall the mayor and anyone on council who didn't reject the Connected Communities ordinance when it comes up for a vote on June 5. "Maybe that will send a message...," he said.

The Enquirer editorial board plans to sit down with the mayor ahead of the June 5 vote. Stay tuned for more on that later. In the meantime, send me your thoughts on the Connected Communities plan, pros and cons.

Your voice matters

As always, you can join the conversation on these and other topics by sending your thoughts to letters@enquirer.com. Letters of up to 200 words may be submitted and must include name, address, community and daytime phone number. Op-eds are submitted the same way except they should be 500-600 words and also include a one-sentence bio and head shot. Submissions may be edited for space and clarity.

If you need some tips on how to write an op-ed, click here.

Opinion and Engagement Editor Kevin S. Aldridge can be reached at kaldridge@enquirer.com. X, formerly known as Twitter: @kevaldrid.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Life after ex-Superintendent Wright and other opinions you read most