School crisis is calmed for now

With an election looming this Saturday, Arlington's school superintendent defused a political clash last week by agreeing to put off discussion of his contract extension until after a new school committee is seated.

Superintendent Nate Levenson took the step after a bitter battle over a popular middle school principal that divided the community and forced him to backtrack from his plans to nudge her out of her job.

School Committee members had called a meeting to review his contract extension a full year ahead of time and just six days before the April 14 election, which will fill three open seats on the seven-member board. Residents and candidates decried the 11th-hour contract deliberations as outrageous.

Seeing the potential for even more political unrest, Levenson sent out a two-paragraph e-mail asking the School Committee members to cancel their planned discussions. Hours later, they did just that.

In an effort to further quiet his critics, Levenson also announced in his budget proposal Wednesday that he would not take a raise associated with the merit compensation that gave him an 11 percent boost last year.

The developments are the latest twists in what has been a month of controversy for the Arlington public schools.

More than 200 angry teachers and parents showed up at a School Committee meeting last month to support Ottoson Middle School principal Stavroula Bouris, after Levenson announced that he would not renew her contract.

When public comment was limited, more than 500 parents, teachers, and students returned to be heard at a School Committee forum two weeks later.

At the forum, Levenson's own background came under fire when Ottoson teacher Chuck Coughlin raised concerns about the superintendent's previous work experience in the town of Harvard. Coughlin said Levenson was never officially assistant superintendent in Harvard because he was not hired by a School Committee.

Levenson, who was hired two years ago for his business acumen despite a lack of experience as an educator, has said that he performed the job of assistant superintendent in Harvard and that there are no problems with his resume.

"He had a contract as an assistant superintendent, acted in the role of the assistant superintendent, and had all the responsibility of assistant superintendents," said Karen Schwartzman, a publicist hired by the school district.

Levenson said he realized after the School Committee forum that changes he wanted to implement at the Ottoson would be more easily done with the support of Bouris and her staff.

The two met the next day and came to an agreement under which she would remain as principal and help bring about some of the changes.

"Things seemed to be bubbling out of control, bubbling to a level that no one wanted to get to," Levenson said. "There ceased to be an intellectual discussion. It became an explosion of emotion.

"If there is a silver lining to a really awful experience. . . it is that we are now talking, as a community, about things that we only whispered about for many years before."

Among the issues now being discussed, Levenson said, is the need to raise standardized test scores and to improve special education programs at the Ottoson. He also said that the ill feelings felt by teachers and others in the system toward him because he does not have an extensive background in education are now out in the open.

In another overture to his critics, Levenson has also taken advice to bring in mediators and consultants, at a cost of $5,000, to bridge the communication gap with Ottoson staff.

School Committee candidates who had largely objected to the School Committee's conduct last week said they hope the announcements mark the beginning of change.

"I think that for the first time Mr. Levenson showed visible leadership," said candidate Denise Burns. "This gives me faith that he has heard the community, although it doesn't sound like some of the School Committee members have."

"There is a breakdown of trust, and that will not be solved without all school leaders listening to the people who put them in office," said candidate Stuart Cleinman.

School Committee member Paul Schlichtman, who will give up his seat on April 14, said that reviewing the superintendent's contract would have given the district much-needed stability.

"We are trying to keep the headhunters away from our door," Schlichtman said.

"We are all looking to get past what has gone on. . . and hope the new board will interact with the superintendent before making a decision. The view from the table is a different view from the community."

School Committee chairwoman Sue Sheffler said in a statement Wednesday that she hoped the new members would allow Levenson the chance to continue to gain traction.

"With elections only a week away, we do not wish to taint the contract discussions with political innuendo," wrote Sheffler, who will continue on the committee. "We also wish to offer a firm statement of support that the new School Committee members. . . have the wisdom and open-mindedness to evaluate the situation a year from now with the best interests of Arlington's students first and foremost in their minds."

Ron Spangler and Josh Lobel, both candidates for School Committee, said that a change in leadership on the committee could improve the situation further.

"We all need to take a deep breath and figure out how to make the schools great," Lobel said.

Spangler said, "I think there are people who are hopeful and really want to move forward."

Melissa Beecher can be reached at mbeecher@globe.com.