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Public forum spotlights teacher burnout, community emotions over Newport schools

By Patrick Adrian
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
NEWPORT — Newport residents and educators gathered on Thursday to process the recent turmoil that has rocked the Newport School District, following the resignation announcement last week by Superintendent Brendan Minnihan and growing exasperation over the divisive conduct of controversial school board member Bert Spaulding.

Fifty-five residents attended the Newport School Board meeting this week to show their support for Minnihan and the school district, which heads toward the next school year in need of a new superintendent and business director, as well as other administrator and teacher vacancies to fill.

Residents had also hoped to deliver a strong rebuke to Spaulding, whose conduct over the last month in particular has been a major catalyst for Minnihan’s decision to leave.

“There has to be lines in the sand in how you are willing to be treated,” Minnihan explained to the community on Thursday. “And there were multiple lines that were crossed … And I can’t [accept that].”

While Minnihan has never specified Spaulding’s involvement by name, the school board member’s domineering and “bullying” personality as a resident, a school board official, and a former town selectman is widely known to town residents.

Last year, according to Newport School Board Chair Jenna Darling, Spaulding pulled her aside in the hallway and said, “If I don’t get my way I am going to sink this ship and I’m going to take everyone down with me.”

Notably, Spaulding was conspicuously absent from the meeting, though residents proceeded to address his conduct, sometimes even addressing his empty chair, under the assumption that Spaulding was watching the meeting on Newport Community Television (NCTV).

Over the last month alone, according to school officials, Spaulding has repeatedly overstepped his authority as a board member, including inappropriate communications with school and district administrators outside of public meetings. Spaulding has also made numerous derogatory remarks in public about the schools, school and district administrators and colleagues on the board.

School board member William Wilkinson, who was elected to the school board in March, directed a message for Spaulding to the television camera, calling for him to resign.

“I am not sure how far we take it before we completely tear down our school district,” Wilkinson said. “But I can’t sit on this board with a clear conscience and allow it to continue.”

Vice-chair Rhonda Callum-King, the longest actively-serving board member, noted that Spaulding cannot be forcibly removed from the board short of a serious crime.

Instead, Callum-King urged residents to become more involved in community service and the local democratic process, by running for public office and voting in the elections.

Notably, Spaulding ran unopposed on the ballot in 2020 to win election to the school board.

“We got here through apathy,” Callum-King said. “There were two board seats available and no one signed up to run as a third candidate.”

For residents and educators, Minnihan’s resignation means the loss of a popular and respected school leader, who is credited alongside Business Director Ed Emonds for restoring stability and optimism to the district.

Newport has struggled in recent decades to establish a continuity in school leadership. The district has had nine different superintendents over the last 14 years, including two hires who were replaced in their first year.

“We cannot have systemic change if we have constant turnover at the leadership level,” said Richards Elementary teacher Lisa Ferrigno.”

Newport educators also stressed that the disparagement of teachers, administrators and staff is not limited to Spaulding.

Teachers and school staff have been battling fatigue and drain for several years, particularly since the start of the pandemic, in which staffing shortages have reached a nationwide crisis.

In addition to a lack of substitutes, many positions in Newport, including teaching positions, have remained unfilled all school year, forcing teachers and instructional assistants to take on additional duties to fill staffing needs.

The strain is only compounded when parents or community members denigrate the schools and staff, whether over precautionary health policies or curriculum, or question the professional expertise or commitment of the educators.

“To come to [these board meetings] and keep our faces straight as much as we can when people get mad at us for making kids ‘feel cared for’ is a really hard place to be in,” said Patrice Glancey, interim principal at Richards.

The school district posted an advertisement seeking an interim superintendent on Friday.

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