Back to square one: Search for a new superintendent

Serghino René

Boston is gearing up, once again, to find a new school superintendent.

The Boston School Committee announced last week that Dr. Manuel Rivera was turning down Boston’s offer as superintendent to accept a job as deputy education secretary in New York under recently elected Gov. Eliot Spitzer.

In a letter to School Committee Chair Elizabeth Reilinger Rivera said he had received “an unexpected and very attractive opportunity to work in a different educational context.” Rivera called the possibility of creating statewide educational policy in New York an opportunity that “he couldn’t say no.”

A nationally recognized school administrator, Rivera was Mayor Thomas M. Menino choice to lead the Boston public schools after the resignation of Superintendent Thomas Payzant. Rivera would have been the first Hispanic to serve as superintendent in the history of Boston Public Schools.

Rivera had accepted the superintendent job last September, but negotiations over his contract with the city did not begin until earlier this year. Rivera was expected to sign a contract, which would outline his salary and benefits with Boston sometime this month or in early February.

METCO’s Jean McGuire says no one is to blame here.

“You can’t look at [Rivera] as anything more than a candidate,” said McGuire. “Until a contract is signed, he is not binded to anything.”

Rivera’s departure was a blow to Menino. Earlier this month, Menino had cited hiring Rivera as evidence of his administration’s progress in education. Rivera was the American Association of School Administrators’ national superintendent of the year for 2006.

“We are surprised and disappointed that Dr. Rivera is changing his plans about coming to Boston,” said School Committee Chair Elizabeth Reilinger. “However, knowing what a unique opportunity he has, we will not stand in the way of his decision. Given his strong interest in pursuing this new and exciting professional opportunity, the school committee believes it is in the best interest of Boston to relieve him of his commitment to become our next Superintendent of Schools.”

Days following Rivera’s departure, more than 250 parents, educators and students met in the Roxbury’s Freedom House auditorium during what was supposed to be Rivera’s first presentation as superintendent. Instead, it became a platform for Menino to explain Rivera’s departure.

Attendees confronted Menino about what they described as his “secret search process” and requested that a more open process be used to better engage parents, students and the community.

Myriam Ortiz, assistant director for the Boston Parent Organizing Network, says that rather than point fingers at anyone, city officials should learn an invaluable lesson.

“This shows us that their process didn’t work and that in the future, the community should a have bigger say,” said Ortiz.

At first, Rivera provided little details about his Boston contract negotiations. But several published reports attributed to Rivera’s spokesmen have indicated that one of the sticking points was limits to his authority by Reilinger and that she would take too big of a role in school operations.

With micromanaging rumors in the air, City Councilors Chuck Turner, Felix Arroyo and Charles C. Yancey supported Councilor Michael F. Flaherty’s call for Reilinger’s resignation as head of the committee, a position she has held for nine years.

Flaherty recently delivered a letter to Reilinger’s School Committee office asking her to step down.

Acting Superintendent Michael G. Contompasis, who took over after Thomas W. Payzant retired, agreed to stay on until Rivera started. As the situation stands, it doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere else soon.

“We are fortunate that Mike Contompasis is so well positioned to continue to provide outstanding leadership for the district,” Menino said.  “He has been most effective in ensuring that the Boston Public Schools continues and accelerates our education reform agenda, and we are grateful that he is willing to lend his expertise to carry out our educational priorities.”

Bill Moran, Tremont Credit Union’s community affairs advisor and retired Boston school teacher, hopes that Rivera’s decision doesn’t discourage other minority candidates from considering Boston in the future.

“This should be no excuse for people to say that candidates of color are not committed enough or are hard to find,” he said. “They are out there.”