CPS unions to announce votes of no confidence Monday afternoon ahead of staff cuts

Madeline Mitchell, Cincinnati Enquirer
Updated ·3 min read

The six unions that contract with Cincinnati Public Schools will hold a press conference Monday afternoon to announce the results of their votes of no confidence in Superintendent Iranetta Wright.

The unions − which represent thousands of employees for the school district including teachers, principals, assistant principals, secretaries, custodians, engineers, food service workers, counselors and other personnel − met with their members last week to take the votes after months of frustration and delays regarding the district's budget process. At a recent school board meeting,board President Eve Bolton said the district can't, at this point, avoid cutting staff members.

"Right now we have not cut enough to close the gap, let alone build the budget," Bolton said. District leaders aren't sure yet how many personnel cuts will be needed.

More: Complaints mount against Cincinnati Superintendent Iranetta Wright: 'It's all about her'

But employees' distrust in Wright outdates the most recent budget snafu.

Last spring, union leaders representing over 200 district administrators, principals and assistant principals sent a letter to the school board listing several concerns with Wright's leadership. They said her micromanagement leads to inefficiencies and confusion among staff, that she “embarrasses employees in meetings” and has sparked a fear of retaliation for anyone who speaks up against her.

Julie Sellers is president of the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers.
Julie Sellers is president of the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers.

Current and former employees recently spoke to The Enquirer detailing their experiences with the superintendent and her inner circle. They raised issue with her about what they say is her need to be the center of attention and a culture of bullying that's persisted under her leadership. One employee says the district is trying to fire her for speaking out. Her work email was deactivated last week, less than three weeks after speaking with The Enquirer.

Wright declined an interview to respond to those complaints, but wrote in an email to The Enquirer: "I deeply care about the work and input of all of our employees, who are essential to helping improve outcomes for all students. We have worked hard to build a culture of accountability, recognition and celebration."

Several community leaders have come out in support of Wright over the last few weeks. Board member Ben Lindy, who was board president when Wright was hired, maintains she is "the most talented superintendent we've had in a long time." Ozie Davis III, a former board member, posted a photo with Wright to Facebook on Wednesday with the hashtag "#StayStrongSup."

The unions alerted school board members about the impending votes on May 3. The Enquirer obtained the letter through an Ohio Open Records Act request. It was signed by all six union leaders:

"None of the unions have faith in the superintendent's leadership," the letter reads. "Our district is in chaos, and we need decisive action and a change in leadership to move forward."

The district's unions will make an announcement Monday at 4 p.m. outside of the Mary A. Ronan Education Center, located at 2651 Burnet Ave.

The Enquirer will update this story.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Vote results: CPS unions have no confidence in Superintendent Wright