POLAND — The RSU 16 School Committee Monday received for review copies of a proposed contract for School Superintendent Dennis Duquette.
Duquette’s current contract expires June 30, 2012. The contract under review is a three-year contract, which would extend Duquette’s tenure with RSU 16 to June 30, 2015.
School Committee member Joe Parent found fault with the existing superintendent’s evaluation form, that he was expected to complete and return by Jan. 4, noting that the document was useless as a tool that might be used to establish goals by which the superintendent’s, or indeed the school committee’s, performance might be judged.
Duquette agreed with Parent.
“We’ve been running the gauntlet for the last four years. There are lots of things I want to discuss with the school committee,” Duquette said.
Duquette’s contract has remained essentially unchanged since he was hired in July, 2007, when he was given a three-year contract.
Since then the district has undergone major changes, starting with the reformation/consolidation that morphed Mechanic Falls, Minot and Poland schools from a loose school union into a RSU.
Duquette noted that the restructuring — and subsequent elimination of some 70 positions — that accompanied consolidation and the epic struggle the district had in arriving at an approved budget for the current school year — with residents voting four times, the last in November — had left the district a little hazy on its goals and vision.
Parent agreed to look into what night be done to improve the evaluation process and Duquette will gather examples of what some other districts are doing.
The School Committee heard a presentation from Adult Education Director Jenny Rose, who spoke of progress the program is making in its new quarters in old seventh- and eighth-grade wing at the Elm Street School.
The committee also heard a presentation on the Response to Intervention program at the Poland Regional High School, with details on new efforts to improve the graduation rate.
Duquette noted that the presentations were an effort to help the School Committee understand what goes on in the schools after having spent so much time struggling with the budget.
On the recommendation of the facilities subcommittee, the school committee approved spending $10,152 to upgrade and adapt a room at the Poland Community School to serve as a kitchen for the life skills program. Principal Margaret Pitts noted that with an upgrade to the electrical and plumbing systems, the stove and refrigerator, and washer and dryer, donated by Agren Appliances could be ready when students return from break for the winter holidays.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
