Letter of support for Superintendent Colter by JoAnn Portalupi published this morning in the Fosters opinion pages.
Paying Colter not to do his job
It's been just over a week since the Oyster River School Board's surprise vote to buy out Superintendent Colter's contract. Like many in the community, I am still reeling from the shock.
As a prior board member, and chair for three of Howard Colter's five years in the district, I had the opportunity to work closely with him. Superintendent Colter is an exceptional leader who sets innovative goals and works tirelessly to implement them on a realistic timeline.
Under his leadership, the district created alternative avenues to engage high school learners; developed common assessments in math and the language arts; built a stronger foundation for foreign language instruction; provided sustained, classroom based professional development in differentiated instruction; put wellness at the center of decision making; and restructured the leadership team to direct more of their talents to the efforts of teaching and learning.
These are just a few examples of his positive impact on our school district. No leader can orchestrate such change without building trust with the employees who ultimately make it all happen. Superintendent Colter has done all this and more while bringing escalating yearly budgets into control.
Without question, Howard Colter is a man of great integrity and compassion. Ask anyone who has come to know him during his tenure here.
During last year's budget season, in consideration so the Board would have time to build appropriate funds into the FY2012 budget, Superintendent Colter shared his decision not to seek an extension of his contract. At the same time he expressed his enthusiasm to continue working to the June 2012 ending date of his contract. This sentiment was expressed again, as recently as March of this year, while I was still on the board. At that time I observed Mr. Colter working each day with the same passion, insight, and integrity he brought to his first days in the district.
Nonetheless, the current School Board has deemed it best to pay Mr. Colter not to do his job. I ask, best for whom? The district's children?
With the recent exodus of top leaders (and yes, the board's bad practice has had a hand in that) our teachers and employees are working within a culture of fear and confusion.
Not good for kids. Is it best for taxpayers? Not really.
$185,000 has just been siphoned from funds that would have been returned to offset next year's tax bills. Want to sell you house? Good luck. One of our biggest assets—the school district—isn't playing so well in the news these days.
The School Board has conveniently written a confidentiality clause that disallows them from sharing their reasons for buying out the Superintendent. Until yesterday, when they revised minutes from the 6/15 nonpublic session, the School Board was not intending to share the financial details with the community until June 30th. As elected officials, they don't get to pick and choose what part of a motion to share with the public they represent. There are laws that must be followed. No minutes show the Board entering a nonpublic session under the specific RSA that would have allowed them to discuss a buy out. When and where did these discussions take place? Who was involved? The public has a right to know. The law gives us that right.
If you are a community member in the ORCSD this is no time to merrily go about your business. Turn on Channel 22 or attend a board or subcommittee meeting and watch your School Board at work. Visit forenh.org to get facts about current district issues. If you don't understand what's going on, ask. Our schools are being threatened by the current board's actions. If you stand by and watch, you will share responsibility for their demise. Please, don't let that happen.
@Letters name:JoAnn Portalupi
@Letters town:Lee
Joanne -
ReplyDeleteYou assume that our entire district is in a state of collapse and by not acting with swift and immediate action, the community will share collectively in the blame for this accused demise. This is a bold accusation and one in which I respectfully disagree.
Our district is not in a state of collapse and assuming so undermines the great teachers, staff, students, volunteers, and parents that collectively contribute and uphold our mission statement.
The top talent that has left is mostly concentrated at the high school and the community upheaval is also mostly concerned with the high school. I am hearing no similar reports of Moharimet, Mast Way, and the Middle School suffering with lack of leadership. In fact, we have strong leaders with long histories at each school - including the high school!
There is another assumption that all our teachers are operating within a state of fear and confusion. I will also respectfully disagree with this statement. I know our teachers are exceptional professionals more than capable of educating our children through an interim superintendent and the hiring of three top educational leaders. They have done it in the past and I have the utmost faith they will be just fine next year. Again, your statement presumes to show a lack of faith in our teachers' collective capabilities.
Second, the addressed point to the taxpayers. If you look at recent reports of the real estate market on the Seacoast, we are doing better than most of the nation. I also am seeing more young families move into the district and buying houses. Those that are moving are moving within the district to continue the education here. I know of a few examples personally (I'm sure there are others) where families have moved from Lee to Durham and within Durham itself. There is no panic or mass exodus of families - at least in my purview. Our housing prices have stabilized and with the recent Public Works projects happening now in Durham, I only expect this to help our home values moving forward.
The next topic I'd like to discuss is the confidentiality clause. This was a mutual, amicable agreement between the board and Howard Colter. The board did not act on this one alone. As the agreement states, we may hear more on June 30th.
So, yes, while we must rebuild with strong leaders, we must also realize that the absence of three individuals do not propel an entire district and community into darkness. Assuming so undermines the hard work and contributions of our staff and teachers, propagates fear, uncertainty, and doubt, and does not move our mission forward as a district. It is very important to attend these meetings and offer input but placing seeds of doubt and future demise only serves to make us take a few steps back.
Hear hear, Mr. Fiermonti. Well debated.
ReplyDeleteMs. Portalupi says she's "reeling from shock" that Colter is leaving. I'm reeling in shock that she's reeling in shock.
Like Ms. DiMeglio in a previous post, I live in an alternate reality, wherein my fellow travelers and I are astonished at the mediocre performance for crazy high costs of our school district.
Maybe someday these two worlds will meet and we'll all fix the problems. Mr. Colter leaving is the first step of many. He knew it. The board knew it. Anybody watching Channel 22 knew it. Plain as day.
I totally agree with your comments, Seth. Having been a teacher for over thirty years I have worked under many different administrators in my school and in the Superintendent's Office. Yes, they are all important! However, without a strong staff - as ORCSD has - top administrators mean little! Laura Rogers leaving after five years as principal at ORCSD does not surprise me; the average length of time a principal stays is usually five or six years in my experience. The same goes for superintendents. An exception to this is, of course, Dennis Harrington. The fact that Meredith Nadeau is leaving is of little surpris also - her desire is to be a superindent and she accomplished this with her new position.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that "top" administrators leave does not mean the doom and gloom predicted by a certain group of vocal individuals.
Teachers teach regardless of who is in charge. That's what we do.
I wish the same people who say the same things repeatedly at board meetings and threaten they will "not give up" or they "are watching" would read your post.