Irv Rhodes
Why are you running for a seat on the Amherst School Committee?
I am running for School Committee because I believe that my background as a teacher, teacher educator, education administrator, and positions on the town's budget and finance committee as well as being a former school committee member, uniquely positioned me to collaborate with others on the committee to deal with the financial, equity, educational and school building issues facing the Amherst schools. Additionally, I want to ensure that all of our students thrive in a educationally rich, safe, secure, and nurturing environment.
What would you say are the biggest challenges facing Amherst’s public schools? What actions would you want the Committee to take to address these challenges?
The biggest challenges facing the schools are,
(1) Bringing the new School building online. To do this the School Committee must ensure that the building and development process itself proceeds to a successful conclusion
(2) That the override process necessary to finance the new school building be effectively managed by the school committee and other community partners,
(3) Moving the the Sixth Grade to the middle school, this seems like the most likely outcome, and the School Committee along with the Administration must manage this process well, and
(4) As always, ensuring that the necessary instructional resources backed by budgets that reflect the values of our town are in place.
How would you work to communicate with the community about the Committee’s work (please be specific)?
If elected, I would be a part of the School Committee and as such I would adhere to the communication policy developed by and accepted by vote of the Committee
Would you vote to support an educational plan developed by educators and community members to support a new school building of 575 students to replace both Fort River and Wildwood? Why or why not?
Yes I would vote to support this plan Given the physical conditions of both Fort River and Wildwood this is the most prudent step to take and renovations of of one or both are not a cost efficient way to solve a pressing problem. Additionally, this affords our students the opportunity to be in a state of the art educational facility with the accompanying instructional supports. The education plan developed by educators and community members is the plan that lays out not only the vision of the building, but what will take place in the building, and I support this.
What is a School Committee member’s role and responsibility? How does that role differ from the role of the superintendent or the administration?
The role and responsibility of the School Committee is dictated by state and local law and regulations. With that as a backdrop, the primary role of the school committee is one of a policy making body that sets policy in the areas of finance, curriculum, health, safety, teachers, staff and administration and all other areas affecting the public schools. The Superintendent, by state law and regulations is the chief administrative officer of the school district in as such is charged with the day to day responsibilities of running the schools, which includes developing budgets, hiring of all staff, developing and implementing curriculum, providing for the health and safety of all students, working with parents and other community members, and doing all other things necessary for a well functioning school system
Could you support a Committee decision you did not vote for? Why or why not?
The committee vote is by majority vote or by a consensus making process, if either produces a vote that I did not support, then I would hope that the voting process allows for statements of those in the minority to be expressed. Once those statements have been expressed then I would do all that I could to support the will of the majority.