Breaking News: Gardner Resigns

Sources tell the O'Zone that Southbridge Superintendent of Schools Patricia Gardner resigned her position on Monday.

Sheryl Stanton, the district’s Assistant Superintendent for Teaching & Learning, has been named to fill the post for the time being.

In a joint statement, the committee and Ms. Gardner cited "philosophical differences on how the School District should move forward" as the reason for ending their working relationship.

Telegram Reports On School Committee Executive Session

Brian Lee, writing in a Telegram article titled Southbridge school board probe's [sic] superintendent's behavior, reports that the School Committee met behind closed doors Wednesday for more than two hours "to receive, consider and act on an investigative report" pertaining to complaints made by employees about Superintendent Patricia Gardner.

After the meeting, Chairwoman Lauren C. McLoughlin told a reporter: "The committee has recessed the matter and will continue to meet regarding the matter."

Asked if Ms. Gardner remained the superintendent, the chairwoman said, "We are continuing to meet on that." 

You Get A Day Off, And You Get A Day Off, And You… Oops! Never Mind

Ken O’Brien

During Councilors Forum at last Monday’s Town Council meeting, Councilor Carrasco revealed the plan to close school administrative offices during the period from December 24th to January 5th.

This wasn’t some rumor that the Councilor latched onto and ran with. He attempted to contact school department personnel. He had the Town Manager contact the Superintendent. All got the same message that administrative personnel would be given an additional 5½ days off with pay, a perk not afforded to other non-union town employees.

Have We Learned Anything?

Ken O’Brien

Members of the Southbridge School Committee now have the results of the so-called Flick report regarding allegations made by school personnel against the Superintendent.

It is doubtful that the public will ever learn the results of this report.

Is it not time to ask whether this is appropriate?

After our miserable experience in this district with the administration of our school system the time has come to ask whether the results of such investigations should remain private. 

Will She Still Want It Public?

Ken O’Brien

At the October 28^th meeting of the Southbridge School Committee Dr. Raymond Page read a redacted complaint by school personnel against Superintendent Patricia Gardner.

That reading of the complaint followed the vote to enter executive session and a request by the Superintendent that the executive session be conducted in public.

Article Raises More Questions About Southbridge MCAS

Ken O’Brien

Writing in today’s Worcester Telegram, Brian Lee reports that, “Last year, dozens of juniors at the [Southbridge] middle-high school were not afforded their mandated right to twice retake the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment Systems.”

In a piece titled 38 Southbridge students missed chance to retake MCAS, Lee posed questions to Superintendent Patricia Gardner and former Southbridge Middle High School Principal Amy Allen-Magnan.

Gardner remarked on Tuesday night that “the oversight was due to ‘a principal working in our schools’ who had signed off that everything was done properly…’.nobody was watching, but in this case, people weren't honest’.” 

Gardner Appointment As Southbridge Schools Superintendent – Video

Gardner Appointed Superintendent Of Southbridge Schools

Ken O’Brien

Patricia Gardner

At an unusual Wednesday night meeting of the Southbridge School Committee Patricia E. Gardner was appointed Superintendent of the Southbridge School District. She will succeed Basan Nembirkow who had previously announced that he would leave the position at the end of June. He cited health and age as reasons for his departure. Gardner’s appointment is for a one year term, from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015.

Ms. Gardner has served as the District’s Director of Teaching and Learning since August of 2013. Prior to that she had served as principal of Turners Falls High School in the Gill-Montague Regional School District. 

Promises, Promises

Ken O’Brien

Kara Donovan

“Noting the ‘most important’ School Committee role is choosing the superintendent in a process that’s ‘as open, transparent and effective as possible,’ she said she feels the committee needs to be able to let the person chosen do the job.”

Those were the words of current School Committee Vice-Chairman Kara Donovan in The Southbridge News 11 days before the 2012 election. That election placed her on the committee, presumably in part because of pledges like that above.

Such a commitment flies directly in the face of Wednesday night’s agenda item calling for the appointment of Patricia Gardner as Superintendent of Southbridge schools. Where was the “openness and transparency”? No public posting of the position, no search committee, no competitive interviews. What became of the much-hyped precedent of the principal search committee which garnered so much fawning praise from partisans only a few weeks ago? 

Second or Third Best Practices

Ken O’Brien

Bent Abrahamson

At the last meeting of the Southbridge School Committee on May 13, Southbridge School Committee candidate Brent Abrahamson praised the current administration.

He waxed poetic about the wonders of the Principal Search Committee. The extent to which the public’s input was sought and heeded was, one had to be convinced, a marvel of inclusiveness and populist democracy.

And the constant critics and naysayers, he was quick to remind all, were nowhere to be seen.

Gardner Presents Southbridge Accelerated Improvement Plan – Video

Ken O’Brien