Mending fences: Mayor, Holland talk about schools

John Howell
Posted 7/28/15

While it’s too soon for specifics, interim superintendent William Holland and Mayor Scott Avedisian started exploring ways to open doors and improve relationships between schools and the city last …

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Mending fences: Mayor, Holland talk about schools

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While it’s too soon for specifics, interim superintendent William Holland and Mayor Scott Avedisian started exploring ways to open doors and improve relationships between schools and the city last week.

The two met for the first time since Holland was named to the post on July 14 last Thursday for more than an hour. Both came away feeling it had been productive, with Holland calling the session “excellent” and Avedisian characterizing it as “great.” There was no need to get to know one another.

“We have known one another and have worked with one another before, so there is no need to establish a new relationship, just pick up where we left off,” Avedisian said in an email.

And by no means was it all serious.

Holland told why he has an aversion to the Veterans Memorial High School gymnasium. Although he’s been in the school recently, he hasn’t been in the gym since 1956 when as a senior at South Kingstown High School he was a member of the school basketball team and playing in the finals against Hope High School. South Kingstown had had a good season going into the playoffs with only one loss. Holland was on top of his game, averaging 17 points a game. But that last game was tough. Even before the half, Holland had three charging calls. He fouled out before the final buzzer.

“We lost the game and I’ve never been back to that gym,” Holland said.

Now Holland is faced with another challenge. He is working on multiple fronts. He is spearheading the effort to find a new superintendent. The position has been advertised and he will vet candidates with the intent of developing a short list for the School Committee to interview. He sees the process as including a public forum where the public would get to meet and hear the candidates and, if everything runs smoothly, with a superintendent in place by the first of the year.

But his effort is more than finding the right candidate for Warwick. It entails understanding what Warwick has, what it needs and laying the groundwork so candidates considering the post are excited by the potential and understand the challenges.

In Avedisian’s words, he doesn’t see Holland as just “keeping the seat warm.”

“He will be working and doing, and that is very encouraging.  We discussed a bunch of issues designed to create a better working relationship between the school committee, City Council, superintendent and me.” The discussion also included consolidation, morale in the system as well as technology and, in particular, Chromebooks, the mayor said.

From Holland’s perspective, establishing trust is critical not only between different branches of government but also within the system itself. Holland is participating in teacher contract negotiations and committee meetings preparing for the consolidation of Winman and Gorton Junior High Schools into a new middle school at Vets in the fall of 2016. Vets would be consolidated with Pilgrim and Toll Gate in response to the trend in declining enrollment. Projections put enrollment at the beginning of the school year at 8,800, down 500 from what it was in the academic year ending this June, Holland said.

As for improving relationships with the mayor and the City Council, Holland said there were some suggestions he will be discussing with the school committee. Avedisian likewise didn’t offer specifics.

“We threw around some ways that we might accomplish that,” the mayor said.

Looking forward to finding the right person for superintendent, Holland said the message is that “problems are solvable and that we have the leadership team in place.”

Apart from building trust, he identified transparency and outreach as important components.

“We need,” he said of Warwick schools, “to not only mend fences but get rid of some.”

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