One of the most talked about news stories this week was the resignation of Cincinnati Public Schools Superintendent Ilanetta Wright. After just two years, Wright resigned Wednesday following a vote of no confidence from six unions in the district, which has about 6,000 employees.
Comments on Wright's rift with Labor and her subsequent resignation accounted for 50% of this week's top 10 most read opinions. But the most read opinion was the Enquirer editorial board's take on the situation, making Wright the latest in a long line of outsiders to fall victim to Cincinnati's bigotry. It was emphasized that.
“Let's face it, Cincinnati can be cruel to outsiders. Our city has gotten a bad reputation for its treatment of leaders brought in from elsewhere,” the editorial said. “Wright, who came to Cincinnati from the Detroit Public Schools, is just the latest high-profile leader to be unceremoniously kicked out of the city, a city littered with the bones of ousted police chiefs and a place of outsiders. Some say it's a career graveyard: city administrators, nonprofit directors, and superintendents.”
You can read the full editorial here.
In response to an editorial in the Enquirer, Mount Adams' Brian Frank agreed that “there are no winners” in Wright's resignation, but disagreed with the board's view of the bigotry that exists in the Queen City. chanted.
“You completely misunderstand that Cincinnati is an unwelcoming city for non-native-born Cincinnatians,” Frank wrote. “Wright's problem, I would say, is that she can't work effectively with others. Every time she has to mend fences with a co-worker, she instead brings out six guns. When necessary, she brought out the bailiffs as if she were the new sheriff on the case.
Other most-read editorials on the topic included posts from former Cincinnati Public Schools Board members Carolyn Jones and Ossie Davis.
Jones said having four superintendents in five years is not good for the district. She took into account that her school board did not instruct her Wright on how to improve the “communication and collaboration” area of her performance.
“The school board is responsible for providing a basis for performance accountability for the superintendent, including adjustments to performance measures aimed at improving performance areas identified as 'inadequate,'” Jones wrote. “Boards of education have a duty to provide and monitor clearly defined goals, performance measures, and fair evaluations of benchmarks with deadlines for achievement.”
You can read her editorial here.
Meanwhile, Davis said the school board should have given Wright more time to realize his vision and work out the kinks with the union. Davis said he sees the conflict between the union and Wright as having more to do with “power and control” than student performance. He even called it a “negotiation tactic.”
And he echoed sentiments about the school board shared by many letter and op-ed writers, saying, “The school board appears unable to maintain control over the school district.” You can read the rest of Davis' comments here.
Tell us what you think about Wright's resignation by sending us a letter or an op-ed. Are you glad she's gone and the district has a chance to start fresh with a new superintendent? Did the district and union make a mistake in forcing Wright out of town after only two years? Do you think the rift between the superintendent and the labor union has been repaired? What impact will this confusion have on students, not to mention future levy renewals? What will the district have to say to the next superintendent? Should I ask for it?
I look forward to reading and sharing your responses.
In case you missed it, here are some more of this week's most read opinions.
Column: Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance's worldview was formed at a young age.
Letter: A downtown billboard sends a dangerous message about drunk driving.
Editorial: Nonsensical government regulations threaten CVG progress.
Editorial: Scheffler's arrest is not surprising. Let's take a look at the history of the Louisville Metro Police Department.
As always, join the conversation on these and other topics by sending your thoughts to letters@enquirer.com. Letters can be up to 200 words and must include your name, address, region, and daytime phone number. Editorials are submitted similarly, but must be between 500 and 600 words and include a one-sentence bio and a photo. Submissions may be edited for space and clarity.
If you need 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.
