Time to stop blaming CPS superintendents and other opinions you read most this week

Cincinnati Public Schools Superintendent Iranetta Wright recently celebrated her two-year anniversary with the nearly 36,000-student district. Her anniversary gift: The district’s unions are rallying against her, meeting for votes of no confidence and claiming Wright’s leadership style is controlling and inefficient.

If the unions get their way, Wright won't see a third anniversary. But that decision ultimately lies in the hands of the CPS school board.

The rift between the superintendent and district personnel has sparked vigorous debate in the community about how we got here and, more importantly, where do we go next. It also generated two of our most-read opinions this week, one in support of Wright and one criticizing her leadership.

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

Former Cincinnati councilman and Hamilton County treasurer Charlie Winburn, of Mt. Airy, came to Wright's defense in an op-ed calling for school board members to take accountability for the district's low performance over the years. Winburn said blaming every superintendent for the lack of student achievement let's the board, teachers and staff off the hook.

"It is time to stop the blame game, to cease hiding behind the failures of past superintendents, and to confront hard truth that the responsibility lies with each and every member of the Cincinnati Public School Board of Education," Winburn wrote. He said the school board should support Wright and not cave to pressure from the unions. You can read his full commentary here.

Clifton resident Glenetta Krause has taught in CPS since 1993 and had a different view of Wright. Krause said it's been disheartening for her to work for a superintendent and administrative team who have wasted so much money, time and goodwill.

"While everyone will always have some frustrations with their boss, this administration has crossed lines that make it difficult for work to get done," she wrote in her May 10 op-ed.

Krause described Wright as a poor communicator who meets with unions and employees but "meeting is not the same as listening, understanding, collaborating." She said the historic no-confidence votes taken by the district's six unions should send a strong message to the school board.

Tell me what you think the Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education should do about this situation by dropping me a letter or op-ed. Should the district move on from Wright after just two years, or do you think she deserves more time to realize her vision and plan for the district? Do you think things are getting better or worse at CPS in terms of student performance? What do you think is the best way to resolve the matter in the best interest of CPS students? I can't wait to read and share your responses.

Bengals fans, for the first time since he injured his right wrist last November, got to see quarterback Joe Burrow throw passes during the team's offseason workout on Monday. But those weren't the only darts being thrown at Paycor Stadium this week.

Lots of readers responded to my column last week asking for their thoughts on the stadium lease negotiations currently underway between the Bengals and Hamilton County. Most of the letters and emails I received were critical of the Bengals and urged county commissioners to "not give away the store" this time. Judy West of Loveland said residents are being crushed by high taxes and "if the Bengals choose to go to another state or elsewhere, then allow them to go."

But our most-read letter to the editor this week, written by William Singer of West End, said members of the "no-tax crowd" have it all wrong. Singer said Cincinnati is lucky to have big-league sports teams like the Bengals and Reds. If county officials don't do what is necessary to keep the Bengals in town, other cities without pro football teams would gladly line up to take them.

"Big-league sports are highly competitive among cities, and the currency of that competition is stadiums," Singer wrote. "Expecting teams to pay for their own stadiums or improvements is like expecting money from the tooth fairy."

The question remains, how much money will Hamilton County taxpayers wind up leaving under the Bengals' pillow as negotiations continue? You can read Singer's full letter here.

And in case you missed them, here a chance to catch up on a couple more of the most-read opinions this week:

Op-ed: An open letter to SCOTUS: Don't give Trump a pass on Jan. 6.

Op-ed: Health care mandates nothing more than a hidden tax increase on employers.

Lastly, check out Enquirer Editor Beryl Love's column this week on our revamped Sunday print edition. The fact you're reading this column digitally might very well mean you don't care about the printed newspaper at all, but it's a good read for all those interested in knowing more about the Enquirer's priorities and plans for how to deliver you news now and in the future.

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: What CPS should do about Iranetta Wright and other most-read opinions