MORGANTOWN – Christina Fattore Morgan, the Monongalia County Board of Education member who pushed for transparency between the district and parents, resigned her position Wednesday night.
Her announcement came at the end of a BOE meeting that was mainly celebratory: county voters the day before in the primary election overwhelmingly voted in the affirmative to renew the excess levy for education, which currently generates $35.6 million a year additionally for district coffers.
And a trio of BOE incumbents – current president Mike Kelly and members Dan Berry and Jennifer Hagerty – all won handily in their races for reelection.
The board that evening also recognized its Teacher of the Year and Service Person of the Year honorees while paying tribute to Morgantown High School’s Academic Showdown state championship team.
Meanwhile, Morgan, who is on the political science faculty at West Virginia University, was at the halfway point in her first term on the board.
Her resignation, she said, would be effective at the end of the meeting.
She was at times emotional while reading from prepared remarks.
“The work that I’ve done on the board over the past two years has been incredibly fulfilling,” she said, brushing tears.
“And the people I have met from all corners of Mon County are some of the loveliest folks I’ve had the pleasure of knowing,” she continued. “However, it’s time.”
Her departure from the board, she allowed, may not be her departure from public life.
“This isn’t the path by which I can continue to help the people of Mon County,” she said. “There are so many ways that I’ve discovered on this journey, and I’m excited to explore them.”
Now, the BOE’s new journey begins by way of a 45-day window to appoint a replacement, Kelly said.
The new designee, Kelly said, will also have the option to formally run for election.
Morgan thanked Superintendent Eddie Campbell Jr. and Donna Talerico, the district’s deputy superintendent for their guidance during her time on the board.
She also lauded her fellow BOE members Kelly, Berry, Hagerty and Shawn Smith for their commitment to education in the county.
Morgan’s commitment to education is both personal and professional.
Her two young children are enrolled in Mon County Schools.
At WVU, her teaching load includes courses in international political economy and international law.
The Bethlehem, Pa., native’s undergraduate degrees in political science and history are from Gettysburg College.
She holds a master’s degree and a doctorate in political science from Florida State University and has served on the faculty of the school in Morgantown since 2006.
Morgan urged BOE members to stay students, in effect, as they do their work on behalf of the county’s public schools.
“I just ask that you continue to read each board doc very carefully and ask questions when you aren’t sure what a spending item is,” she said.
“I ask that you continue to advocate for children when their parents are brave enough to reach out to us.”
