Collingswood Superintendent Responds To Calls For His Firing

COLLINGSWOOD, NJ — The Collingswood Education Association (CEA) labor organization delivered a vote of "no confidence" on May 18 surrounding the superintendent's ability to lead.

The vote was unanimous and reflected 90 percent of the 230 Collingswood Public Schools employees that the CEA represents.

Subscribe

"It is the opinion of our members that we do not have confidence in Dr. McDowell to meet this moment," CEA President Robin Hogan said at the Board of Education meeting.

Dr. Fredrick McDowell, hired on Jan. 19, 2021, is the superintendent for Collingswood and Oaklyn Public Schools.

Over the last few years, he has been under scrutiny for, among other things, what the group says is "a troubling pattern of staff turnover" that has led to the early retirements and resignations of more than 150 people.

Under his leadership, Garfield Elementary School will also be closing ahead of the 2026/2027 school year due to a $3.3 million budget gap.

Along with the reassignment of more than 100 students, several district programs and staff are being cut or heavily reduced and consolidated.

"The post-pandemic costs to operate our schools significantly exceed the funding available," McDowell told Patch. "Collingswood is not an outlier; this trend is happening everywhere."

McDowell said he takes responsibility, along with other district leadership, to ensure that all students are receiving their required supports and services, no matter what.

He also gave credit to the finance team that has "continued to stretch resources" and that, despite the fiscal challenges, the schools have continued to show academic growth.

While post-pandemic struggles and a lack of federal funding were cited by the Board, members of the community point to the first CEA grievances filed in years, McDowell's lack of transparency, and a failed bond referendum as also being parts of the problem.

Kevin Adams, a member of the high school counseling department, labeled McDowell's contribution as a "consistent failure to lead collaboratively, ethically, and effectively in a way that will support the future of our educational system."

He then finished reading a resolution presented by the CEA that called on the Board to relieve McDowell of his duties.

"I am extremely disappointed in the employees who have chosen to perpetuate misinformation and actively promote a negative narrative," McDowell added in response. "As a Collingswood resident and school district parent, I am incredibly proud of our schools and the quality of education my children are receiving."

While the Board did not formally acknowledge the resolution, multiple members chose to speak in response at the end of the three-hour meeting.

Roger Chu was quick to defend McDowell and called on the accountability of him and his fellow members in the ongoing struggles.

"We like many other districts throughout New Jersey are facing financial difficulties...there is an easy route...to try and blame everything on one person," Chu stated.

He then went on to cite more than a dozen districts statewide that are eliminating staff and other offerings amidst current financial challenges.

"We cannot be caught trying to destroy our own, rather than actually putting forth real solutions," said Chu.

He ended his remarks by also calling attention to the last contract negotiations for salaries, in which he said he believed it was the highest raises the group has seen to date.

Dr. McDowell's response to Patch, which he grouped in categories, can be viewed in full below:

Is there validity to the Association's claims?

The continuing budget shortfalls in Collingswood have been well-documented since my arrival as Superintendent in 2021. The Collingswood School District has been in a structural budget deficit since 2013.

The post-pandemic costs to operate our schools significantly exceed the funding available. This is also consistently documented across the State of NJ and the country, with similar announcements of reductions and closures statewide.

Collingswood is not an outlier; this trend is happening everywhere. These fiscal challenges have led to the continued reductions and consolidations due to a lack of revenue. The association has aligned their concerns with the budget situation (layoffs, school closures, program revisions, etc.).

Additional resources are needed to meet the growing demands and expectations of our diverse student population.

School districts like Collingswood did not create this fiscal challenge, however, it is the responsibility of the district leadership team to ensure that all students are receiving their required supports and services. Our finance team has continued to stretch resources so we are able to achieve this.

Due to the inflationary costs brought on by the pandemic and the economy, it has become increasingly difficult to maintain a continuity of services without making tough decisions each year. Despite the fiscal challenges faced in Collingswood, our schools have continued to show academic growth, and more students have access to a high-quality education.

What was your reaction to the meeting on May 18th?

I am extremely disappointed in the employees who have chosen to perpetuate misinformation and actively promote a negative narrative concerning our schools. As a Collingswood resident and school district parent, I am incredibly proud of our schools and the quality of education my children are receiving.

Our students and staff are working incredibly and continue to make meaningful progress; to say otherwise disregards the collective effort of our entire organization.

We believe that only through thoughtful and intentional collaboration can we move forward in a way that meets the needs of our students and honors the values of our community, as we have consistently shown in Collingswood and Oaklyn over the last 5 years.

Instead, some of our school community have chosen to assign blame and demonize others rather than work with the district and the board of education on addressing the core issue which is access to equitable funding.

As Superintendent, our district is committed to working in partnership towards solutions, not assigning blame that does not solve the problem, or issuing political statements that increase division in our community.

What do you have to say in response to those claims?

Change is hard and often requires us all to think differently about the challenges we face. Doing what we’ve always done and expecting a new outcome is not enough.

It is my sincere hope that we are all able to work together to address our infrastructure challenges so our schools are not subject to additional budget reductions in the future.

MORE FROM PATCH: Nurses Authorize Strike At Hospitals In NJ

HAVE A STORY IDEA OR NEWS TO SHARE? Contact Editor Eddie Callahan at edward.callahan@patch.com to connect with Patch in your area.