Flint, MI—The head of human resources at Flint Schools has tendered her resignation, citing concern over the Board of Education’s (BOE) actions during her roughly year-long tenure.
Sharita Galloway, the executive director of human resources for Flint Community Schools (FCS), submitted her resignation late last week. Her last day will be April 21, 2023.
“It has become apparent that regardless of our greatest efforts and attempts, there is a lack of understanding and desire to improve the district from the BOE,” Galloway wrote in her resignation letter.
She said that she “believed that there was great impact and effective change” to be made when she joined FCS, but she can’t continue that work “with constant interference and sabotage.”
The Flint Schools Board has seven total seats, five of which are held by members who joined following the November 2022 general election.
In an email, Galloway explained to Kevelin Jones, the district’s superintendent, that while there “are a few new members that appear to have honest intentions, unfortunately that is not enough and overall, the sentiments, behavior, and agendas are simply more of the same.”
Board Secretary Claudia Perkins noted the district’s administrative staff is key to helping Flint Schools make progress. Galloway’s resignation, she added, is “unfortunate.”
While Galloway did not respond to Flint Beat’s requests for comment by press time, she described the issues that she has seen with the Board in her email to Jones.
“I have endured endless nights away from my family to stand witness to irrelevant bickering, physical, emotional, verbal violence, and abuse at the hands of board members from and elected by the community that we are supposed to serve,” Galloway wrote.
Board Trustee Laura MacIntyre disputed Galloway’s concerns, telling Flint Beat: “These are unfounded allegations, literally.”
MacIntyre added that “some members” on the Board do understand and wish to improve Flint Schools.
“I know that I do,” MacIntyre said. “I’ve never wavered in my commitment and my service to the Board.”
Board Trustee Melody Relerford expressed her gratitude for Galloway’s service to Flint Schools.
“I wish her well, whatever she decides to do,” Relerford said. “I thank her for her talent and her time that she provided to the district. But I never make it my business to question someone’s decision to resign from a position because that’s a personal choice.”
Galloway’s resignation comes less than a month after another FCS leader’s resignation, Tish Wolf. Wolf served as the district’s executive director of finance.
Dylan Luna, the Board’s treasurer, said he believes the resignations go hand-in-hand.
“With the CFO resigning and with the HR director now resigning,” Luna said of Wolf and Galloway, respectively, “it’s a pattern where both executives cited the Board as a primary reason. This is a Board getting in the way of district business.”
Moving forward, Perkins said that the Board should take the time in a meeting to discuss things like conflict, difference of opinion and the roles of each board member.
Meanwhile, Jones called on the broader Flint Schools community to help create a positive culture and climate in the district.
“Flint Community Schools must remain a healthy, respectful environment grounded in our shared mission: drive scholar achievement and help them reach independent life-long success,” he said in a statement.
With Galloway’s resignation effective at the end of this week, Jones added that the district is working on a transition plan before thanking Galloway on behalf of FCS.
“We are grateful for her contributions to Flint Community Schools–especially her efforts to empower our teachers and staff in support of our scholars to ensure we are providing the high-quality education the community’s children deserve,” he wrote.
What do flint need with a board anyway for 1 or 2 schools no wonder all the schools closed there’s no leadership. City council is terrible but this is extremely saddening..
The council and Board members has no respect for one another and very low professionalism. They should be held accountable for their actions and sanction for lack of mannerism. The members should have to participate in training often to remind them they work for the residents of this county/city.
The Flint Board of Education need to be abolished because it no longer serves a purpose in Flint since we are down to 7 schools instead of 67 we once had in the 70’s and 80’s
I grew up in Flint during the 50’s and 60’s. I remember how Dr. Totten, the Superintendent of Schools for many years, had the support of a fine school board. Unfortunately, with the changes that took place in Flint since those days, with many persons leaving the city for many reasons, some of it racially motivated, the city was left with persons who didn’t have the tax base, knowledge, experience, or education to properly run a school system. How sad is this? Also, with such failures, it is unfortunate that the State Dept. of Education might find itself taking control of Flint’s situation, taking these decisions away from the local community. We saw how that worked out when the State took control of the city’s water situation a few years ago. It is certainly time for the people of the city to step up and elect more qualified persons to the Flint Board of Education.