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Dear Franklin City Council, School Board, Parents, and Community Members,  

After months of speaking at School Board meetings and City Council meetings, I am writing this letter of  concern about the direction of Franklin City Public Schools (FCPS) and the leadership of the school division.  How did we get where we are today? This is no longer “just” a school problem. This is a serious community  issue. Given where we are today, Friday, June 6th, where is the trust level of parents and other community  members? Time after time, misinformation has been shared by FCPS administration OR no information has  been shared when questions have been asked. Trust is seriously damaged if not destroyed. 

Listed below are some of the criteria for evaluating superintendents according to the Virginia Department of  Education’s Guidelines for Uniform Performance Standards and Evaluation Criteria for Superintendents. 

• Creating an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect with the board, staff, families, and other  stakeholders. 
• Demonstrating the skills necessary to build community support for division goals and priorities 
• Bringing together groups of different interests into a collaborative effort to respond appropriately to  existing and potential problems. 
• Working in a collegial and collaborative manner with stakeholders to promote and support the mission,  vision, and goals of the school division. 

According to an article in The Tidewater News (February 19, 2025) written by the School Board Chairman, our  superintendent received an evaluation score of 3.625 on a 4.0 scale. Also according to a recent FOIA, in June  2024 (15 months into his original contract), the superintendent’s contract was renegotiated and extended to June  30, 2028. (Note: In June 2024, no FCPS schools were accredited.) When and how was this shared with  stakeholders? This is one glaring example of the total lack of transparency with stakeholders and disregard for  public trust. An evaluation like this along with extending the superintendent’s contract would indicate that the  Board believes we have great leadership in place for our schools. This is hard for parents and other  stakeholders to understand given where we currently are as a school division. Per the Virginia Department of  Education, all of our schools are Accredited with Conditions. The last time all FCPS schools were accredited  was 2018-19. SchoolDigger.com is an extensive database offering detailed profiles of public and private schools  across the U.S., featuring enrollment data, test scores, financial statistics, and more. For 2024 (2025 data not  available yet), Franklin City Public Schools ranked 129th of 130 Virginia districts. Note: School Digger is not  affiliated with the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). Certainly, school staff, parents, and community  members should have been informed about extending the superintendent’s contract. But perhaps the hardest  thing to understand is the total lack of transparency about where we are as a school division and what specific  steps for improvement are needed.

One of the most concerning issues is the mistakes, or intentional misrepresentation of data, shared by school  board office leadership. For example, division leadership stated during a school board meeting that the last time  FHS was accredited was 2019. Per the VDOE, Franklin High School was accredited from 2016-17 through  2019-2020. There were no SOL tests during the COVID years, 20-21 and 21-22, and FHS was accredited in  2022-23. Additional data shared by division leadership was either incorrect or only partial data. Documents  with data that can be verified have been shared with the newspaper and to date nothing has been published.  Where is the cohort data that show how students progress from grade to grade? We were told that S. P. Morton  data would be shared at the May School Board meeting, but it was not. Whether intentional or accidental,  misrepresentation of data hurts our kids. Pride as school leaders should prevent trying to intentionally manipulate data in any way! The role of our leaders, especially the Superintendent and School Board  Chairman, is to create an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect.

The FOIA salary information provided by Franklin City Public Schools shows Central Office staff’s base salary  raises ranged from 62.5% to a 1% decrease. Five employees received a double-digit increase. Single digit  increases ranged from 2.9% to 8%. Teachers and building administrators received a 3% increase. What  specific data justified this range of raises? These percentages do not include various stipends that some  administrators receive. How do raises like this create an atmosphere of trust among staff? How did the Board  justify these raises? Did the Board know what was happening with raises? Either way, the Board bears the  responsibility. How do raises like this create an atmosphere of trust for stakeholders?  

Principal and teacher turnover is another huge concern where it seems difficult to get answers. Will S. P.  Morton, Franklin High School, and J. P. King Jr. Career and Technical Academy all have new leaders for 2025- 26? S. P. Morton has had at least 8 and, by some counts 11, principals in the last 13 years. Will the newly  opened J. P. King Jr. Career and Technical Academy have another new leader next year? Will Franklin High  School have its third principal in less than 2 years? How can parents and other stakeholders find out how many  teacher openings each school will have next year? This is not confidential information. Why so many teachers  are leaving is another interesting question. Without open, honest communication it will be difficult to build  community support for division goals and priorities.  

Children are our most precious asset. It is time for change!! There are two key leaders in any school division:  the School Board Chairperson and the Superintendent. It is time for these two leaders to be a part of the  solution instead of part of the problem. If they are not going to resign, then they need to begin effective, transparent leadership immediately…. 

Solutions and/or next steps need to involve a variety of stakeholders. Please contact your ward representative  for the School Board and City Council and encourage them to step up and insist upon bringing together groups  of different stakeholders, including those willing to volunteer. Identify next steps needed to do what is right for  students and parents…identify the problems honestly and transparently, sharing possible solutions and next  steps with all stakeholders. 

Franklin City Public Schools is at a crisis point. The time for action is now!!  

Sincerely, 

Don Spengeman