DeKalb County School Board Fires Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris

DEKALB COUNTY, GA — The DeKalb County School Board voted Tuesday to part ways with Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris.

The Board approved a separation agreement effective immediately during a virtual meeting, according to the district. They voted to name Vasanne Tinsley as the interim superintendent.

“We appreciate Mrs. Cheryl Watson-Harris for her service to the DeKalb County School District and wish her the best in her future endeavors,” said Board Chair Vickie B. Turner in a statement sent to Patch.

"The immediate departure of Mrs. Watson Harris will have no bearing on the search for the next superintendent," Turner wrote. "The Board remains fully committed to an open and transparent process and supporting the students of DCSD."

Before being hired in DeKalb County, Watson-Harris served as first deputy chancellor, senior director of field support and Brooklyn executive director for the New York City Department of Education.

Dr. Tinsley first joined the DeKalb County School District in 1994. She served as a school counselor and ultimately as Deputy Superintendent of Student Support and Intervention until she retired in 2020.

Leadership Decisions Criticized

The decision was made after weeks of criticism that students and parents had about the way the superintendent and school board handled maintenance and repair issues at Druid Hills High School.

On Tuesday afternoon, before the Board voted, Turner responded to State School Superintendent Richard Woods regarding his Monday letter concerning facility needs in the district.

“We recognize there are conditions at some facilities through the District, including at Druid Hills High School, which require urgent attention,” Turner said in her letter.

She said the board was "concerned" about Woods' conclusions and described how the district and board have planned for district-wide facility improvements.

“We have allowed for emergency protocols that are built with policies as well as the annual budget,” she said in her letter.

Turner said the superintendent’s role is addressing “any situation that threatens to jeopardize the health, welfare, or safety of students, staff, the District, or the public by foregoing competitive selection rules for purchasing goods and services.”

She said the school district would welcome support and technical assistance from the Georgia Department of Education to address unacceptable conditions at Druid Hills High School as well as other District facilities. Turner said she had confidence that the district’s facility plan would be approved.

Students Speak Out

Two weeks earlier, on April 11, Druid Hills students shared a viral video on YouTube that addresses what they call years worth of problems that include mold, plumbing, water damage and electrical issues.

"These signs right here say do not touch the poles or the outlets, right, because we are at risk of electrical shock," senior Townes Purdy says in the video.

And outside isn’t any better, according to Purdy.

"Human waste tends to flow up from up it and flood this area right here which is known as our senior picnic area, and we eat outside here every day," Purdy said on the video.

According to WAGA-TV, in February, parents and students said board members removed DHHS from a list of schools to become eligible for renovation and modernization projects.