Elyse Dashew: On Selwyn teacher and Clayton Wilcox, CMS must protect employee rights

CMS is protecting employees’ rights

The writer is chair of the CMS Board.

On Feb. 3 a CMS parent and former elected official published an op-ed in the Observer calling on Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to release more information about the resignation of former superintendent Clayton Wilcox and the transfer of a Selwyn Elementary teacher.

We promise all CMS employees that we will protect their personnel records and due process rights as provided by the N.C. General Assembly. We will faithfully follow state law and our board policies as we continue to honor the rights of our teachers and other employees.

As a public entity, we are committed to transparency. As an employer, we are equally bound to protect the privacy rights of our 19,000 employees and 148,000 students. Our challenge is to balance these two responsibilities. If we are to earn and maintain the trust of our employees over the long haul, we must stand fast with this commitment – even during times of public pressure.

Elyse Dashew, Charlotte

CMS bond situation was poorly managed

Regarding “CMS needs additional funds to fulfill 2017 bond projects,” (Feb. 9)

I have lost confidence in CMS administrators and the Board of Education. With the 2017 bond they persuaded voters to approve smaller schools for the greater good. Now it looks like they’ll have to cut back on other projects approved by voters because of “unforeseen” factors like tariff costs. In 2017, we were a year into the Trump presidency and tariffs were a lingering concern. CMS officials didn’t think ahead about how prices might change? That strikes me as another example of bad management and governance.

Sucharita Kodali, Charlotte

CMS made the right call on tornado

Kudos to CMS for making the call of “sheltering in place” Thursday as the EF-1 tornado hit. While other area schools made a call to send children home early, CMS chose to keep kids safe in their buildings. As a parent of students in the hard-hit area of N.C. 51 in southeastern Mecklenburg, I am very thankful this decision was made. Without it, this event could have been much worse.

Nancy Abrams, Charlotte

A sad, dangerous state of affairs

With the ouster of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman’s brother, who took no part in the impeachment proceedings, Donald Trump has set yet another ugly milestone in moving the U.S. toward dictatorship. Out of all the Republican senators, only one, Sen. Mitt Romney, did not allow fear of loss and anticipation of gain pervert the truth. As U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas once said: “They know only that the Pied Piper of Trump Tower is playing a tune today and they must dance.” What a sad and dangerous state of affairs we’ve come to as a nation.

Pat Kunder, Charlotte

Democrats aren’t blameless on this

Regarding “Time to cast off respect for Trump, Senate Republicans,” (Feb. 8 Opinion):

I find it curious that when Republicans all vote as one they are called spineless, but when Democrats all vote as one they are said to being sticking together for the team. The entire impeachment effort was partisan start to finish — and not only in the Senate. It wasn’t just Republicans who were “spineless” on this matter, Democrats behaved the same, and that’s what you get when the issue put forth isn’t righteous.

Richard Martin, Charlotte

Disappointed by my Republican Party

One thing is now quite clear from the impeachment proceedings: There are many members of the Republican Party who are no longer interested in our “democratic experiment.”

Trials without either evidence or witnesses and a pre-cooked verdict; government by tweet or executive order, and a government so demoralized and discredited that all power is now concentrated in the Oval Office. All that, plus the shaming, ridiculing and not-so-veiled threats — these are indications that the Trump-led Republicans are trying to propel us into a one-party state.

The only solution is to evict Trump and his gang from the White House and Congress. I am a registered Republican and I will remain so in hope that our party will someday be restored to the respectability it once enjoyed while Eisenhower, Rockefeller and Dole held office.

John T. Cox, Charlotte

Disrespectful behavior all around

President Trump insults people at will. Speaker Nancy Pelosi tears up her copy of the State of the Union address. Disrespectful acts such as these have no place in the political debate. Surely our leaders are capable of behaving more responsibly and mature. A plague on both your houses!

Stephen V. Gilmore, Charlotte