Embattled in controversy over high lead levels found in water sources at two schools, Portland, Ore., schools Superintendent Carole Smith has resigned.
Just a month ago, Smith said she was retiring in 2017, after a 10-year tenure. She had been hammered since the crisis broke in late May and faced calls to resign from parents, residents, and local leaders who were angry the district failed to disclose problems for several years.
But Smith’s timeline was cut short several weeks later when she announced her resignation minutes after the district released the findings of an independent investigation into administrative issues that caused the crisis. The probe concluded that the district’s efforts to test water, fix problems, and notify the public have been woefully inadequate—if not nonexistent in some cases—for 15 years.
