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The decision earlier this month by Jermall Wright, the Little Rock School District superintendent, to resign threatens the stability that the 21,000-student district has worked so hard to achieve since it emerged from state control in 2020.
Wright has been on the job only two years and was the first superintendent chosen by the first Little Rock School Board elected after the state takeover. He replaced Mike Poore, who had served the district for six years.
In his resignation letter, Wright indicated that friction exists between him and the nine-member school board, writing, “With all that has been accomplished and all that remains to be done, it is critical that LRSD Board of Education employ a superintendent whose leadership style, priorities and core values align with the direction and actions of the school board. This is the only way the LRSD can flourish.”
We don’t have any special insight into Wright or his relationship with the board. We do know that several respected district patrons support the superintendent and are disappointed he’s leaving.
But at the risk of stating the obvious, the surprise announcement of the departure of the chief of the district at the start of the school year is unfortunate. The students in the capital city’s largest school district deserve stability.
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