MAGA and education is an oxymoron in more ways than one
Chariho is a regionalized school district with
representatives from Charlestown, Richmond, and Hopkinton. The School Committee
is made up of four people from each town. What has so far prevented the
conservative majority on the Chariho School Committee from enacting their
radical wishlist is the sustained local opposition of residents who attend
meeting after meeting to defend their school system.
At the April school committee meeting, the conservative majority, led by Chair Dinsmore, voted not to extend Chariho Superintendent Gina Picard’s contract. Superintendent Picard’s contract expires in 2027, and the committee voted against extending it to 2018. The auditorium where the meeting was being held was packed with residents and students there to support Superintendent Picard. To the anger of those in attendance, Chair Dinsmore refused to allow public comment, effectively silencing dissent.
At last night’s meeting,
which had time for public comment on the
agenda, a packed house let the committee know how angry they were at
the conservative committee members for voting against extending the
superintendent’s contract and not allowing public comment.
“The school committee has created a large leadership problem
for itself,” said resident Chris Kona. “When Dinsmore, Chapman, Phelps,
Hopkins, Tefft, and Champlin voted not to extend Superintendent Picard’s
contract, they did not explain why.”
Kona said the school committee now appears difficult to work
with, and any current employees thinking about retirement will be heading
toward the door.
“As you establish a reputation for bullying and being
capricious, whether it’s your goal or not, it will be much harder to recruit
good talent in Chariho,” said Kona. “Chariho’s going to become a stepping stone
for administrators and teachers. It’ll be a place where folks come, do a couple
of years, get a resume bullet, and then move on to a place where they know they
can build a stable future. Then we’ll have to take whoever we can to fill the
gaps. We’re creating a brain drain here as talented teachers and administrators
leave for higher ground.
“Maybe you don’t see this as a problem, but organizational change manifests with the people in the organization. You must align them with your vision, meaning they must trust you. You’ve broken all that, and fixing it will take real work.”
“I want to talk about public schools and how important they are to a community,” said resident Etta Zasloff. “You claim to be looking out for taxpayers, but I urge you to protect the one thing that keeps this community strong: our public schools. A well-funded, well-led school district is one of the best investments that we can make, not only for our students but for our entire community. It keeps property values high, brings in new families and businesses, and builds a community where people want to live, work, and raise children. And here’s the good news: Chariho has built that kind of district.
“We were one of the best in the state until now. Instead of
continuing to strengthen and improve on that tower of success, we are
witnessing a game of Jenga with a twist. The players here, and you know who you
are, systematically weaken the Chariho tower with each move you make on this
school committee. The political maneuver to disrupt the election of the
committee chair was the first piece removed, but it felt like a cornerstone.
The norms of comportment were gone.
“The next play was to attack the reliable and affordable
school committee attorney by putting his position out to bid, even though you
backed off on the vote because of the public outrage at the meeting. The game
continues. In a daring move, the committee voted not to extend our
superintendent’s contract at the next meeting without one solid reason given
and without allowing the public to speak to the issue.
“Are you afraid of the outrage on that issue? Removing these two Jenga pieces seriously threatens the tower, undermining the stability of the system and creating chaos. One of the worst things for students is to feel the chaos in the community. I elaborate on this metaphor for one reason: I want everyone in the community to know what you are doing in the name of your political platform.”
“Chair Dinsmore disenfranchised me from giving these
comments about Gina Picard at last month’s meeting,” said Jeanine
Harrington, who described herself as a parent of a child in Chariho
schools, an alumnus, taxpayer, and voter.
“Gina Picard was hired because she was a collaborative
leader who would maintain the positive momentum that the late great Barry
Richie initiated and imbued. He was persistent in his drive, dedicated to the
objective, and honest in his engagement, and Gina has maintained that course.
Back then, the Chariho School Committee voted not for change, but for the best
candidate to continue the mission.
“Superintendent Picard has brought stability to this
district. She listens to families, makes thoughtful choices, and keeps kids at
the center. This district has been through a lot and has some big hurdles
ahead. We have a superintendent who knows our schools, understands our
community, and is making things work. Why on earth would you risk that and
start all over again? Let’s not kid ourselves: Replacing a superintendent is
disruptive and expensive. Why charge the taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars
to seek out and hire a new superintendent who knows nothing about our schools
and the major changes we are embarking on?
“A new superintendent who will likely demand higher pay.
It’s ironic to me that you seem to have forgotten the taxpayers. You were
elected to put our schools ahead of any personal and political agenda. I was
confident that you would not make decisions based on politics but on the needs
of our children and community. You failed us…
“As a parent who has had kids in this system since 1998 and has interacted with administration for decades, I feel Gina has been excellent. She’s communicative, forthcoming, and available, but most of all, she has been supportive of my children and always puts the kids’ and the district’s needs first. Shame on you for not doing the same.”
“… the public was denied the opportunity to weigh in [on the
decision not to renew the Superintendent’s contract], even though in February,
[Chair Dinsmore] stated, ‘I’m always willing to listen to different opinions,’”
said resident Tricia Tyler.
“In the past, Louise has publicly complained about not being allowed to speak during town and district forums. This is the height of hypocrisy. She based the decisions to forbid those present to speak due to the fear of Open Meeting Act violations filed against her and the committee. Dinsmore said allowing public comment would devolve into a performance review in an open session. [It was] very weak reasoning given that the words of the public cannot violate the OMA, only public officials who cannot restrain themselves.”
“I believe the chair’s decision not to allow public comment
for an item on the agenda was not right, especially for a discussion regarding
a decision that had far-reaching consequences,” said resident Greg
Avedisian. “It’s unfortunate that those in attendance were not
afforded the same opportunity to be heard as those who contacted members of the
committee anonymously, via email.
“I have held an elected office on four occasions over eight
years and have never denied the public the ability to speak regarding an item
on a published agenda, especially when I didn’t agree with them. I would expect
that the chair would’ve extended the same courtesy she received in the past
when she came before this committee as an ordinary citizen. To my knowledge,
she was allowed to speak whenever she came before the school committee before
she was appointed.
“What was the difference then?
“My frustration is not only with being denied the
opportunity to speak but also with some of the committee members’ inability to
state their reason for voting as they did clearly. I see this as an expression
of contempt for anyone who disagrees with them, and it forces the perception of
collusion and a hidden agenda.
“If there’s nothing to hide and the committee was acting in the best interest of the students of Chariho, why deny the public the right to speak? … I’m certain of one thing: We will never achieve the best possible outcome for the students of Chariho unless we can have an open and honest exchange of ideas. I believe the best solutions come from open and honest discussion… The decision not to extend the superintendent’s contract will not promote academic excellence, and the instability from the decision will ripple through the district, making it harder to hire and retain competent education professionals. This is already happening, as demonstrated by the [recent] resignation of the middle school principal.”
“I understand this committee is concerned about taxpayers,”
said Michelle McCray. “Let’s talk about what protects taxpayers
long term: a strong, thriving community, including a public school system.
Public education is not a burden. It is the backbone of a functioning, stable
community. When schools succeed, our property values go up, our neighborhoods
are safer, our workforce is stronger, businesses want to move here, families
want to stay, and everyone benefits.
“Chariho is a successful district—let’s not forget that. We
have award-winning career and technical programs. Our students outperform state
averages on academic measures. We offer high-quality special education
services. For now, we have passionate, experienced educators who care deeply
about their students. We have student-athletes who show up with heart. We have
musicians who win competitions, and graduates who thrive in college careers and
military service.
“This is a district we should be proud of. This is a
district we should be celebrating. But instead, this committee is tearing it
down, gutting it from the inside. You chose to create instability. Instead of
building on success, you voted not to extend a superintendent who helped
deliver that progress. You shut down public comment. You cited secret emails
and ignored real community voices, and through it all, you’ve done nothing to
present a vision for how we move forward.
“When public education fails, everyone pays. Ask any town that’s watched its town system fall apart. Property values drop, enrollment declines, businesses leave, families do not thrive, and taxes still go up because we’re stuck paying for the damage. If you truly care about taxpayers, stop gutting the system that protects their investment.”
“I’ve been a Hopkinton resident for over 30 years, and both
of my sons attended Chariho schools,” said Elizabeth Dalton. “The
motto of this district is ‘All kids, all of the time.’ This isn’t just a slogan
on a website or a banner in a hallway. It’s a promise. It’s a guiding principle
for our schools, faculty, and community. It means that every decision we make,
every vote this committee takes, and every policy we adopt should be grounded
in one simple question: Does this help all kids?
“This means the students who struggle and the ones who
excel, the kids in honors classes and kids with IEPs, and LGBTQIA+ students who
need to know their identities are safe and affirmed. Kids from every corner of
every town in this district need to know and feel that they matter equally. All
kids, all the time means believing in the equity, diversity, and inclusion of
all students.
“These are not buzzwords, but commitments. It means building
a school system to support the full humanity of every child and removing
barriers preventing access to the same opportunities as others have. It means
ensuring that no student feels left out, invisible, or unworthy because of who
they are.
“Throughout the more than 45 years that I have worked as a professional special educator in both direct service to those with disabilities and educating teachers who work with them, I have held these beliefs, ideals, and promises of equality, accessibility, and support. I’m not sure that this committee is living up to those promises. Decisions are being made behind closed doors. Voices are being shut out. This is not ‘All kids, all the time.’ It’s politics and division.”
“The behavior of the Chariho School Committee over this past
election cycle has been deplorable and reckless, and it must raise an
immediate, resounding response from the tri-town community,” said Jordan
Serino Siniscalchi, a lifelong Hopkinton resident. “Heavily influenced by
the extremist group Moms for Liberty, several members of this
committee have worked painstakingly to dismantle the foundation that has made
Chariho an annual mainstay on the top 10 best high schools in Rhode Island.
They attempted to change our policies towards discrimination, gender identity,
harassment of LGBTQ students, and are still plotting to dismantle our library
media policy.
“Now they’re attempting to oust one of the last people they
believe can stand in their way: Superintendent Gina Picard.
“When you came for our LGBTQ students, the adults came out
in droves and we made our voices heard, despite attempts by the chairperson to
dismiss the meeting early…
“Unfortunately, Chairperson Dinsmore learned from a previous committee meeting and shut down public comment, a slap in the face to the hundreds who came out to be heard. That is not leadership, that is not democracy, and that is not the way forward for the Chariho School District. I did not come here to shame you, for it’s my belief you cannot be shamed. I did not come here to sway your opinion, for I don’t believe it can be swayed. Frankly, I didn’t even come here to speak to you. I came here to speak to the people behind me - to remind them of why they’re here.”
“The group that many of you on this committee align yourself
with, the Forgotten Taxpayers, has a tagline: ‘We pay for it. We
should have a say.’ I agree with that,” said Charlestown resident Kathy
Solomon. “In fact, I think most of this room agrees with that. If we’re
funding this district through our taxes, volunteering, showing up, and raising
families here, we should have a say in the decisions that affect our schools.
But apparently, Louise Dinsmore doesn’t believe that because when it came time
for one of the most important decisions this district has faced in years,
whether or not to extend Superintendent Gina Picard’s contract, the public was
silenced.
“People came prepared to speak; they wrote statements and
rearranged schedules. They sat in that room expecting to be heard, and Louise
shut it down. No public comment, no discussion. Just a pre-written motion and a
quick vote, that was it.
“Tell me: Where was our say? You can’t claim to care about taxpayers and then refuse to hear from them. You can’t build your credibility around ‘We pay for it, we should have a say,’ and then close your ears the minute the public disagrees with you. If you’re going to campaign on the slogan, live by it, because right now it’s pretty clear you’re happy to take our money, but you have no interest in hearing our voices. That is hypocrisy, and we’re not going to forget it.”
“At the last school committee meeting, just minutes before
the vote to decide on the extension of Superintendent Picard’s contract, we
heard from students who stood up and spoke about how much they love their
schools, and they talked about the incredible opportunities they’ve had here,”
said resident Annemarie Louzon. “They talked about the teachers who
go above and beyond, programs that challenge them, and the pride they feel
being part of the Chariho community. Then, right after those students finished
speaking, this committee told them, without saying it outright, that none of
that mattered. That their experiences didn’t count, that the leadership behind
their success wasn’t worth keeping.
“You sat there, nodded, smiled politely, and then voted to
destabilize the system that praised them. You told them to their faces that
everything they love about Chariho is either not real or not important enough
to preserve.
“What kind of message is that? You didn’t just vote against
extending Superintendent Picard’s contract; you voted against the very story
those students were trying to tell. You told them the district they were proud
of is broken. You told them their voices are not valuable. You showed them that
no matter how thoughtful or passionately they speak, some adults in power have
already made up their minds.
“Let’s be clear: those students didn’t show up by accident. They were here because they care. They believed they could make a difference by participating and speaking up. They believed this committee would listen. Instead, you gave them a lesson in political theater. You showed them that public comment can be denied, that positive experiences can be dismissed, that leadership can be torn down without explanation, and that their voices, so full of hope and pride, can be completely ignored. You do not get to praise student engagement while erasing what they just said; you do not get to claim the district is strong while not extending the contract of the person who helped make it that way; and you absolutely do not get to pretend this is about serving students when you humiliated them in the same breath. They were watching and listening, and you should be ashamed of the example you set.”
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