‘Messy’ CMS drama leaves constituents angry and sour

GARDNER-WEBB UNIVERSITY

The September firing of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Crystal Hill by the board of education sparked a series of leadership changes and allegations of financial impropriety that led to the launch of state and federal investigations.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ leadership is in chaos and its constituents want accountability.

The firing of Superintendent Crystal Hill and the launch of state and federal investigations into alleged financial irregularities have left the community with questions about its future. On Sept. 22, the Board of Education voted 5-4 to terminate Hill without cause. 

The decision came after questions arose about district transactions with consultants and management of state and federal funds, which are now under investigation by state and federal authorities, including the State Bureau of Investigation, State Auditor’s Office and the FBI.

“Our kids deserve better,” said Reniqua Brown, a CMS alumna and parent to two students. “The CMS employees deserve better. Our city deserves better. I feel like Charlotte is in a place of needing to be the example. This is not a little small Southern city anymore. We have a lot of industry here. We have people moving here. Charlotte has grown exponentially. It’s growing every day. It’s important that we get this together.” 

After firing Hill for convenience, the board itself was transformed. Stephanie Sneed, who pushed for Hill’s termination, stepped down as chair. Vice Chair Gregory “Dee” Rankin replaced Sneed as chair and Melissa Balknight, who stepped in for Hill when she was suspended during a seven-week internal probe, was promoted to acting superintendent.

“Dr. Balknight is a leader who can keep Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools on track to continue year-over-year growth in student achievement,” Rankin said in a statement. “Her experience and historical knowledge will be invaluable in maintaining stability as the board searches for its next permanent superintendent.”

The board’s decision to fire Hill, along with the investigation that offered no public details before her reinstatement in August, raised concerns about district leadership, use of taxpayer dollars and the impact on staff and 138,000 students.

Duke Smith, a CMS alumnus who taught at Olympic High School for six years, said the controversies came as no surprise to him. As a student, he often heard his parents complain about district dysfunction.

“It’s disheartening because as a former teacher, I saw the effects of how it impacted inside the classrooms and how the district is not, or seems to be not focused on the priority, the things that need to be priority, which are those students and those teachers at those schools,” he said.

Brown said the way the events unfolded left her shocked, dismayed and disappointed.

“From that meeting where they initiated (Hill’s) firing to now where we’re seeing even more things come out, I just cannot believe that all of this has been going on in a school system,” she said, “for one, that's so large and also in a city that you would think by now leads by example.” 

Although there are differing views of Hill’s performance as superintendent, many are disappointed with how the situation has been handled and the lack of clarity, especially after the constant changes in leadership over the years.

“I’m not that big of an advocate for Dr. Hill, but she didn’t deserve what she got,” Smith said. “If you didn’t have anything, she should have went back to work. But being the fact that they fired her for convenience seemed to be more of a personal action rather than a professional one.”

Brown said the lack of transparency and answers have worsened the situation. With the community left looking for clarity, social media has become a place for conversations and speculation.

“Everything just seems to be so secretive, and I think they're trying to cover that up with quote-unquote personnel issues,” she said. “However, I think that there’s way more that they could have said. There was way more that they could have let on to the public.” 

As investigations continue, calls for a new school board have become another topic of conversation.

“How do you expect to have a functional superintendent when it’s coming from a dysfunctional board?” Smith said. “You get what you give. And right now, I just feel like there needs to be some major overhaul in the CMS school board and taxpayers who really need to speak up. Regardless of what anybody says or what their intentions are, this board has failed the taxpayers of Charlotte-Mecklenburg.”

Brown said the school board has become a distraction from the work that needs to be done in the schools.

“Everything that comes out from this board now, it’s going to be looked at with a microscope, more so than before,” she said. “Whatever issues you probably had with the school, are kind of pushed to the side. Now, everybody’s got their issues with the board, so they’re under a fine-tooth comb now.” 

Smith contends district leaders’ focus needs to be on preparing students for adulthood and setting them up for success.

“That requires a board that is focused on putting those students first and putting those families first and making sure they’re putting systems in place that are going to work and be beneficial for those families,” he said.

For Brown, the issue comes down to stability and long-term effects.

“I just feel like it’s going to get to a point where CMS is not going to be able to come back from this and then is that going to affect people wanting to come work in this district,” she said. “Are we going to lose out on potentially good teachers, or good principals, because they don’t want to work here, because it’s so unstable and just messy?”

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