LETTERS

Committee should have waited to extend contracts

Posted 6/19/18

To the Editor: I attended the monthly School Committee meeting on Tuesday, June 12th. At this meeting, the Warwick School Committee in a 4-1 vote approved the extension of the contracts of the Superintendent, the Chief Finance Officer, the Chief Academic

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LETTERS

Committee should have waited to extend contracts

Posted

To the Editor:

I attended the monthly School Committee meeting on Tuesday, June 12th. At this meeting, the Warwick School Committee in a 4-1 vote approved the extension of the contracts of the Superintendent, the Chief Finance Officer, the Chief Academic Officer, and the Executive Director of Human Resources for the next three years.

I find this move by the School Committee very alarming since there is no legitimate reason to extend the contracts of these administrators, including the Superintendent, for another three years; before their contracts are up again in 2019. It should also be noted that the School Committee doesn’t yet know what the effects of the elementary consolidation and the sixth-grade transition will be or how these administrators will perform if there are any contingencies. Also, the fact that the school department is facing fiscal difficulties from not getting the money they asked for from the city makes this move even more perplexing.

I believe the School Committee should have waited until after the 2018-2019 school year to pass, which is the first year after the elementary consolidation and sixth-grade transition; to even consider renewing these administrators’ contracts, which now could have a big impact on this school system and the city.

Nathan Cornell

Candidate for Warwick School Committee District 3

Comments

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  • PaulHuff

    With a little more life experience you will realize that workers perform better when they have job security. This is an example of why someone as young as you are should not be elected to office. Unfortunately you don’t know what you don’t know. Go to school and get an education and continue to monitor politics.

    Clearly you think that pandering to the anti-administration crowd will get you elected. Mr. Thornton and his team has made excellent fiscal decisions regarding school closures. With such a small student population all these schools and teachers are unnecessary despite the feelings of emotional PTA members.

    Since you are so anti administration it would be detrimental to have you on the School Committee.

    Thursday, June 21, 2018 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear Nathan Cornell and PaulHuff,

    You're both right. Nathan says "there is no legitimate reason to extend" and Paul says "With a little more life experience you will realize that workers perform better when they have job security". I believe Nathan is speaking from the point of the taxpayers when he says there is no legitimate reason [from the TAXPAYERS POINT OF VIEW]. There IS a legitimate reason from the point of view of the School Committee (SC). They want to control their future, not let the taxpayers decide, because the taxpayers MIGHT not be so accommodating. Paul, put that contract extension issue on the ballot and see if there are ten voters that agree with it! Nathan might not "know what he doesn't know" but he does have a great sense of fair play. It is that great quality added to his diligence that will get him elected. Then he will learn what he "doesn't know". The result will be a school committee member that puts the taxpayers needs AHEAD of the needs of the SC. As for the rest, I think Nathan is a fast learner and he will get the same help from the rest of the SC, that any new member receives. Paul, I think you will see that Nathan isn't "anti-administration". He's just "pro-taxpayer".

    Happy Summer everyone.

    Rick Corrente

    The Taxpayers Mayor

    Thursday, June 21, 2018 Report this