Lora apologizes for late-night post
Oklahoma City Public Schools Superintendent Aurora Lora apologized Wednesday night for taking to social media the night before to “to vent my frustration.”
In a late-night Facebook post directed at the school board, Lora said, “I had a really hard day today. When you have 8 bosses, there is always at least one that wants to make you feel worthless and who wants to make sure that you bring no value to this world.”
Lora’s 11:47 p.m. post appeared a little over 24 hours after the eightmember board met behind closed doors to continue evaluating her.
In a subsequent post, Lora said, “Sorry. I got very confused about how this would post. Although I’m living this reality, I’m also terrified of admitting anything related to this.”
Both posts were deleted Wednesday morning.
Lora returned to Facebook to apologize, saying she made “a very bad choice.”
“It was not the appropriate time or place, and it’s completely unfair to my team and to the members of our board who work so tirelessly alongside me day after day,” she stated. “We are all in this together, and it’s my responsibility as a leader to stay focused on what unites us, not what drives us apart.
“Everyone has hard days. Unfortunately, you got a front row seat for one of mine. Yes, it was embarrassing, but it doesn’t change the fact that I am committed to working with this board, team, and community to chart a brighter future for the children of Oklahoma City.”
Lora said she owes it to the district’s 46,000 kids “to bring the best possible version of myself through the doors each day.”
“I intend to do that,” she stated. “I’m truly sorry to have let you down, and I’m working to rebuild the trust you had in me starting today.”
Lora added that she plans “to step away from social media for a while.”
School Board Chairwoman Paula Lewis called Lora’s comments “regrettable.”
“It wasn’t a good day for leadership in the district,” Lewis told The Oklahoman. “Ultimately, I know the board and the superintendent are focused on working together on behalf of every student to find solutions.”
Lewis said she believes Lora can continue to lead the district.
“I believe we hired the right person for the job,” she said.
Lewis described the board as “contentious.”
“With big personalities come big conflicts,” she said. “We may talk strong, but we usually come together on what’s good for kids. I’m proud of our board.”
Lewis said she will likely call for a special meeting of the board in the next few days so members can discuss the situation.
“To be a solid leader, I need to give them a voice,” she said.
Other board members contacted for this story declined to comment, and a district spokeswoman also declined to comment.
In July 2016, the school board voted unanimously to make Lora permanent superintendent of the state’s largest school system. Lora was interim superintendent for four months after the board approved a separation agreement with Rob Neu.