The chamber is calling on the school board to reconsider the principal's resignation

(This story has been updated to add more information.)

The Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce passed a resolution Thursday morning calling on the Montgomery County Board of Education to “reconsider its conduct and actions” following the situation involving the resignation of now-former Montgomery Public Schools Superintendent Dr . Melvin J. Brown, as, also called for the Montgomery Public Schools to be placed under state control.

Brown resigned from his role as superintendent of Montgomery Public Schools on Sept. 16 after two years of service. The school board accepted Brown's resignation last week. Board members Pamela Cloud, Lesa Keith, Pamela Portis and Arica Watkins-Smith voted to accept Brown's resignation, and Claudia Mitchell and Cassandra Brown voted to reject it.

School board members met in executive session last week before the vote but did not publicly provide a reason for their decision. Board members later made public statements about Brown, and the Alabama Education Association took action, asking the members in question to retract their statements.

More: 'A sad day for MPS': School board accepts resignation of Superintendent Melvin Brown

The Chamber of Commerce, together with Dr. Eric Mackey, Alabama State Superintendent of Education, expressed concern about the course of events that led to Brown's resignation.

“In 2022, a concerted community effort resulted in the hiring of a world-class superintendent to lead Montgomery Public Schools through one of the most critical times in their history,” said Caryn Hughes, board chair of the Montgomery Chamber of Commerce. “This world-class leader was Dr. Melvin Brown, and losing this great leader, not because he was poached, but because he was driven out by four elected members of our own Board of Education, has shocked and frustrated the previous coalition.” You today.

Additionally, Hughes and the chamber coalition said they determined there was “no evidence that the four Board of Education members responsible for this leadership crisis had a plan” to resolve the crisis they created.

Mackey specifically addressed the State Department's “concerns” about MPS, namely concerns about the Montgomery Board of Education's statements about Montgomery.

“When we freed MPS from state intervention, it was touted across the country as one of the most successful school system turnarounds ever,” Mackey said. “There have been many reversals – many reversals in Alabama and across the United States – but most often within days or weeks we see old patterns creep back in and they lose momentum. Montgomery did it.” They went out on their own, without the involvement of the state, and elected a superintendent…who has done a great job…We will have a hard time maintaining this momentum…without stable leadership. Even if Dr. Brown resigned and said he was moving on, it sends a message to potential candidates out there that Montgomery is one of those places…where the board is gone after 18 to 24 months I'm going to get tired of you.. . We’re not bringing great candidates to the table with that kind of message.”

Additionally, Mackey expressed disappointment with public comments from members of the Montgomery County Board of Education.

More: The education association is urging the school board to retract statements about the MPS superintendent

“Personal attacks are never acceptable, and certainly not acceptable behavior from elected officials,” Mackey said. “We elect people to be our representatives because they must exercise a certain level of professional judgment. Even if you disagree with someone on an issue, you have to have the judgment to say, 'You know what? We will present our judgment “Remove differences from the board table and work together to make the right decisions for our children’s future.”

Mackey noted that the state will be “heavily involved” in efforts to change the situation, although the state is unable to step in and take control of the school board without a letter of justification showing why Local school authorities must be controlled by the state.

The board held a meeting Thursday at 5 p.m., where board President Brenda DeRamus-Coleman said a state takeover of the school district was not necessary. DeRamus-Coleman then requested a board meeting to discuss the “good name and character” of potential superintendents.

“Let me be clear that a government takeover is not necessary,” DeRamus-Coleman said. “I firmly believe that as a board we have the ability to correct this change and move our district in the right direction. And as your president, I am committed to ensuring that this does not happen.”

“…We must put an end to the division and confront the derogatory comments that have been spread. These distractions are currently doing nothing other than hindering our progress.”

The board meeting lasted approximately 40 minutes. When the board returned, it requested that negotiations begin with the single candidate for interim chief financial officer, but did not mention a candidate for interim superintendent. DeRamus-Coleman said members will vote on that candidate and an interim superintendent on Oct. 8.

Previously, the chamber-led coalition had called on the Montgomery County Board of Education to consider starting a dialogue with Brown to potentially persuade him to return to the role if he was open to it.

“I am not here today to criticize any board member, but I am here today to ask the board members at this evening's meeting to take a step back and take a breath. Don't try to appoint an interim superintendent tonight, let's try a line of communication with Dr. Brown,” said Doug Singleton, chairman of the Montgomery County Commission. “I want the board to have the best possible person to lead our children and our schools. … Even the board … has already said that Dr. Brown is the best, so why don't we just try to keep him instead of undergoing another lengthy nationwide search and taking a step back?”

Singleton said he speaks with Brown regularly and “believes (Brown) is open to discussions about returning to his role.”

“Last week, these four Board of Education members (who were responsible for accepting Brown’s resignation) told elected and business leaders that we have no place in their business,” Hughes said. “Today we tell the Montgomery Board of Education that the business of education is truly everyone’s business.”

Sarah Clifton covers business for the Montgomery Advertiser. You can reach her at [email protected] or follow her on X @sarahgclifton.

Victor Hagan is an Alabama Election Reporting Fellow for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at [email protected] or at X @TheVictorHagan. To support his work, subscribe to the Advertiser.

The chamber is calling on the school board to reconsider the principal's resignation

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