NEW ROCHELLE, NY — New Rochelle Schools Superintendent Richard Organisciak’s tenure as the district’s senior administrator will end in five weeks according to an open letter from Organisciak posted on the district’s web site.
SUPERINTENDENT’S ANNOUNCEMENT 9/13/13
September 13, 2013
Dear Parents, Colleagues & Community Members,
Last week I announced to the Board of Education my intention to retire by June 30, 2014. At that time, I left open the possibility that my retirement might come sooner based on certain circumstances.
It is with deep regret therefore that I inform you that I will in fact retire on October 25, 2013 as recent health related developments have created a major challenge. After conferring with my family and my medical team, I feel it is necessary to accelerate my retirement.
I am grateful to the New Rochelle Community for the opportunity to have served as your Superintendent. During these seven years, with your support, I feel we have made great progress, despite formidable obstacles, in changing the landscape of education in our community.
As I prepare to move on, I have advised the Board that I will be available to them and my colleagues as much as possible during the transition period. It has been an honor and pleasure to be your Superintendent, and I wish you all the very best. You and the children of New Rochelle deserve nothing less.
Sincerely yours,
Richard E. Organisciak
Superintendent of Schools
The letter follows a previous letter, read by Organisciak at the September 3rd board meeting:
August 27, 2013
Mr. David Lacher
President
New Rochelle Board of Education
515 North Avenue
New Rochelle, NY 10801Dear Mr. Lacher,
I am writing to advise you that I intend to resign my position as Superintendent of Schools of the New Rochelle School District for the purpose of retirement on June 30, 2014, which is the last day of my current contract. While I plan to fulfill the complete term of my contract, I cannot exclude the possibility that personal developments may necessitate an earlier effective retirement date. I will keep you informed of any developments which might lead to a retirement date earlier than June 30, 2014.
I intend to leave the School District in sound pedagogic, administrative and financial shape, and I will work with you and the administration to effect an orderly transition of leadership. It has been a privilege and honor to work on behalf of our many students and the community to elevate expectations and outcomes for all.
Sincerely,
Richard E. Organisciak
Superintendent of Schools
Return To New Ro
For $180,000 + dollars I will come back to NR and take the interim assistant superintendent position needed to be filled as everyone moves up the chain. My qualifications? I went to NR public schools. Where do I post?
Please Return to New Rochelle
Bruce,
I think you would make a great principal for IEY Middle School. Just think of the ice hockey team you could start.
More Manipulation by RO
I have no doubt that Richard Organisciak has a problematic medical history (he got a special deal in his contract to address this) and that he had surgery this past March. I wish no one any sort of medical problem.
That said, let’s be clear.
Richard Organisciak was told months ago that the Board of Education did not intend to renew his contract (as required under that contract). While not renewing a contract is not exactly the same, Organisciak has been basically fired by the board.
How do we know his “firing” had nothing to do with his illness?
First, it is illegal to fire or otherwise take action against an employee for being sick and if this was happening there would be a lawsuit, without a doubt.
Second, a majority desire to get rid of Organisciak has existed on the BOE since at least 2012 (and likely sooner) based on my private conversations with board members. Three board members have been quite open about their dislike for Organisciak.
After having publicly announced his “resignation/retirement” on September 3rd with the hint he might have to leave earlier than that, Organisciak has now announced that he is leaving on October 25th, 2013 not June 30, 2014 when his contract ends.
This is hardly news. We reported it previously. The rumors about Organisciak leaving in October have been around for months.
According to the rumor mill at City Hall (and it has been spot on as regards Organisciak leaving), the only question was how many sick days Organisciak could take in order to receive full pay for the rest of the 2013-14 school year. That is how the October date came about and why December was also mentioned as possibility.
What we really have here is a case where Schools Superintendent Richard Organisciak was effectively fired and he is angry about it.
He is expressing that anger by (a) leaving 8 months early (b) doing so just weeks after the beginning of the school year (c) announcing his early departure on the Friday before Yom Kippur (in political parlance a Friday afternoon data dump).
The letter Organisciak published to the district web site on Friday presents a Superintendent who finds himself unable to carry on due to bad medical news from his doctor. And who could criticize him for leaving early when he mentions his family and his medical team? That’s the whole point.
The scenario constructed here by Organisciak (and acquiesced to by the Board) is that of a loyal employee who has soldiered on against the odds but finds himself unable to continue. The scenario is designed both to illicit sympathy and be a shield against rightly deserved public criticism both for his tenure and for his manner of leaving after being informed his contract would not be renewed.
The board is playing along due to their concern that their dealings with the current Superintendent would negatively impact their ability to recruit a new Superintendent.
The reality is that in a fit of pique, Organisciak is walking out on the district 8 months before his contract ends, a contract just extended in June 2011, and leaving the district to scramble to put things in order not even 2 weeks into the school year.
He is walking out on what one long-time board member called a “failed Superintendency”.
There will be time to recount the many failures under his leadership but there is no getting around the steady declines in school performance, declines in national school rankings, the barrage of negative publicity for the district, the arrests of teachers, administrators and staff on his watch and his general disengagement with the day to day operation of the schools.
The sob story being presented by Organisciak — that he is too sick to continue past October — is also meant to create an environment where anyone (such as me) who would dare celebrate his departure and call “baloney” on his supposed reasons for his leaving at all — and now 8 months early — could be painted as callous and indifferent to his medical situation.
It can be both, right? He can be sick and angry that he was fired and so leaving as early as he possibly can to display that anger to the board.
I do not wish anyone any sort of medical problems on anyone and I am as sorry as the next person for Richard or anyone else to be sick.
I do not wish there to be a re-writing of history either.
Organisciak is being fired. He is being fired because he was a poor Superintendent. He is leaving early because he is mad about being fired.
That he has had medical problems while true and sympathetic is not the reason he is being fired and not the reason he is leaving early.
The simple reality is that he has been a terrible Superintendent who long ago lost the confidence of the board, many if not most employees, many parents and the community at large.
His departure is welcome. His early departure a bonus.
The City of New Rochelle will be better off with new leadership.
So who will be captain of the ship?
I envision Diane Massimo as the interim superintendent. The one with the my way or the highway personality. I’ve heard that Mr Bongo would then be asked to take over Massimo’s duties. That would be intriguing as you begin to wonder what he would bring to the board office in terms of anything meaningful educationally. God bless the IYMS who will be relegated to the interim principalship in Ms Robinson – the one who loves to yell and scold at all of the kids and parents at IYMS. So the house of cards is falling. Good luck Mr Lacher.