Washington Teachers' Union upset with Mayor over schools chancellor

WASHINGTON - The Washington Teachers' Union is upset with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and her selection of Antwan Wilson as the next schools chancellor.

The union voiced its complaint in a letter to Council Member David Grosso.

While the union doesn't necessarily object to Wilson, they are upset with how he was selected. They say under the law, Bowser was supposed to consult with the union before making her selection. The union claims that did not happen, and leaders say the process was not transparent.

"The mayor did not comply with the law in its totality. Members of the panel, 17 members, were not aware of the qualifications of any of the candidates. We never met them. We never reviewed their resume. We never interviewed with them. On the morning of the press conference announcing the nominee Antwan Wilson was the first time the members of this panel met the candidate" explained Elizabeth Davis, the president of the Washington Teachers' Union.

Mayor Bowser is out of town, but a spokesperson issued a statement on her behalf, it reads:

"Not only was the mayor compliant with the law, she conducted the most inclusive chancellor search under mayoral control and possibly beyond. We received and solicited the committee's full input in compliance with the law and used it to inform this critical selection for our children's future. We successfully oversaw a process that yielded an exceptional leader for our students, with significant input from community leaders and parents."

Antwan Wilson has served as superintendent of public schools in Oakland California over the past couple of years. His appointment still needs council approval, but in the meantime, council member Grosso is forwarding the union's complaint to the council's general counsel to determine whether the mayor followed proper procedure when she nominated Wilson.