Editor, The Smithfield Times:

I have received many questions about hiring Dr. Theo Cramer as our new superintendent.  While The Smithfield Times correctly mentioned that I was absent from the vote, the fact is that I was on a vacation that was planned many months ago. When the special meeting was announced, I was already on vacation.

I was very active in the selection process and my first choice of all the candidates we interviewed was Dr. Cramer. Had I attended the meeting, I would have voted for him as our new superintendent.

That said, the optics of the meeting were horrendous. It seems obvious that only certain people were told that the new superintendent would be appointed, while the announcement made no mention of it. If the announcement had included the appointment of a new superintendent, I believe that the room would have been full.

The bottom line is that Dr. Cramer, who happens to be African American, is our new Superintendent because of his qualifications, NOT because of his race.

 

John Collick

Isle of Wight County School Board member

Carrsville