AKRON, Ohio — Akron City Council passed a resolution on Monday giving its support to embattled Akron Public School Superintendent Christine Fowler-Mack.
In its evaluation, which was reported in July by the Akron Beacon Journal, several members of the Akron Public Schools Board of Education gave Fowler-Mack harsh reviews after her first year on the job.
According to the ABJ's reporting, APS Board President N.J. Akbar notably referred to Fowler-Mack's tenure as a "failure" and an "insubordinate employee" amongst other criticisms. "This relationship has completely failed solely due to her unwillingness, inflexibility and resistance which is quite irreparable," he wrote.
The resolution, which passed by a narrow 7-6 margin, calls for the APS board to "withdraw and revisit" its comments about Fowler-Mack, calling the criticism "unfair." It notes that Fowler-Mack took over the helm of the Akron Public Schools at a time when the district was "reeling from a global pandemic, labor issues, and 23,000+ students and families desperately seeking normalcy."
Fowler-Mack became the first female superintendent in Akron Public Schools history in April of 2021. A graduate of Akron East High School, Fowler-Mack began her career as an APS teacher back in the 1990s before becoming an assistant principal and principal in both Kent and Cleveland Heights-University Heights. She spent nearly a decade as a top administrator in the latter district and even served as acting superintendent in 2009 before leaving for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District a year later.
Monday's resolution by the Akron City Council comes on the same day that Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO Eric Gordon announced his resignation effective at the end of this school year.
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