CMS Superintendent Crystal Hill questions lack of details in board review
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Crystal Hill said Friday that she has not been informed of the specific concerns that prompted a board review that led to her being placed on temporary leave.
In a statement released June 19, Hill said the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education initiated a review of “administrative and operational matters” and asked her to step back while the process is completed. She said she respects the board’s responsibility to ensure accountability but wants the community to understand what she has and has not been told.
“To this point, I have not been told what specific concerns prompted this review, nor have I been given information about how the process will work or how long it is expected to take,” Hill said.
The board announced Wednesday that Hill had been placed on leave pending an investigation involving “administrative and operational oversight,” The Charlotte Observer reported.
Hill says she welcomes review
Hill said she supports the board’s decision to conduct a review and intends to participate fully. She said she is not aware of any misconduct during her tenure.
She described her response as cooperative rather than adversarial.
“What I can say plainly is this: I welcome this review, I will participate in it fully and openly,” Hill said. “I am not aware of any conduct on my part that falls short of the standards I have held myself to across twenty-eight years in public education.”
Hill also pushed back on the idea that her comments were meant as criticism of the board.
“I am not raising that as a complaint,” she said. “I trust the Board will share those details, but I want our community to have an accurate picture of what I do and do not yet know.”
Leadership transition during review
Deputy Superintendent Melissa Balknight is serving in an expanded leadership role while Hill is on leave, overseeing day-to-day operations of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
Hill thanked the community for its support during her tenure, pointing to her three and a half years leading the district and saying the work accomplished with staff and families remains meaningful to her.
“The work we have done together over the past three and a half years, for our teachers, our staff, and most of all our students, has been the honor of my career,” Hill said.
“I look forward to the conclusion of this review and to continuing to serve the students, educators and families of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.”
Hill added that she will not comment further while the review remains ongoing.
