Holland has things to say before leaving

John Howell
Posted 9/29/15

The man who has held the reins of the Warwick School Department since July hopes to summarize his perspective on the system at the Oct. 13 School Committee meeting.

Also, depending on enrollment …

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Holland has things to say before leaving

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The man who has held the reins of the Warwick School Department since July hopes to summarize his perspective on the system at the Oct. 13 School Committee meeting.

Also, depending on enrollment information that becomes available Oct. 1, interim superintendent William Holland has recommendations he believes should be implemented as the district consolidates secondary schools with the closing of Aldrich and Gorton Junior High Schools and Veterans High School. Vets is slated to reopen as a middle school next fall.

With the committee’s selection of Cumberland Superintendent Philip Thornton as superintendent, which took place Wednesday night, Holland said he would stay on until a transition is completed but that in no way would the system be faced with two superintendents.

“Until we have a date, I would continue,” he said. On Monday, School Committee Chair Jennifer Ahearn announced Thornton would start Oct. 19.

Holland also answered questions about the City Council vote last Monday to subpoena the Vincent Ragosta report of how school administrators responded to learning that a Gorton teacher drew a penis on the arms of two female students. Those incidents came to light after the teacher, Mario Atoyan, was arrested on an unrelated charge of sexual assault involving a North Kingstown girl.

“It’s an elephant in the room that doesn’t seem to go away,” Holland said of the Ragosta report, which the school committee has refused to release.

In addition to the council subpoena, Democratic candidate for mayor Richard Corrente spoke before the council on Monday, saying Ahearn “lied” to him that there isn’t a written report and calling on the council to take action against Ahearn.

Holland said there is a six- or seven-page summary of what Ragosta told the committee in executive session as well as a transcript of his remarks and committee questions. In addition, Ragosta provided the committee with transcripts of all his interviews.

Holland said it took him 5½ hours to read the transcripts and he understands concerns over releasing those documents. He said he talked with the mothers of the girls involved and can understand their efforts to put the incident behind them.

Holland expects the committee would challenge a subpoena as it has a request under the Access to Public Records Act, which is currently under review by the Rhode Island Attorney General. If the attorney general or the courts were to require the report’s release, Holland says, “Fine, let it happen that way.”

One of the changes he recommends, should projections show Toll Gate and Pilgrim with a student population of 1,300 to 1,400 students, would be the addition of a dean of students at each of the high schools. The dean would serve alongside the principal and two assistant principals with a focus on discipline. He sees the principal and assistants as devoted primarily to curriculum issues and coverage of the buildings.

“There’s a lot going on in high schools,” he said in justification of the added position.

But that’s not all Holland wants when it comes time to leave Warwick.

“There’s a lot of things I want to say if that’s going to be my last meeting [Oct. 13],” he said.

Holland said some of his comments would focus on consolidation, although he reminded there are online updates regarding what’s happening. He urged people to go to the department website, warwickschools.org, and click on “School Consolidation Process Update.” The page offers answers to frequently asked questions and updates from the consolidation committee.

During his tenure as interim superintendent, Holland has focused on understanding the system and recruiting candidates for superintendent.

In phone and email messages to Mayor Scott Avedisian, the school committee and the department staff, Holland says, “Dr. Thornton is an experienced, knowledgeable and energetic leader who hopes to achieve the record of success in Warwick that he has in Cumberland.”

“His challenges will be great. However, with your help and support this school district can easily return to its past standing as one of the best districts in the state. Why? Because you have talented, hard-working teachers and principals and new front office leadership. For real change to occur, it must take a few years, but let’s not miss this opportunity for success that lies ahead. It’s time to get on board.”

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