Parents and teachers in the Kent School District are calling for the resignation of Superintendent Calvin Watts. One mother has started an online petition calling for him to step down.
The Kent School District has been struggling with deficits. In February, the district announced plans to lay off almost 130 teachers and several dozen administrators. The district scaled back some of the cuts after the legislature passed a bill to direct more money to public education.
But Dana Rosenberg, who has two children in elementary school in the Kent School District, said she and other parents are frustrated by what she says is a lack of transparency about the district’s finances.
“We need our voices to be heard. Parents are tired of it,” she said. “They want to be heard, they want to send their message. There’s a level of trust that’s not there. We have no trust.”
The petition Rosenberg created calling for Watts to resign has gotten more than 580 signatures. The Kent Education Association has also asked for him to step down or be fired.
A spokeswoman for the district, Melissa Laramie, says Watts has no plans to resign. She said the Kent School District has been open about its finances with monthly budget reports on its website and a frequently asked questions page.
