Gwinnett Fires Their School Super.

Big news in the world of public education this morning as Gwinnett County Public Schools has fired their Superintendent, Dr. Calvin Watts, with a year left on his contract. No reason for the dismissal has been provided.

The board voted 3-2 to fire Watts, with Chairwoman Adrienne Simmons, Vice Chairwoman Tarece Johnson-Morgan and board member Rachel Stone voting in favor of dismissing Watts, effective April 2.

“The board has made a decision to move in a different direction in terms of leadership,” Simmons told reporters after the vote. “As a board, we are charged with establishing vision, which entails looking forward and not backward.

“We appreciate the wins that we have accomplished as a district with Dr. Watts. In light of our vision, we have determined that new leadership is needed at the helm.”

Watts was hired in 2021 after the newly minted Democratic majority fired longtime GCPS Superintendent Alvin Wilbanks. Watts had previously worked for Wilbanks before serving as Superintendent of Kent School District in Washington state.

While the Board has yet to offer a reason for Watts’ dismissal, it should be noted that former Board Chair Tarece Johnson-Morgan has frequently been at odds with Watts. She voted against extending his contract in 2023 because, in her words, he had been “unable to meet the needs of the district’s most vulnerable student populations.”

Chief of Schools Al Taylor will serve as interim Superintendent as the District searches for a permanent replacement.

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