CHARLOTTE, N.C. - "Today I notified the board of my resignation, effective August 15, 2011," said CMS Superintendent Pete Gorman.  He is leaving his $267,000 job as CMS Superintendent to be the senior VP of News Corporation's newly formed "Education Division."

Gorman says, "I've never been a part of something that starts from scratch and this is starting something from scratch."

Callers flooded local talk radio and the announcement also got national attention from publications like Forbes and The Huffington Post.  Gorman's new boss, Joel Klein, says "Pete's success running one of the largest schools (sic) systems in the United States, combined with his commitment to educational innovation are the perfect complement to our mission."

Gorman, now a little grayer than when he was hired five years ago, says he's proud of the work his CMS team has done,  like increasing the graduation rate by five percent.

His family will continue to live in Charlotte and he made a final request of the school board: "I ask you very simply one thing and that is to take good care of my daughter who will continue to be a student in the school district."
 
The last search for a super took about a year and included secret meetings at the airport as well as public forums for parents. 

Larry Gauvreau served on the school board for eight years.  We asked him who the board may pursue to replace Gorman.  Gauvreau says, "They'll go locally maybe, just bring on Hugh Hattabaugh, who Dr. Gorman brought on board, or maybe go after Mo Green, up in Greensboro, who is actually the one who hired Dr. Gorman, negotiated his contract on the board that I sat with, which is ironic and now Gorman made him a superintendent, so it wouldn't surprise me if he even comes back."

We called Mo Green's office in Guilford County and were told he has re-signed through 2013 and has no "out" clauses in his contract.

Current school board chair Eric Davis calls the unexpected change in leadership "undesirable."  But he made it clear that one person hasn't made CMS a success, instead, one group:  "To our teachers, we believe you are the reason for our collective success."

On June 15h, the board will meet to discuss appointing an interim leader for the school system.  We've learned the district has not yet selected a search firm.

The president of the Charlotte Chamber issued a statement Wednesday saying in part, "We encourage the board of education to seek a replacement who will take the same business-minded approach to the running of our schools and who can continue on the path of public school reform."