Kalamazoo Public Schools Superintendent Resigns, What’s Next?
Earlier this week Rita Raichoudhuri resigned from her position as the superintendent of Kalamazoo Public Schools (KPS). This was said to be a mutual agreement between herself and the school board.
In what appears as a sudden change to the public has left them in awe as they responded to the news. Many were concerned with the experience and qualifications of the replacement while others were wondering about who the interim superintendent will be.
What's Next?
The question that's on everyone's mind is what, well really who, is the next superintendent of KPS. This will be the second superintendent in almost as many years as Dr. Michael Rice moved on just three years ago in 2019.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but I have no information on who will be taking over the KPS helm next. It is alarming that KPS themselves have said nothing about the resignation on any of their social media but posted one message on their website's homepage.
They did welcome back Cindy Green to be the interim superintendent as she served after Dr. Rice's departure. This appointment would make Chris Micklatcher happy as he called her a rockstar on Facebook.
Internal Impact
The impact that losing a superintendent has on a school district is massive enough, but KPS could be in a make-or-break situation when choosing its next superintendent. The school system has seen a lot of flak over their responses in situations over the last couple of years.
Many were upset with the way that the Covid-19 pandemic and virtual school were handled by the school system. Many feeling like their families were left to fend for themselves in figuring out online schooling.
Now with a change in leadership, they still have to answer the existing questions while addressing the new questions and running the school district all at the same time. I'm no expert on the school system but they have a lot of work on their hands, so something is bound to go wrong.
Community Concerns
Many parents decided to share concerns with other parents on Facebook as many have had complaints about the school system. Many of the parents were complaining of problems with communication and safety within schools.
Christina Mayne-Wall commented how she was worried for her daughter's safety while she was at school due to weapons being brought to school, fights occurring almost every day, kids claiming danger on others or themselves, and more dangerous activity.
The next few months to years could be very vital for KPS and the relationship they have with the community. Their next choice for superintendent needs to be just about perfect as they have a lot of work to do and a lot of parents to satisfy.