In an effort to streamline teaching and learning in Warwick Public Schools, the School Committee approved an administration reorganization proposal Tuesday night that would eliminate four to five administrative positions for an estimated savings of $265,000.

Prior to the vote, which was approved 4-1, with Karen Bachus dissenting, the committee was given a PowerPoint presentation by Dr. James Magee, founding president and CEO of Strategic Innovations in Education (SIE), the company hired to conduct a study of the district to determine how best to go about reorganizing.

Magee said the SIE team was composed of nationally recognized consultants from the public sector, administration, superintendents, and private education and described the study as a comprehensive process that involved all stakeholders, with an emphasis on collaboration and consensus.

Magee said his team worked with Superintendent Philip Thornton and other senior administrators, lead focus group discussions, conducted field interviews, and surveyed staff. SIE also analyzed staffing levels and functions for the past seven to 10 years.

“I conducted field interviews with more than 40 people, including elementary and secondary principals as well as union representatives [from both the Warwick Teachers Union and the Warwick Independent School Employees], that lasted about a half hour each,” he said.

As part of the study, Magee said SIE also reviewed several organizational structures of similar school districts in the state, region, and nationwide. Those districts included Cranston, Framingham, Mass., Cambridge, Mass., and Olympia, Wash.

Magee said those districts had similar numbers in terms of staff and students as well as the direction they are headed in comparison to Warwick.

In looking at Warwick, Magee said teaching and learning is spread across several different departments, with nine reports to the superintendent. He said the other districts SIE looked at had between three and five reports to the superintendent.

“Our focus was centered on instruction and learning while reducing the number of reports to the superintendent,” he said. “The trend we’re seeing is that principals are moving to site-based management and being asked to become more of an on-site evaluator, providing more autonomy, authority, and leadership to run their schools,” he said, adding that a common complaint was that there are too many bosses to report to in order to do the job effectively.

According to SIE’s reorganization proposal, the number of reports to the superintendent would be reduced from nine to three. They would include an executive director of human resources; an executive director of finance and operations; and a newly created position of chief academic officer. The executive director of finance and operations would oversee the director of buildings and grounds, controller, transportation coordinator, and non-instructional services coordinator positions. The chief academic officer would oversee the following positions: director of elementary education; director of secondary education; director of special education and student services; director of assessment, instruction, curriculum development, and response to intervention (RTI); and director of technology.

Magee described the new structure as no longer flat, but streamlined and more effective.

“This is in line with districts this size and allows for better use of organizational strengths, while adding a new academic leader to align focus on teaching and learning,” he said.

Thornton concurred with the new structure, but committee member Jennifer Ahearn wanted further explanation on what went into the interviewing process and looking at staff.

Magee said a survey was sent out to staff to identify their roles, functions, time spent on the job, areas they are responsible for, areas that fall under another position, and any existing structural gaps.

In looking at previous organizational charts, Magee said it was difficult to determine what has been used in the past, as there have been five different organizational charts in the past four years. He also said there were very few job descriptions in the district and that SIE would provide a template for creating job descriptions and who each person should report to going forward.

Ahearn also asked about the lack of inclusion of assistant superintendents in the proposed reorganization structure, an element included in each of the districts that were looked at in comparison to Warwick for the study.

“We’re seeing the chief academic officer replacing assistant superintendents,” Magee said, reiterating that schools are moving to more of a site-based management, something he said would take time and require training.

During public comment, several in the audience voiced their concerns with the new organizational chart, including Tracey McDermott and David Testa as well as WISE Union President Mary Townsend, who said she had many concerns with the proposal and claims in the report.

“What troubles me the most is that no one questioned the organizational chart,” Testa said. “Nothing should ever get a rubber stamp; it’s your responsibility to question.”

McDermott agreed.

“I’m stunned there were no questions on the reorganization document,” she said. “I’m concerned about adding a chief academic officer at well over $100,000.”

McDermott also said at least two administrators had been told their positions would be eliminated prior to the presentation on the proposal at Tuesday’s meeting and “before the school committee has had an opportunity to go through the budget.”