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FedUp1,

The schools have the same budget as 2008, the costs have been kept to a level amount, we have secured savings in all areas including maintenance. Our budget was slashed $6 million and we still came in within our budget. I repeat, Slashed $6 million and still came in under budget. How could this possibly be achieved without good administrators making good decisions? I know I didn't do it alone. They deserve nothing? These people deserved a small pittance of a raise. I have several administrators doing 2 and 3 jobs now and they used to do one AND for no extra pay. They are leaving and we would replace them with people who don't know how to do the job, it would cost us more.

I lost a principal who was filling in as a temporary principal for 2 years. This guy was great. He knew technology, the teachers liked him and were willing to learn technology from him. They were doing EXTRA work because he was very charismatic, he knew how to get things done without paying the teachers or staff extra. We offered him a full time principal position and he didn't take it because he got a job somewhere else for $1000 more. I lost a great principal with great ideas who got more work out of the employees for no extra pay over $1000. Doesn't sound like a good deal for Warwick. I would have paid him the $1000 to stay if I had the chance because he worked as hard as 2 principals. We lost 2 or 3 principals for the same reason in 3 years. They knew if they took the job no matter how hard they worked it didn't matter they were not going to get a raise.

Go back and check the school committee minutes. Do you go to every school committee meeting? I voted for NO raises for 4 years. They only time I voted for a raise was in 2009 when if I didn't vote for a 1.5% raise, administrators would have gotten a 3% raise. There are 5 members of the committee, I WAS THE ONLY ONE TO VOTE AGAINST EVERY RAISE (except the 1.5% in 2009, again, I only voted for it because if I didn't it would have been double). Contact the other committee members, contact your city council and mayor. Hold them all accountable. I am accountable, I held the line for 4 years.

As a side note, I was already working on a 25% co-pay but as I was not re-elected, we will have to see if that happens. I know Mr. Nadeau was pushing for the 25% co-pay too. We needed 1 more vote. Who else on the committee is willing to push for it? Will it be our new Union School Committee member? Doubt it. I would have gotten it done. I was the one who pushed for the 20% and I got it done. Period. Go back and look at the SC minutes from early 2009, I was the first to bring it up when they were looking at closing schools. It wasn't even on anyone's radar.

I made sure the schools paid back the city the $3.2 million deficit created before my time on the Committee. I stayed within the budget for 4 years, we had a surplus each year due to cuts not a higher budget. NO schools had a roof leak during the storms we recently had because proper maintenance was done and roofs were fixed. When I started half the schools had roof problems. I secured a contract with the WISE union after no contract AND no raises for 5 years. We saved millions on outsourcing Special Education transportation to first student. I secured a contract with no raise for a year (I believe it was the first time in Warwick History) with the teachers and secured a 20% co-pay. I raised the co-pay for all administrators. We saved millions every year from closed schools and for getting federal grants. We are not Central Falls or Woonsocket. The school committee from 2008 to present has saved the city at least $18-20 million in 4 years by my count. The school committee did it with the help of the administrators and other employees at the schools.

Fedup1, You are welcome. I wish I could have done more.