Who's On First ?

The August departure of Interim Superintendent Edward Daft, essentially leaves the East Providence School Department with no clear leadership at the top levels. Basically vacant are the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent (curriculum), Special Needs Director, Business and Finance Director and the Human Resources Director positions. Edward Daft has spent 22 years with East Providence schools. Daft, a graduate of EP High School, became a teacher, coach and administrator for local schools. He has worked at Riverside and Martin middle schools and was Principal of East Providence High School. Daft was elevated to assistant superintendent and then named Interim Superintendent after the suspension and firing of former superintendent Mario Cirillo. The school committee has attempted to fill the vacant superintendent’s office and that of several other administrative openings but has been slowed or stopped by the budget commission running the city.

In addition to the vacant superintendent’s office the city has been unable or unwilling to hire a curriculum director, finance director or human resources director. The city has been trying to combine finance and human resource departments. The consolidation hasn’t gone well. Interviews have been held in some cases but some applicants have been unwilling to assume the consolidated job responsibility with the salary levels being offered. “It seems like the endless number of highly qualified candidates didn’t materialize as consolidation proponents have maintained,” said a few sources close to the situation. The one area of city-schools consolidation that has worked well is the maintenance department. City maintenance director, Ed Catelli has assumed leadership for both school and city departments with little difficulty. “The maintenance consolidation has gone very well,” said school committeeman Steve Furtado. “I wish we could find the same level of success with finance and human resources,” added Furtado.

Initially, Daft had informed the budget commission that he was willing to stay in East Providence, but he needed some of the vacant jobs at administration filled. The budget commission has not yet approved any hiring and Daft was offered an administrative role at Barrington High School. "This was a difficult decision to make. However, after careful consideration and thoughtful discussion with my family, I have accepted a position in another district. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working in the East Providence School Department for the past twenty-two years and I am grateful for the School Committee's confidence in my abilities and for the opportunity to have served the students and families of East Providence as Interim Superintendent," Daft told the Reporter. Sources have indicated that although Daft remained “professional” and “non-controversial” he was never fully supported or “included” by former school administrators Cirillo or Lonnie Barham (former COO).

The budget commission is meeting today (July 26th) and will consider a process for filling the school superintendent’s job. The commission and state leaders rejected a recent request by the school committee to temporarily hire an interim superintendent of schools. Today’s meeting is scheduled to address the situation again. State leaders want to conduct a three member search team.