Despite board member Elizabeth Hanson’s revelation that he is loved by his staff who would follow him to the ends of the earth, ousted DCSD superintendent Cory Wise is not a messiah. He is a professional executive hired by the board of education to oversee school district operations and carry out the priorities, policies and agendas established by the school board.
In this past election, the conservative Kids First slate of school board candidates (Myers, Winegar, Williams and Peterson) were swept into office by winning 55% of the votes cast. Politico regards this margin of victory as a landslide. They ran on a platform of change, and soundly defeated four opposing candidates backed by leftist, politically activist organizations such as the teachers’ unions who supported the status quo. Changes advocated by the new majority board members included revising the current equity policy, dispensing with mask mandates, refocusing on academic basics, closing learning/achievement gaps, and empowering parents.
Early on, it became apparent that Superintendent Wise opposed this new agenda and would obstruct its implementation. This was manifested in his vociferous objection to the board approved January 25th resolution on equity. The only effective way to resolve this impasse was to replace Mr. Wise with a superintendent who was more aligned with the new direction set forth by the new board. Under the circumstances, Mr. Wise’s dismissal was reasonable and appropriate. The firing of hired executives by boards of directors, who serve at the pleasure of boards of directors, is not unusual.
Raoul De Chant, Parker