Gwinnett school board ends superintendent’s contract

“I respect the board’s decision,” Watts said softly. “I look forward to continuing the work until the work is done.”

Board Chair Adrienne Simmons said the school board tried earlier this week to come to an agreement with Watts about his contract, but were unsuccessful.

“It is my (expectation) that our search will yield a superintendent that brings a proven track record of enhancing educational outcomes, particularly students from low-income communities, multilingual learners and special education students,” she said.

However, board members Steve Knudsen and Steve Gasper voted against terminating Watts’ contract and sharply voiced their opposition.

“The timing for this decision is poor,” Knudsen said. “We have gone through the entirety of data and metrics to view the performance of our 2024 school year and they were all trending in the right direction.”

Knudsen added that he has been critical of some decisions Watts has made, but said the board should give him more time.

“But at the end of the day, I have to look at the actions of the board and what does that do to the students of Gwinnett County?” he said.

Gasper agreed, adding the board should wait until the end of the school year to make a decision about Watts’ future with the district.

“This is a gross misuse of our powers,” said Gasper, who joined the board in January. “I’m not opposed to change, but at this time, this change is unwarranted. It’s going to cost us money and it’s something taxpayers do not want.”

New board member Rachel Stone is a former Gwinnett County teacher who taught during Watts’ tenure.

“This was not an easy decision for me,” Stone said. “It is something that kept me up and I pondered for months.” She later remarked Watts’ departure is an opportunity for the district to move in a different direction.

“I’m excited about the direction that we’re heading,” she said. “This process marks an important opportunity to build upon the foundation that Dr. Watts has given or laid and continue advancing the vision for our student success.”

School Board Vice Chair Tarece Johnson-Morgan, who voted against extending Watts’ contract in 2023, raised concerns about that extension and its financial impact.

“This previous decision to extend Dr. Watts’ contract did not consider the voices of the newly-elected board (members),” she said. “It was financially irresponsible and seemed to be more about an individual than a collective.”

The board members who voted to end Watts’ contract did not discuss any concerns about his job performance. They didn’t talk about any terms related to ending his contract. Stone mentioned that Watts had to make hard decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic, but didn’t name specific actions he took.

Dozens of community members showed up to the meeting, some in support of Watts. College professor and consultant Latonya Dennis has two children in Gwinnett schools and was concerned about the vote.

“I was not excited about them removing Dr. Watts,” she said. “I feel that with the level of chaos happening (in) the country right now, we don’t need this kind of change now.”

Dennis added that she knows Taylor personally and has confidence in his ability to lead.

“Whatever changes need to be made, my hope is that it won’t be a political fight where children are … put in between,” she said.

Gwinnett has more than 182,500 students. The school board unanimously voted to hire Watts in July of 2021. He was the district’s first Black superintendent and replaced J. Alvin Wilbanks, who held the post for 25 years.

Watts’ tenure in Gwinnett had some rough spots. Johnson-Morgan has complained he hasn’t done enough for under-resourced schools. Watts also faced criticism for a board-approved discipline policy that some complained was ineffective. Watts defended the policy, which he has said is essential work to serving students who have traditionally been marginalized.

During his time as Gwinnett’s top educator, Watts has implemented efforts to close achievement gaps, reduce class sizes and increase kindergarten readiness and literacy. The board also adopted a “Blueprint for the Future” that guided many of these initiatives.

Watts taught in metro Atlanta and Seattle and held several administrative positions in Gwinnett schools, including as a principal and assistant superintendent. He led the Kent school district near Seattle for six years before signing on as Gwinnett’s superintendent.