School superintendent may leave job

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - Word came in late Tuesday afternoon that Dr. Richard Bentley, the superintendent of Norfolk Public Schools, could be on his way out. Those in the know aren't commenting on whether Bentley's departure is definite for various reasons.

He's expected to leave before the end of his contract. WAVY.com tracked Bentley down Tuesday afternoon, but he had no comment.

10 On Your Side's Andy Fox asked , "Are you leaving the School System?" To which Bentley answered, "I have nothing to say, Andy, and I hope you have a nice day."

At his home, no one answered the door.

Late Tuesday afternoon, Norfolk schools spokeswoman Elizabeth Mather wrote this statement to WAVY.com,

" Thank you for your inquiries today regarding the employment status of Dr. Richard Bentley, Superintendent of Schools. This is to advise you that there will be no statement today from the School Board, from Dr. Bentley or from the Norfolk Public Schools administration regarding your inquiries."

School Board Chairman Kirk Houston told WAVY.com he would not confirm or deny Bentley leaving because of "legality issues." That could suggest the Norfolk School Board fears some type of legal action by Bentley concerning his departure. The remaining six board members didn't return any phone calls.

Disruptive is the word used most often to describe the possibility of Bentley leaving, just under 16 months on the job.

Norfolk City Councilman Andy Protogyrou said, "It's bothersome. It's not enough time to turn things around. I don't know if he's being used as a scapegoat for other individuals."

School employees were frustrated by the thought of possibly finding a new leader.

"I'm sad for him and the district. We need good leadership, and now we have to start all over again.... he is a good leader yes," school employee Bill Robbins said.

"I'm in shock, so I don't have a comment. Really, I'm in shock. I really am in shock," employee Neva Mensia added.

Thomas Calhoun is president of the Norfolk Federation of Teachers. He said he saw Bentley at a public meeting last Wednesday. That meeting was followed by a closed door meeting with the school board.

"The next day, I started hearing the rumors," Calhoun said. "It's absolutely shocking."

Calhoun spent 17 years in the classroom. He believes Bentley is good for the system. After years of teachers getting no raises, Bentley pushed the school board and found extra money for teachers.

"It doesn't look good from the outside," Calhoun added. "It doesn't feel good from the inside and I can see no upside to this. I don't understand why this is happening now. If it's so strong that you feel like you need to make a change now, you could have made the change two months ago during the summer and let someone start fresh."

Calhoun believes if the rumor is true and Bentley is out, the reason was revealed in that closed door meeting.

"I'm disappointed," Calhoun said. "I literally still hope it's not true. I just don't think this is the way that this should have been done."

Councilman Protogyrou thinks the lingering unknown leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouths, "It bothers me. The citizens are left in a bad position. The council is left in a bad position. The school system is in a bad position."

A school board meeting scheduled for November 16 will hopefully clear up the uncertainty.