Tawana Grover became the superintendent of CRSCD in July 2023 after the death of superintendent Noreen Bush in October 2022. Grover previously served as superintendent of Grand Island Public Schools (GIPS) in Nebraska for seven years before resigning in October 2022. 

Grover has been working in  Education for 29 years, serving as a teacher, principal, curriculum director, and human resources officer. At CRCSD, she plans to upgrade facilities and possibly consolidate schools to improve efficiency and better serve students. 

Grover aims to raise proficiency levels and boost school ratings within the district. She claims to want to build a collaborative school environment and elevate student voices within the district.

While Grover’s intentions emphasize collaboration and student engagement, the results from her previous tenure contrast sharply with this vision. In her last district, several teachers felt ashamed to work at GIPS. Additionally, students struggled academically and less than 30% of eleventh graders achieved proficiency on the ACT in all subjects during the 2021-2022 school year. As a result, her initiative was regarded as unsuccessful.

Jeremy Jensen, Grand Island’s former mayor and high school soccer coach, has been a vocal critic of Grover’s leadership at GIPS. His concerns peaked after a district survey revealed significant dissatisfaction among teachers regarding Grover’s performance. When Jensen leaked the survey results, Grover responded by firing him. 

“It’s hard to hold yourself out as an expert in education when less than 30% of your eleventh-grade students are proficient in core classes, despite a graduation rate of over 90%,” Jensen said.

Supporting Grover’s vision is the CRCSD’s Board of Education, led by President Cindy Garlock and Vice President Marcy Roundtree. Other contributors to the program include Chief Academic Officer Karinne Tharaldson, Executive Officer of Innovation Adam Zimmerman, Magnet School Project Director Jillian Schulte, and Career and Technical Education Lead Tara Troester. Together, they have made decisions about CRSCD. 

“Tawana Grover was protected by a terrible board of education in Grand Island who failed to hold her accountable,” Jensen said. “Parental issues were delegated to someone else to handle, and she created and formed a cabinet of administrators that were “yes ma’am” personalities.”

In October 2022, GIPS surveyed educators to gather their opinions about the school system. 77.3% of the teachers believed she was dishonest. 83.3% of teachers expressed that they were considering leaving the district during Grover’s tenure as superintendent and 86.4% indicated that they would not recommend working at GIPS.

Out of the 211 teachers surveyed, the majority expressed dissatisfaction with her leadership and 70.1% of teachers felt uncomfortable expressing their true feelings about the superintendent due to fears of losing their jobs, emphasizing the atmosphere of uncertainty and concern within the district. When she resigned, she cited her distance from her home in Texas as one of the reasons.

“School districts should never hire superintendents who won’t commit to being long-term residents of the communities they reside in,” Jensen said. “During her time in Grand Rapids many felt like she was more focused on next her career move than the district’s future, leaving residents to deal with the fallout of unstable leadership, teachers felt unheard and ashamed, often believing that their voices went unnoticed and that their students were negatively impacted by Grover’s plans.”

The justification for her resignation did not last.

“Ironically, when she “resigned” from GIPS, she stated she was doing so to spend more time with her family,” Jensen said. “Yet, less than 60 days later, she was on her way to Cedar Rapids. This situation raises more doubts about her true intentions and commitment, as her actions suggest a different priority.” 

As Cedar Rapids moves closer to implementing the pathways educators feel unheard by Grover and the board of education. Teachers fear losing their jobs if they speak out about their concerns and it seems easier to leave all together. At Kennedy, about 47% of teachers have considered leaving the district. Washington is similar with around 46.3% of teachers feeling the same way and Jefferson is lower, with a still significant 27.3% of teachers considering a move.

“We have been told in no uncertain terms to remain silent if we have concerns. It’s not just implied; for some of us, it has been made explicit. If you speak out, you jeopardize your job,” an anonymous Kennedy teacher said.