Newport School Board Bypasses Superintendent to Restructure Administration

NEWPORT, RI—The city's school superintendent and several members of the Newport School Committee are outraged after a staff restructuring was forced through by a committee majority on Tuesday night and plan to challenge its legality with the state Department of Education.

The agenda item, sponsored by School Committee Member David R. Carlin III, removed Rogers High School Principal Jeff Goss from his position and appointed him as assistant superintendent. It also appointed the vice principal of Rogers as interim principal and explicitly prohibits Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain from "interviewing, hiring and any/all other personnel actions related to the position of assistant superintendent of the Newport Public School System."

The restructuring is highly unorthodox because School Committees typically are barred from ordering personnel changes at such a granular level. Historically, and as outlined in state law, said School Committee Chairwoman Jo Eva Gaines, it is the superintendent who makes those decisions and offers them to the School Committee for their consent.

"I don't understand it, I don't know what the motive behind this is and if I were the superintendent, I'd begin looking for other jobs," Gaines said before the 4-3 vote to approve the restructuring.

Jermain said that she was deeply troubled and confused that such a directive would appear on the agenda and get rammed through without any public discussion beforehand, let alone what she said were "very serious" changes to typical protocol.

Committee members Kathleen Silvia, Sandra J. Flowers and Gaines voted against the restructuring. 

Flowers said that the action was "egregious" and "I can't get into anyone's head but appears there is a personal agenda here."

Siliva said the restructuring is "outrageous, a violation of state law."

Carlin did not explain the thought process behind the restructuring at the meeting, saying that the language of the agenda item "speaks for itself." Later, he said that the changes would save the district $135,000 in salary and benefits.

The remaining members who voted for the restructuring did not explain their votes, either.

This story is being updated.

Video of the meeting: (discussion begins at the 2:11 mark.)