Coughlin: No one has 'inside track' to superintendent

PAWTUCKET - The leader of a task force charged with finding a new school superintendent has assured those joining him in the hunt that no candidate has the upper hand or the support of the majority on the School Committee.

Former School Committee Chairman David Coughlin said in an e-mail to various parties that, despite claims made otherwise last week, current Woonsocket Superintendent Robert Gerardi Jr. does not yet have the support - and may never have the support - to be hired in Pawtucket.

Gerardi can apply to become Pawtucket's next superintendent like anyone else, said Coughlin, but he is not the shoo-in choice to succeed outgoing Superintendent Hans Dellith, who is leaving the Pawtucket school district at the end of December after more than 12 years on the job.

"Given the anticipated size, diversity and blue ribbon quality of the search committee's membership, many of whom have never met each other, you and our colleagues on the Woonsocket School Committee can be assured there is no front runner for the superintendent position and no individual is on or has an inside track," said Coughlin.

"Mr. Gerardi, as well as all viable candidates, is most welcome to apply if he chooses," said Coughlin. "All candidates will be received (with) all appropriate and due consideration."

The Woonsocket School Committee declined to offer Gerardi an extension to his current contract at a meeting last Wednesday, choosing instead to evaluate his performance over the next couple of months before making a decision. Woonsocket Committee Chairman Marc Dubois had told The Valley Breeze that Dellith was one of several school officials who had assured Gerardi that he had the support to become the next superintendent in his hometown of Pawtucket if he applies.

Gerardi though denied that he had ever had a conversations with Dellith about the Pawtucket position.

Gerardi has more than 18 months remaining on a three-year contract. Woonsocket School Committee Chairman Marc Dubois previously indicated that he saw an extension offer as a way to keep Gerardi with the local district instead of going to Pawtucket.

Despite what Dellith may or may not have indicated to Gerardi, said Coughlin, a joint superintendent search by both school and city leaders is now approved to move forward and will be far-reaching and thorough in finding the best candidate possible.

"The project plan calls for a nationwide search," said Coughlin, who claimed that while he initially declined School Committee Chairman Jim Chellel's request to lead a search committee, he has reconsidered now that Rhode Island Education Commissioner Deborah Gist has been invited to join the search.

Having been assured that Gist "will be extended a personal, warm, gracious, unrestricted and most welcome invitation to participate," said Coughlin, "I have since reconsidered and accepted the chair."

Chellel has indicated that he would like to have an interim superintendent in place by Dec. 13 because the search for a new school chief is expected to take months. The target date for having a permanent superintendent in place is March 5, according to Chellel.

In an e-mail to The Breeze this week, School Committee member Amy Breault-Zolt continued to cast doubt upon the superintendent search as currently constituted.

Breault-Zolt says the process of approving the composition of a search committee earlier this month caused her to become confused about what she was voting for.

"It got to the point that I didn't even know which motion I was voting on," she was quoted as saying in last week's edition of The Breeze.

Breault-Zolt said she will put forth a motion at the December School Committee meeting to reconsider a previous vote and make a motion to exclude Gist and city officials from the search committee, instead allowing them to ask questions in one public forum. She would also like to include just three members of the School Committee instead of all seven members as previously approved by the majority of the School Committee.

"I will be placing a motion to rescind my vote and put a motion on the floor as to my prior motion to use the same procedure as used in the past," said Breault-Zolt in her e-mail. "I will give the members ample time to go over this motion, I will not throw it in front of them prior to the item on the agenda.

"If all fails I will at least be noted as voting no for the current search committee voted and approved on," Breault-Zolt continued. "I will not let the School Committee be run by the mayor. This is the School Committee's job, he was not elected as a member and should just be the mayor and support the School Department."

Breault-Zolt said she thinks "it's about time that the City Council, School Committee, superintendent, deputy superintendent and mayor stick together and fight for Pawtucket's children and taxpayers."

Asked how excluding city officials from the search committee jibes with her desire to "stick together," Breault-Zolt explained herself.

"It is the School Department's job to hire a superintendant...I would not exclude (the mayor) nor any other elected official, taxpayer, to the open forum...," which, during the search for Dellith 12 years ago, was held at Tolman High School, said Breault-Zolt.

"So no I am not excluding anyone from having a say or asking questions, I am just excluding having this process done by City Hall and not the School Department," she said.¬ "I am not gagging anyone as everybody has a right to speak at the open forum."

Breault-Zolt was originally in the minority in voting against a search task force as presented in writing by Chellel, one that includes:

* All seven School Committee members;

* Gist or her designee;

* Doyle or his designee;

* City Council President Henry Kinch or his designee;

* One non-candidate for superintendent from the Administrators Association;

* Non-certified employee union President Diane Drape or her designee;

* Pawtucket Teachers Union President Charleen Christy or her designee;

* Two community business leaders appointed by Doyle;

* Two unrelated parents of Pawtucket students appointed by Chellel;

*And two unrelated non-parent Pawtucket property taxpayers appointed by Doyle.

In all, city officials now have the authority, at least temporarily, to appoint six members of the 19-member search committee. Breault-Zolt said she doesn't plan to exclude city officials if she puts forth a motion to reconsider the search committee's composition, but would like to see the number of School Committee members involved reduced to "two or three" as suggested by Christy, of the teachers alliance.

Voting with Breault-Zolt in voting against the final were School Committee members Nicole Nordquist and Joanne Bonollo while Chellel and members David Coughlin, Joseph Knight, Raymond Noonan all voted for the task force as laid out, one Knight called the "best and most workable solution" to the controversy surrounding the search for a new superintendent.

To view the search committee as it is currently constituted click:

www.valleybreeze.com/www/Task_Force_Document.pdf