Cincinnati Public Schools Superintendent Iranetta Wright resigns after no confidence votes

Cincinnati Public Schools Superintendent Iranetta Wright submitted her resignation, effective Monday, following votes of no confidence from the district's six unions.

School board president Eve Bolton announced Wright's resignation during a special meeting Wednesday afternoon. Wright did not attend the public meeting. The school board will meet again Monday to finalize a settlement with Wright.

"What the board is doing today is a terrible, terrible mistake," school board member Ben Lindy said at Wednesday's meeting. "The slimmest of majorities is forcing out a talented superintendent from outside Cincinnati who is generating progress for children, and they’re doing this with no plan for what happens next. These are not responsible, adult decisions, and we are headed for a very difficult next chapter."

Lindy made a motion to not accept Wright's resignation. Kendra Mapp was the only other school board member to support the motion.

"We are being reactionary with our decisions instead of responsive," Mapp said. "We do not have a closed budget. We do not have a succession plan. We're not considering what's in the best interest of our students."

Earlier on Wednesday, Wright told The Enquirer she was not sure what her future would hold. She said she is committed to improving outcomes for kids, but that she isn't convinced Cincinnati is ready for change.

"I want to be where I'm wanted," Wright said. "I want to be where what I bring is valued."

The district's union leaders said Wright created a culture of fear and intimidation during her tenure, that she added to administrative bloat, mismanaged the district's budget, micromanaged workers and violated union contracts while making herself the face of the district.

"It's all about her," Fannie Carradine, an administrative secretary in the district's central office and president of the Cincinnati Federation of Office Professionals, told The Enquirer.

Leadership changes can be unsettling, Bolton said. But ultimately, the district needs a leader who can collaborate effectively. Bolton told The Enquirer that Wright, who was hired to bring change to the district, "helped us figure out the things we love and want to maintain."

There are 20 people currently working in the district who are licensed to work as a superintendent, Bolton said. The board will interview two candidates for the interim superintendent position and make their decision at Monday's meeting.

"The board of education would like to express our gratitude to Superintendent Iranetta Wright for her efforts to move our district forward and to improve our student outcomes," Bolton said. "We wish her well in her future endeavors."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: CPS Superintendent Iranetta Wright resigns before board meeting