CCSD principals voice concerns after several chaotic school board meetings

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)- Principals across the Charleston County School District (CCSD) are voicing concerns to the district’s school board following several weeks of controversial meetings.

16 CCSD high school principals penned a letter to the district’s Board of Trustees on Sept. 27 expressing “profound disappointment” over the recent chaotic meetings, which culminated in Superintendent Dr. Eric Gallien being placed on paid administrative leave.

“Both in terms of substance and conduct the meeting did not meet basic standards of good governance that we expect from ourselves, our leaders, and our elected officials,” the letter states in part. “In terms of substance, it is difficult to understand your desire to diminish the role of experienced educators including the Superintendent and the Chief Academic Officer.”

Vanessa Brown, the principal of Cooper River Center for Advanced Studies in North Charleston, said the group was hesitant about sending letters to the board, but felt it was necessary.

“We wanted the board to know that what’s happening at the board meetings and the decisions that they are making are adversely affecting the work that we’re actually trying to do in the schools,” Brown said. “The second reason is we also wanted our community and the parents that we serve to know that we don’t support the decisions that the board has been making.”

The administrators also took issue with the contentious nature of the Sept. 25 meeting, saying they were “embarrassed by the lack of civility” with which it was conducted.

“We teach and expect from our students collegial collaboration, and there should be order that you always act in the best interest of you know society, so those things are the behaviors that we’re not seeing so that’s what we were addressing in the letter,” Brown said.

Their concerns are being echoed by other district administrators. Another open letter signed by 41 elementary school principals saying the behavior would not be tolerated if roles were reversed.

“We would be held accountable were any of us to act in the manner that this Board of Trustees did,” the principals wrote in part. “We ask that Dr. Eric Gallien’s paid administrative leave be reversed and Michelle Simmons be hired as the Chief Academic Officer by the October 9th Board Meeting. Additionally, we ask that the members of the Health Advisory Board who were removed before their terms expired be reinstated.”

News 2 reached out to some of the board members who voted in favor of placing Gallien on leave, but they have not responded yet.

The school district did, however, send a statement saying, “CCSD’s practice is to not comment on the specifics of personnel decisions. The decision made by the board of trustees last night and information about their decision-making is shared at their discretion.”