East Providence School Committee Affirms Support for Superintendent--Updated
After a three hour meeting in executive session with superintendent Mario Cirillo, school committee members affirmed support for him.
After meeting in executive committee for about three hours Friday night, the East Providence school committee announced a decision to terminate the district's chief operating officer, but affirmed support for the district's superintendent.
Spectators filled the City Hall chambers as they waited for hours for the people to come out of executive session. Several people spoke in support of Superintendent Mario Cirillo's leadership.
After the session, school committee members affirmed the committee's commitment to working with Cirillo, who brought his attorney into the meeting.
"It was a very good discussion, and I think there is no question right now that Dr. Cirillo knows what we are looking for and what our goals for the school district are," school committee chairman Charles Tsonos said after the meeting.
Cirillo said Saturday that he thought it was a very positive meeting and that there is a common commitment to move ahead.
"We're all in this for the same reason, to serve the children of East Providence," Cirillo said.
But one administrator did lose his job.
School committee member Chrissy Rossi made the motion to terminate chief operating officer Lonnie Barham "without cause." Tsonos said later that his position would not be filled.
Cirillo said Saturday that Barham's contribution to the school district had been very significant.
"When you have a man of his caliber and his abilities and his skill set, it's a loss to the school district," Cirillo said.
School committee member Stephen Furtado also announced the that the committee had voted in favor of 18 layoff notices to teachers at the end of the school year. Cirillo had requested that, which is typical each year, as the district waits for notification on state and federal aid.
S
9:28 am on Saturday, February 19, 2011
No that is a shame, this man is a major reason why we are doing as well as we are right now. This school committee knows nothing about education or finance. The people in EP providence are in deep trouble if you allow this rogue committee continue to back the unions.
JR
10:48 am on Saturday, February 19, 2011
We are doing so well???
$6.1 million dollar deficit!!! ALL while Mr. Barham was running the finances.
S
10:54 am on Saturday, February 19, 2011
Are you insane
that deficit was inherited by the current administration and if you look at facts you will see they have reined in the spending, increase the educational tools and technology as well as start the much needed repairs to the school.
All this and cut the annual budget, while the administration took a 5% percent pay cut and the teachers took a 0 (ZERO) cut. The unemotional facts state that this administration has not increased the deficit and reined in the spending due in large part by Mr. Barham. If I was him I would find any way possible to sue the school department the city and any individual who has slanders his name.
Meesh
10:00 am on Saturday, February 19, 2011
Don't let the truth interfere with your delusional ranting. Unbelievable...
S
10:08 am on Saturday, February 19, 2011
Like you would even know the truth Unbelievable is correct
Rags 1
10:33 am on Saturday, February 19, 2011
Some school districts in many states are bigger than the entire State of Rhode Island.
The politicians can't get real about expenses and lofty goals unless we consolodate into County Regional school systems and get rid of the multiplus overlapping jurisdictions and political subdivisions.
We have a state agency loaded with bureaucrats, multiple local school systems doing their own thing and setting different codes each with a high paying staff administration etc. etc.
Get real and talk education not politics and consolodate. This is where the real savings will emerge.
JR
10:51 am on Saturday, February 19, 2011
This "union" school committee re-affirmed the academic achievements of the superintendent.
I am sure many union people were dissappointed, but I am absolutely sure more people are dissapointed that they didn't follow the predictions and eliminate Dr. Cirillo.
How dare this school committee do the right thing!!! What will they complain about next???
S
10:55 am on Saturday, February 19, 2011
They can not continue to do the right thing, just wait this school committee is not smart enough to do the right right.
S
11:02 am on Saturday, February 19, 2011
They didn't do the right thing completely, they eliminated the financial man who orchestrated the turn around and put the school district on the correct financial path with a deficit reduction plan.
JR
11:17 am on Saturday, February 19, 2011
Lets look at some REAL facts:
Dr. Cirillo inherited a roughly $5 million deficit; The deficit is now $6.1 million!
The major portion of the current deficit occured when the SC prior to the last one made inappropriate cuts to benifit line items, to the tune of som $3.5 million!
Mr. Barham was HR director when these cuts were made and did nothing to recomend changes to fix that deficit!
Last year another $1 million was added to our deficit because the COO missed accounting for 19 special ed students. This financial wizard assured the previous SC that the budget was completey balanced that year, Whoops!!!!
Simply the FACTS
JR
11:20 am on Saturday, February 19, 2011
"S" (santos)
you said this school committee cannot continue to do the right things...
Well sit back and enjoy the ride! THIS school committee will continue to do whats right and actually put a plan in place to finally eliminate the deficit!!!
Won't that just ruin your day?
concerned taxpayer
11:21 am on Saturday, February 19, 2011
NECAP scores are up--Thanks in part to Mr. Cirrillo. If we can't smarten up the kids of EP we will never smarten up our choice of school committee members and certainly not our choice of city council members (someone help us there.....)
JR
11:24 am on Saturday, February 19, 2011
As I said, this school committee acknowledged the academic improvements in the district and are giving Dr. Cirillo their support!
S
11:25 am on Saturday, February 19, 2011
you live in a dream world
Dr. Cirillo inherited and existing over $5 million deficit and a roughly $1 million in deficit spending the day in walked into the position. FACT
The entire deficit was incurred prior to the previous school committee and as far as HR director making changes to the budget NOT that is the finance director the superintendent and the school committee not the hr directors job.
The COO did not miss the roughly $1 million dollars the special ed director misreported the costs as well as the number of children being taught out of district.
SO THERE ARE THE TRUE SIMPLE FACTS
you have the union twist on your facts
JR
11:48 am on Saturday, February 19, 2011
"S"
so you agree that the school committe that included Mr. Santos, Mr. Faria and for a short period Mr. Carceiri did not address the $3+ million budget shortfall!!!
That was the committee before the last one!
And as director of HR; wouldn't it be Mr. Barham's responsibility to inform the superintendent and the school committee that their cuts to benifits were not feasable?
Facts are facts...
JR
12:11 pm on Saturday, February 19, 2011
"S"
you said "The COO did not miss the roughly $1 million dollars the special ed director misreported the costs as well as the number of children being taught out of district. "
Well let us look at that for a moment...
The special ed director placed students in out of district placements...
The transportation director sent buses daily to these students and their placements...
The business office received tuition bills for these student's placements...
So the man in charge of ALL OPPERATIONS did not reconcile the reports comming from many different sorces? Isn't that what a chief opperating officer does?? Make sure that if we are billed by placement school "X" for 19 students, and we are sending buses to these 19 students to attend "X"; then verify that there are actually 19 students from special ed placed at "X"!!!!
Am I missing a step here???
Bruce Zarembka
12:22 pm on Saturday, February 19, 2011
Here is a fact. The admisistration for the East Providenc e School system, remains top heavy.
As noted in one of the comments above, the true way to save money in this state is to regionalize. It is rediculo0us that we have the number of independent school districts in a state the size of Rhode Island. only until this is realized and the unions become part of the solution to this mess, will savings be realized.
As a start East Providence needs to take the first step and begin consoidation of positions and services between the school department and the various departments within the city. These consolidations need to be more than token consolidations that fool the public into thinking that real change is going on.
Major changes need to be made in this city to get us back to a semblance of financial stability and additionally stop East Providence from being the laughing stock when looked upon at the state and other citeis within Rhode Island.
Get rid of the special interest. Wake up the citizens that have been complacent so long and elect officilas that work for the betterment of what was once an All American City...how far we have fallen from those days.
It is a sad state of affairs.
Rumford Resident
2:36 pm on Saturday, February 19, 2011
AMEN!
Townie 7
12:32 am on Sunday, February 20, 2011
Congrats School Committee! Let the cleanup begin!!!!
Rumford Resident
7:07 am on Sunday, February 20, 2011
The 'cleanup' began this week in Wisconsin. Is moving to Ohio, Indiana, and New Jersey (even NY). It won't happen in RI until we're in receivership.
Townie 7
8:29 am on Monday, February 21, 2011
The school committee has alot to do in cleaning up the waste in EP. And the 1st step was getting rid of Barum. Enough already with this top heavy administration. Enough with them dishing out raises, and changing their work titles so they can get another raise! Let's focus on the kids. This new school committee is off to the right start. Now, I would like to see them do a surprise visit in all the schools. Let them get a look and see what really goes on!!
EPRes
11:28 am on Monday, February 21, 2011
Larisa-GONE
Cusack-GONE
Carcieri-GONE
Brown-GONE
Barham-GONE
Cirillo-SOON TO BE GONE
How sweet it is!
Rumford Resident
12:01 pm on Monday, February 21, 2011
'It's all about the kids!'
The EP Democrats show themselves more and more for what they truly are, more concerned about cheap political scores to settle instead of about the children of East Providence education.
How laughable it is to hear 'what a great job this new school committee is doing'. What have they done??? Allowed teachers to have their coffee break back instead of sharing recess with their class? If there ever was a trumped up issue, recess was clearly that.
Carcieri is a 'bully'. If he is a bully, then what is the former second ward councilman?
The parents are still waiting to see what this school committee is FOR not AGAINST. And if they are AGAINST something, what is their alternative?
This city deserves better, and our kids deserve better.
S
12:14 pm on Monday, February 21, 2011
Lets think about this
Scores up
technology up
% graduation up
Budget down
Administration pay down 5%
teachers pay flat or up
total budget down
Deficit flat with a payment plan in place
Yes that's right get rid of the people responsible for improving things in the school department. you as tax paying residents would rather go back to where you were with teachers not accountable and failing schools. Then you can stand up and blame everyone else again.
Either support a state wide school department or support this administration, Bruce you have the right idea but until then this administration is on the right track. BRING BARUM BACK
S
5:53 pm on Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Well EPRes
Cirillo soon to be gone???? Are you saying that Rossi lied to us when she said "we have a better understanding of each other and our goals now" " the school committee is 100% behind Dr. Cirillo"
Does that really mean she just couldn't pull it off Friday night and she will try again?
What a surprise that is!!!
epbad
2:56 pm on Monday, February 21, 2011
The clean should start with the new School Committee! Can we recall any of school committe members.
JR
6:10 pm on Monday, February 21, 2011
Lets look at some REAL facts:
Dr. Cirillo inherited a roughly $5 million deficit; The deficit is now $6.1 million!
The major portion of the current deficit occured when the SC prior to the last one made inappropriate cuts to benifit line items, to the tune of som $3.5 million!
Mr. Barham was HR director when these cuts were made and did nothing to recomend changes to fix that deficit!
Last year another $1 million was added to our deficit because the COO missed accounting for 19 special ed students. This financial wizard assured the previous SC that the budget was completey balanced that year, Whoops!!!!
Simply the FACTS
S
8:25 am on Tuesday, February 22, 2011
JR
Your facts are twisted union Rossi facts with no real basis to them.
JR
6:13 pm on Monday, February 21, 2011
Lets see.....
Test scores up, not because of Barham!
Technology up, not because of Barham!
Deficit up, That one falls on Barham!!
Deficit plan REJECTED by the Auditor General, That one is Barham too!!!
Lack of a backup deficit reduction plan, Thanks to Barham.
I think this school committee has made a change for the better!!!
S
8:30 am on Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Test scores up because Barham and Cirillo holding teachers accountable
Technology up because Barham and Cirillo balancing the budget freeing up money
Deficit flat because of Barham and Cirillo
Townie 7
8:03 pm on Monday, February 21, 2011
The school committee has made a change for the better!! That was the COO who missed accounting for the 19 special ed students. All Barum was good for was handing out administrative raises. Whats with the assistant he hired for himself? Is that to give him more time for vacations, or so he can keep coming into work late? Or not at all? What did he need an assistant for? Hmmm... Come on people, wake up!!! Good choice in getting rid of him first!!
Rumford Resident
8:18 pm on Monday, February 21, 2011
Too bad for Mr. Barham that he couldn’t get a nice 'no-show' job in a public employee union? But he is far too educated for something like that. Don't cry for Mr. Barham. He will take his severence, and get a job in the private sector.
I take my queues from the East Providence Tax Payer Association who publicly supported Mr. Barham and the superintendant. They have far more credibility than the Rossi flaks that post on this site.
But a wave is coming East Providence. Wisconsin is the first to outlaw collective bargaining for public employees, and soon Ohio and Indiana will follow. This will do far more good for fiscal sanity in this country than what the current East Providence School Committee will try to push through. They can't rely upon Obama stimulus funds, so the reality will settle in. We are broke, and throwing more money at the problem will not solve it.
JR
6:32 am on Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Rumford;
Barham already receives 2 pensions; now he may be able to get a third from the taxpayers of East Providence! Is he that greedy that he will try to find another job in the public sector?
Or is he going to be hired by Kinder? Larissa? Cusack?
Rumford Resident
7:58 am on Tuesday, February 22, 2011
JR
Can you be a bit more specific about Mr Barham's 2 pensions? Are they 'Disability Pensions' like the ones that Rossi's husband gets for police and firefighters?
You know the ones that public service union members take (tax free). I might add a majority of fire and police union members. The ones that are tax free! Is that like the pension that Mr Barham has?
Or is it like the one that the former EP superintendant has (the superintendent who's father in law ran the school committee), the superintendant that now works in Mass, but collects in RI. Is it like that pension?
I don’t think Larisa et at can deliver those types of pensions?
As I say, the public service employee unions will bankrupt us. But bankruptcy is a good thing in the long run. Just read about New Haven CT or Chelsea MA. A good bankruptcy is just what East Providence and RI requires....
Rags 1
10:49 am on Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The real savings is not in administrive salaries which are just a very tiny part of the budget and just symbolic of personnel costs.
The real savings is in consolidation of school committee jurisdictions into regional authorities and gettting rid of bloated bureaucracies on the state and local levels.
All this stuff about local politics does nothing for the students except eat up more time and money.
School budgets already exceed 50% of the municipal budget, and it is climbing every year with state and federal mandates most for political rather than practical reasons.
What's in your wallet?
S
11:15 am on Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Consolidation of school jurisdictions is the way to go and would be real savings, negotiate health benefits for a state wide group, consolidate entire administrations. All this local stuff and the lack of consolidation is to keep the precious few happy.
One school district for the entire state is the way this should be going. One administration for the state and the entire state in the same direction.
But will the precious teachers union agree to that
JR
6:34 am on Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Rumford
You will be happy to know that as a taxpayer you are already contributing to a hefty pension for Mr. Barham as a retired Colonel in the US Army Reserve....
He also has a pension from his previous employment with a major defense contractor in Conn.
Now for his (long) ten years here in EP. Half of which was spent in New Jersey as a part of the military, we the EP taxpayers will be on the hook for another pension based on his $100,000+ salary as COO.
Rumford Resident
6:52 am on Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Thanks for the update JR. Great info for the residents of EP.
Can you let us know a few other pensions:
1. Katie Kleyla? Does she earn a pension?
2. Paul Moura? As a union rep? Or as a legislator?
3. The 'Mayor'. Does he earn a pension from his high profile positons in the city?
4. Faria?
5. Dr Ramos? Will he earn pension credits for his work on the sham process to find a new city manager? Did he earn credits when he sued the city back in the day?
I argue that these 5 cost the taxpayers more than Mr Barham.
S
7:02 am on Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Congratulations Mr Barham I am proud to pay your pension for your service defending this country.
You have done a fantastic job and worked hard all your career and deserve the money and pensions you now recieve.
I feel the school committee has stepped over the line and interfered with personell.
How many pensions does John Rosssi recieve?
Get over the emotional rant, your mad because you are being held accountable. JOIN THE WORLD.
JR
6:31 am on Thursday, February 24, 2011
"S" (santos)
Get over your emotional rant!! Mr. Barham is being held accountable !!! JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE WORLD!!!
Rumford;
To the best of my knowledge, those people you mentioned are not receiving a pension with the exception of Dr. Ramos who served this city as an educator and administrator for many years.
And what connection do they have to Mr. Barham's screwing the EP taxpayer for another pension?
S
6:56 am on Thursday, February 24, 2011
OH JR
you think the tax payers are stupid don't you.
Rossi gets a pension for his time as a police offocer yes East Providence tax payers pay and yes he worked for it.
Ramos gets one and yes he worked for it.
Barham gets a pension and maybe more so what he worked for it.
Held accountable I agree everyone needs to be held accountable even the precious teachers, as far as the school committee and the school department that is the problem the teachers union wants everyone held accountable except for the members of the teachers union. The school committee just wants to do whatever the teachers union Val Lawson wants them to do.
Fire Barham because he wants to hold the teachers accountable.
that is fact not anything like your rant so JR join the real world.
Rumford Resident
10:17 am on Thursday, February 24, 2011
JR
Ramos screwed the city when he launched his frivolous law suit when he didn’t get a promotion, remember?? That was the suit that he lost. The one where he said he was promoted based upon the prior regime giving all of their buddies a promotion, which he enjoyed, until he didn’t get the superintendant job. So the city had to pay a lawyer (which all of the democrats don’t like to do) and protect the city from a frivolous suit. Remember???
Now we have Ramos leading the team to replace the city manager. What a joke.
Oh, and the other pension I referred to was for vinhateiro. Try to defend that one if you have a problem with Barham. How much did he cost the city after we paid for his phd?
I will give you the kleyla one. Coogan and Foley don’t have a pension plan. Maybe a 401k? But is she really sure that she worked for Foley? She denied it when she ran? Maybe Moura can get he a no show job?
Bottomline is EP is broke, RI is broke, Wisconsin is broke, so these pensions wont be there in a few years anyway.
Rags 1
12:12 pm on Thursday, February 24, 2011
This banter back and forth is just stupidity squared.
A lawfully empowered school committee made a decision as they are elected to do, and, if wrong to some there is always the next election.
This banter blog series is so narrowly focused that some should
put their horse-blinders away for awhile and give us abreak.
Rumford Resident
12:27 pm on Thursday, February 24, 2011
Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it....
The internet provides free citizens a channel to express ideas and a discussion.
Just ask the citizens in Cairo..... But then again, they have more sane leadership then we have in EP and RI today....Greece on the other hand has a very similar environment to EP and RI.... A public service sector on the dole and a country that is broke....