CPS transition to interim superintendent is questionable | Opinion

Let me begin by congratulating Shauna Murphy and Alesia Smith who will serve as the interim superintendent and interim deputy superintendent of Cincinnati Public Schools, respectively. The two women were approved for the positions in a 4-1 vote Monday evening by the CPS Board of Education, which will now shift to looking for a permanent replacement for outgoing superintendent Iranetta Wright.

Murphy, formerly chief of student and family services, and Smith, formerly chief of schools, have both worked in the district for years. They are familiar faces, which just might be what the doctor ordered to stabilize the 36,000-student district for the time being. I sincerely hope board members will do everything they can to set these women up for success versus just setting them up. And honestly, I'm not sure the board is off to a great start in that regard.

Board member Ben Lindy didn't do them any favors when he called the entire transition from Wright to Murphy and Smith "reckless because there is no plan." Lindy, clearly upset by how things unfolded with Wright, didn't pull any punches and abstained from voting on the interim appointments.

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"The whole thing has been rushed and conducted behind closed doors in the middle of a budget crisis of our own making," Lindy said before the board's vote. "This is not the way to provide good governance for our district."

And he didn't stop there. Lindy also revealed that the board spent a whopping 10 minutes each interviewing the interim candidates "with no requests for data or work product or references." This was a surprising disclosure considering one of the big criticisms of the school board in the wake of the Wright drama was 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, and it also puts Murphy and Smith in an unfair spot to have their appointments questioned because of a hasty process.

I'm going to guess that Lindy wasn't exaggerating the details of the interviews since no other board members objected or refuted his statement, even after board president Eve Bolton asked if there were any other comments. They remained silent − something we've become accustomed to during this unfortunate situation. But more on that later.

With Wright out, the district had to move fast to put a stop gap in place, but that doesn't mean sacrificing what Lindy called "a more thoughtful, rigorous, responsible transition process." Speed dating interim superintendent candidates probably isn't the best look right now.

"When Superintendent Laura Mitchell transitioned, this board had six weeks to select an interim," Lindy said. "This week, the board has tried to select an interim in six days."

He was also bothered by Wright's exclusion from the changeover. Wright, in her resignation letter, said she was "committed to a smooth transition and am willing to assist in any way necessary."

"There's been no effort to engage Superintendent Wright on the transition process," Lindy said. "In fact, for reasons that I still don't understand, she was asked not to attend these discussions."

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Reasonable people can disagree on whether having Wright involved in the transition is a good idea, but it's understandable why she is not. If you are part of the board majority who sided with the unions and thought Wright's leadership style was problematic, you can't very well have her involved in the district's fresh-start.

Or as Bolton put it, "(Laura) Mitchell did not leave us in the situation we are finding ourselves right now when she left."

I was glad to hear Bolton speak at the board meeting. Not because I agreed or disagreed with what she said, but because she said something. In fact, I wish she'd said more. I wish the other board members who wanted to send Wright packing − Mary Wineberg, Mike Moroski and Kareem Moncree-Moffett − would have said anything at the meeting. Their votes were telling, and their silence speaks even louder. I believe they owe it to taxpayers and district voters to explain their decision to not support Wright or, at the very least, try to work out some compromise between her and the unions. I know some board apologists will argue that Wright resigned and was not voted out, but it's clear Wright bowed to the pressure being applied and the lack of support from the board majority.

Remaining silent is self-serving and shows a lack of courage. Be brave enough to stand up for your behind-closed-door decision and tell us why. Don't hide from it. I'm saving space for op-eds and letters to the editor from any board member who would like to take me up on the offer.

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Lindy, who has been the most outspoken, said the "churn and dysfunction" on display the past few weeks will make it "impossible to attract strong candidates to the superintendency." He noted the district has gone through four top leaders in three years.

He might not be wrong. Top talent from outside Cincinnati could be hesitant to apply here if they've been paying attention to recent events. Still, superintendent jobs in cities like Cincinnati remain good opportunities for career-minded professionals. It will be interesting to see what kind of candidates CPS attracts in the coming superintendent search.

Who knows? Murphy and Smith could be auditioning for the permanent job. They've walked into both a great career opportunity and an unfortunate mess that includes a now $26 million budget gap that may involve cutting staff. Both said improving culture throughout the district will be a priority.

"We're gonna restore confidence in the community," Murphy said.

I wish them well.

Opinion and Engagement Editor Kevin S. Aldridge can be reached at kaldridge@enquirer.com. X, formerly known as Twitter: @kevaldrid. Got thoughts on this issue or others, drop me a letter or op-ed. 

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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: CPS board's silence on Wright resignation shows a lack of courage