Attorneys for Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) have released a memo written by former Board President and current Trustee Sue Kelly that was at the center of controversy in the sudden departure of former TCAPS Superintendent Ann Cardon. TCAPS board members voted to release the document in a marathon Monday meeting this week instead of further fighting a court ruling ordering its release.

The six-page memo, which was shared and discussed in a closed session of the TCAPS board in October 2019, outlines a litany of personal and professional criticisms levied by Kelly against Cardon. The memo confirms that Kelly had strenuous objections to Cardon speaking positively about the School Finance Research Collaborative (SFRC), an organization that supported a state funding formula opposed by Kelly and other board members. When Cardon said during a public board meeting that she and other superintendents were supportive of the state education budget, which used that formula,  Kelly writes in her memo that she told Cardon in a private meeting: "We are not paying you $200,000 per year to support the superintendents across the state. We are paying you to support TCAPS and the students here in our district." When Cardon pointed out that she had shared in her TCAPS hiring interview that she supported the SFRC, Kelly countered that Cardon knew the board's position and that "if we can't get past this difference of opinions, we have to agree or separate."

The memo indicates that Cardon objected to being required to have monthly meetings with every TCAPS board member, which Kelly said was important for relationship-building. Cardon did appear to agree with a request from Kelly to meet with her as board president weekly instead of biweekly. Kelly also discusses at length efforts that took place behind the scene to convince TCAPS Associate Superintendent of Student Services Jame McCall to stay on staff; McCall had applied for the superintendent role and announced internally her intention to retire following Cardon's hiring. Kelly details conflicts between herself and Cardon regarding chain-of-command over how to handle negotiations with McCall to try and get her to stay (McCall ultimately did stay until the summer of 2020).

In the conclusion of her memo, Kelly writes that she had to ask herself if she could work with a superintendent who "openly contradicts board directives on public TV," "has flagrant disregard for board directives when they do not align with her opinions," and "has (a) low level of respect and consideration for not only board members but teachers and other bargaining groups," with Kelly questioning whether Cardon was meeting with representatives of those groups. Kelly also alleged Cardon was "not informing me of critical meetings that a (board president) should be present at" and not keeping the board "informed on community and district issues." Kelly concludes by writing: "Board members, this is not just about if I'm able to partner with this superintendent, are you? What are we willing to accept from ourselves? What are we willing to accept for our kids? Do we have a double standards between what we teach and what we do?"

Numerous parents, teachers, and staff spoke out to protest Cardon's departure from TCAPS at the time of the controversy, citing their enthusiasm and support for the new superintendent. Cardon has consistently declined to comment on her departure from TCAPS and signed a non-disparage agreement as part of her separation agreement, from which she received a lump sum payout of $180,000. TCAPS board members - with the exception of Erica Moon Mohr - have also generally declined to discuss the memo and the closed session meeting that prompted Cardon's resignation, or any of the reasons for her abrupt departure. Kelly's memo was only released this week after an extended court battle in which the Traverse City Record-Eagle challenged the school district's refusal to release the memo to media who requested it through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Kelly is on vacation this week and could not be reached for comment about the imminent release of her memo prior to Monday's board meeting. The full memo is available to read online here.