Home Nonprofit & Education Education Fall River names new school superintendent; committee member quits in protest

Fall River names new school superintendent; committee member quits in protest

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PBN Staff

-

06/07/2024

FALL RIVER School Committee member Sara O. Rodrigues left during the 5-1 combative vote which saw Assistant Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer Tracy Curley become the district's new school’s leader, according to media reports.

FALL RIVER – The city has a new superintendent of schools, following a contentious vote that’s also left the school committee with a sudden opening. School Committee member Sara O. Rodrigues left during the 5-1 combative vote which saw Assistant Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer Tracy Curley become the district’s new school’s leader, according to

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FALL RIVER – The city has a new superintendent of schools, following a contentious vote that's also left the school committee with a sudden opening. School Committee member Sara O. Rodrigues left during the 5-1 combative vote which saw Assistant Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer Tracy Curley become the district's new school’s leader, according to media reports. Curley’s lack of experience concerned both committee members Kevin Aguiar and Rodrigues. Curley, who has worked for the Fall River School District since 2009, was one of four candidates vying for the superintendent job, according to The Herald News. The other three were Norwood Superintendent David Thomson, East Bridgewater Public School Superintendent Elizabeth Legault and Bristol-Warren Regional School District Superintendent Ana Riley. According to The Herald News, Curley has been a teacher since 1997. In 2009 she became an associate principal at Durfee High and was the principal at Henry Lord Community School from 2014 to 2017. “I will not be a part of a discussion like this,” Rodrigues said at the meeting, according to WPRI-TV CBS 12. “Effective immediately, I am resigning from this committee.” School committee members heard testimony from each candidate prior to the voting. Though most members favored Curley, Aguiar and Rodrigues preferred another candidate. According to reports, Aguiar accused his colleagues of making a political decision, sparking fellow committee member Shelli Pereira to shoot back, “I’m not up here to make personal decisions, I’m up here to make the choice that I think is right, and I don’t want to be criticized because you disagree.” Aguiar fired back: “This decision is absolutely political. Period. I don’t care what anybody says, you can get as offended as you want.” Rodrigues then removed herself right before the vote. “The thing I’m looking for ... is developing a culture of consistency,” committee member Thomas Khoury told The Herald News. “Dr. Tracy Curley stood out to me because she’s been here in this district for so long. ... She has a working knowledge with this community because she’s from this community, and those relationships are very well established.” Curley’s appointment is subject to a successful contract negotiation.