Комитет школы Джеймстауна одобрил модель совместного суперинтендантства для поиска нового руководителя

The school committee is pursuing a part-time shared superintendency model that has never been employed in Rhode Island. The members indicated their support for the untested model during an Aug. 17 workshop. The shared model was one of four options offered by the interim superintendent of schools, Kathy Sipala, who summarized the workshop during the committee’s Aug. 20 meeting. “We had an informal, but official, workshop meeting where you shared perspectives,” she said. “We talked different models. This was not a voting meeting but an oral agreement to focus on the part-time models, not the full-time model, and you indicated a desire to discuss a shared service model. I have had outreach to two districts about their inclination to do so.” The committee at its Aug. 20 meeting also took the next step by appointing Lisa Tuttle and Drew Allsopp to a subcommittee charged with exploring the option. The district’s attorney, Tim Cavazza, advised for a subcommittee to be formed. “As with anything that you’re jumping into for the first time, there would be a learning curve,” he said. “That diligence would need to be worked out before you dove in.” Cavazza said shared superintendencies are “authorized expressly by statute.” “Schools of your size can simply vote to join a superintendency union,” he said. “It’s a vote of the school committees involved.” Approval from the state’s Department of Education is not needed, he added. “The school committee of two or more cities or towns,” according to the law, “may by vote unite for the purpose of the employment of a superintendent of the schools of the several cities or towns.” The only stipulation is that the aggregate number of schools in the combined cities and towns with a shared superintendent cannot exceed 60. Sipala wanted to assure the public that this was not a hasty decision. They have been discussing potential models since the day she was hired, which was June 11. “I think it’s important to review our timeline,” she said. “If somebody just stopped in tonight, they would say, ‘Whoa, whoa, things have happened quickly.’ … I just want people in the community to know that there’s a lot of time and energy going into this.” The shared superintendency was one of four options presented by Sipala. She said the committee could revert to the full-time post, which was filled by Ken Duva from 2016-2023. Sipala, however, said this is a high-cost model that “doesn’t seem reasonable nor necessary” given the number of staff and students. The second model, which currently is being used, has the superintendent working 140 days per year, which is about three days per week. The positives with this option, she said, is cost savings compared to the full-time model. The other administrators, moreover, already are accustomed to this model, including both principals. The downside of the current model, however, is the potential for turnover due to the superintendent seeking full-time employment. This was evidenced by Sipala’s predecessor, David Raleigh, who left to accept a full-time post. The third option, which was used from 2006 until Duva’s hire, is the 90-day model, which provides additional cost savings while being an appealing option for experienced retirees. Sipala, however, does not think two days per week is sufficient to “offer enough time for leadership in key areas.” Sipala said the pros of the shared model include cost savings and a larger pool of candidates. Sharing with another district, she added, is appealing to an experienced candidate who is looking for full-time work. Among the downsides, Sipala said, is that it’s “unclear how the demands of two districts will impact actual ‘face time’” in each community. “We still have a timeline,” she said. “A timeline that’s reasonable, a timeline that gives you the opportunity to study further the models and at any point make a decision as to which model you wish to post. We need to be nimble and flexible. … I think it should happen the way that good thoughtful conversation goes but without dwelling on it over a long period of time. You need a new leader.” Allsopp said the committee was “really digging in here” to find “the right solution for Jamestown.” “We’ll continue to look at the best options,” he said. “I think we’ll come up with the right decision.” Allsopp’s colleague, Kristine Lapierre, who chairs the committee, echoed his sentiment. “I feel like we often are so good on this committee of keeping our kids central to our decision, and I feel like this conversation is one that really keeps our taxpayers at the center,” she said. “Because I know that over the course of the last few years, we have heard their pleas to do something, and we really try to be stewards of their tax dollars in the wisest way possible.”