D’Agostino is running for superintendent

John Howell
Posted 10/21/14

Richard D’Agostino dispelled any doubt that he will be a candidate for superintendent of Warwick Schools on Thursday, listing his accomplishments in the last two years and disclosing plans …

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D’Agostino is running for superintendent

Posted

Richard D’Agostino dispelled any doubt that he will be a candidate for superintendent of Warwick Schools on Thursday, listing his accomplishments in the last two years and disclosing plans including acquisition and expansion of the career and technical center, should his contract be renewed.

D’Agostino’s comments came the morning after the School Committee posted the school’s top administrative job. He was outside Harold F. Scott School, where he joined Mayor Scott Avedisian distributing dictionaries to third graders, a program run by the Rotary Club of Warwick.

“It’s my understanding,” he said, “the job has never been posted.”

He’s right.

The School Committee tapped D’Agostino, who was director of special education, to take the role of acting superintendent following the sudden ouster of Peter Horoschak. (In the midst of a second three-year contract, Horoschak was told not to report for work or to step foot on school property. The School Committee eventually reached an agreement with Horoschak, where he was cleared of any wrongdoing and paid the balance of his contract.)

D’Agostino remained in the position of superintendent and the committee put off advertising the post as the department was in the midst of considering proposals to consolidate secondary schools in response to the overall continuing decline in student enrollment.

Last Wednesday, Beth Furtado, chair of the school committee, said the selection of a superintendent would be conducted without the aid of a consultant and after the first of the New Year.

“We can get the posting out and do the process fairly and adequately in-house,” she said.

D’Agostino said the posting affords him “the opportunity to share with the school committee and the citizens of Warwick my accomplishments of the last two years.”

D’Agostino started by listing Aspen, an online portal that enables parents to monitor their child’s grades and progress. Turning to the door of Scott School with its camera and electronic locking, he spoke of the upgrade of security at all schools.

D’Agostino pointed to his competition of fire code improvements, which were mandated in the aftermath of The Station nightclub fire, to all schools (the department has obtained waivers on Gorton and Aldrich Junior High Schools.)

D’Agostino steered the review of secondary schools and advocated closing the two junior high schools and Veterans Memorial High, which would be re-purposed as a middle school. While a study committee unanimously endorsed the plan, it failed to gain school committee approval by a single vote. The committee is now in the process of soliciting proposals for a consultant to develop a plan. Consolidation is seen as enabling the department to free funds for universal all-day kindergarten.

Although school consolidation has been delayed, D’Agostino notes he has been able to introduce nine all-day kindergarten classes by combining morning and afternoon sessions at no added cost to the city.

D’Agostino said the department is addressing academics to align them with the common core. As another achievement, he said the administration has worked “as a team” to successfully negotiate two wage contracts “with no work stoppages.” The most recent of those contracts is a one-year agreement with the Warwick Teachers Union, which means talks are continuing.

D’Agostino touts the department’s plan to acquire the Warwick Area Career and Technical Center from the Rhode Island Department of Education. RIDE has urged the city to take on the responsibility for the building that was built at the same time of Toll Gate High School. Initially, D’Agostino explained, the state was prepared to give the city the building and $1.6 million for upgrades and maintenance. Warwick did an assessment of the property and determined it needed more work. D’Agostino said RIDE has now agreed to the transfer in addition to $3.1 million over three years. He expects the agreement will come before the City Council shortly.

Under consideration, he said, is the introduction of ninth graders at the center.

“It may become its own high school,” he said.

D’Agostino said he is “looking at the whole system…looking at the needs of the shareholders, all of them, from 3 to 21 [years old].”

Asked when he planned to retire, D’Agostino replied, “I have a nine-year old. It’s my change of life baby.”

He said the newest member of the family, who is many years younger than his siblings, has brought new awareness and energized him. They’re not the words of someone planning to retire.

Comments

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  • JohnStark

    For two years, Mr. D'Agostino has presided over a school system:

    a) In which nearly half of all secondary students are not making adequate progress in Math and OVER half of all secondary students are not making adequate progress in Reading,

    b) Which has seen a steady decline in enrollment at a time when the city's overall population has remained steady, and

    c) That is completely lacking in anything resembling a longer term vision.

    Simply put, an inferior educational product is forcing the buying public to flee while he provides virtually no leadership. Any affirmation of this chaos by re-hiring Mr. D'Agostino would do little but boost enrollment at local private and parochial schools, as well as provide employment opportunities for teachers of remedial instruction at CCRI.

    Tuesday, October 21, 2014 Report this

  • jfraser

    I hope the school committee and mayor ask Mr. D'Agostino where his 9 year old goes to school.

    Tuesday, October 21, 2014 Report this

  • Justanidiot

    jfraser, I am sure that he sends his children to public school. Why wouldn't he? He wouldn't be like most of the teachers and administrators who send their kids to private school, would he?

    Wednesday, October 22, 2014 Report this

  • ..

    Warwick population is steadily declining and more parents are putting their kids in PRIVATE SCHOOLS. Keep paying for those increased taxes Warwick and you can see how that's improving education in our city. The Station Fire happened on Feb 20, 2003---it took over 10 years for the schools to be brought up to fire code. The school consolidation didn't happen because our leadership lacks spinal chords.

    Wednesday, October 22, 2014 Report this

  • sadforspeced

    All of what D'Agostino claims in this article is inaccurate and a very poor perception of reality. A few examples follow. What has he to do with Aspen? All progressive school districts have a system to communicate and collect data. Aspen was established "around" him by very talented staff members. I doubt if he even knows how to produce a report without help. He did nothing for security until he scrambled after Sandy Hook and did a shoddy job then getting the schools secure. Comments from Sabrina about fire codes are very accurate. What does he know about Common Core? He can't even get it going without having to hire someone. But that is the way it is - leadership and support do not exist in his way of doing things. Everything is left to others to get done. Simply ask staff about the support they get and the amount of time he spends in the schools - many don't know him, and he does not know them. What leadership and guidance did he give during consolidation? That was a true test of his leadership and "forward thinking" capabilities - and he failed.

    Wednesday, October 22, 2014 Report this

  • sadforspeced

    To continue my previous: There are nine full day Kindergartens, why doesn't each school have full day? Simply because he could not figure out how to do it. If he had the ability to plan, stand on his own two feet, and move forward it could have been done. This would have taken creative planning which he cannot do. The nine fell into place due to numbers and economic factors - not what is best for the community and the students. Look closely at why it was done.

    The Career and Tech Center, again, has nothing to do with him as he would have the community think. He's "up against it" with RIDE and has to scramble to get things done .But he has some good staff and administrators to make it happen. Don't depend on D'Agostino to figure it out.

    Wednesday, October 22, 2014 Report this