‘Great change is possible here in Warwick‘

William Holland
Posted 9/1/15

Welcome to the new school year, which we hope will be one of great opportunity and growth for Warwick schools.

I joined Warwick as interim superintendent this summer believing that the district …

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‘Great change is possible here in Warwick‘

Posted

Welcome to the new school year, which we hope will be one of great opportunity and growth for Warwick schools.

I joined Warwick as interim superintendent this summer believing that the district had tremendous potential and what I have seen since then has confirmed that.

In my career – as a teacher, a superintendent in five school districts, as Rhode Island’s Commissioner of Higher education, as professor of educational  leadership at Rhode Island College – I have found that there is no single formula for an outstanding school district. The characteristics and circumstances of a district and the overall times, in terms of matters such as economic conditions and technology, play a huge role.

Yet there are common attributes for the most superior school districts, the kind that Warwick aspires to be. They include:

• Parents who want their children’s education to succeed and fully support their children and the district as a whole.

• Teachers who are driven to keep improving their skills, who encourage their students to aim high, and who are committed to showing respect for their students and building strong relationships with them.

• Other district staff who share a sense of common purpose and desire.

• Elected officials and others in the community who believe deeply in the importance of high quality education and are willing to contribute to its development.

Warwick is fortunate to have much of this already in place. Like in other districts, there remains room for improvement, including through greater cooperation.

 This is an important year for Warwick schools and we will approach it with vigor, clarity, and honesty. There will be exciting new initiatives in the classroom, such as the expanding use of Chromebooks to give our students the most up-to-date tools for learning. Planning is already well underway for the crucial task of planning for next year’s school opening with a new line-up of schools that is an opportunity to make the district even stronger and better.

Great change is possible here in Warwick. We look forward to the involvement of many in the process.

In my career, I have seen many extraordinary teachers, students, and parents, and have seen how enormous their impact can be. I look forward to working with you here in Warwick.

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  • patientman

    Good luck. Great schools would be a huge catalyst to drive home values in Warwick.

    Wednesday, September 2, 2015 Report this