Randolph schools chief Richard Silverman said his decision to apply for the superintendent job in Sharon has nothing to do with what many saw as anti-Semitic remarks directed at him by a School Committee member.
Nor did his decision have anything to do with the possibility of the state's taking over the Randolph public schools, Silverman said in an interview with the Globe last week. The state Board of Education is expected to decide the district's fate in March.
Rather, he said, he is worried about the town's investment in its schools.
"I have very mixed emotions about the possibility of leaving," said Silverman, who has held the position for nearly three years and is one of four finalists for the Sharon post. "In many ways, I would miss the challenge and the opportunity to turn this system around. There's much work to be done here, but I'm still concerned about the commitment of the Randolph community to the schools."
Silverman's possible exit, supporters say, could be another blow for the beleaguered system, which has been ravaged by more than $12 million in budget cuts over the last several years, as voters have rejected property tax increases to support the schools.
The fiscal crisis has forced or prompted dozens of dedicated and talented staff members to leave. Next month, the Young Elementary School's popular principal, Annette Bailey, will end her 12-year tenure to become the leader of an elementary school in Nor well, a community, like Sharon, with a long tradition of financially supporting its schools. Bailey said in a phone interview last week that it's devastating to give out pink slips each year to teachers, but she emphasized that she was leaving primarily because she is ready for a new challenge.
"Any time you lose a superintendent in the middle of a crisis it makes things a lot more difficult to solve," said David Harris, chairman of Randolph Fair Practices Association, a local civil rights group that has been active in school issues. "I can't blame the superintendent for being discouraged about the lack of cooperation and support from the community. Somehow the community has to be convinced that schools are important even if they don't have kids in the schools. It affects the quality of life, the quality of the community, and property values."
School leaders are once again asking voters this spring to approve an override of the Proposition 2 1/2 tax-limiting law, this time for nearly $5.5 million. The override would be needed to cover the 18.5 percent increase in the proposed school budget for next year. They say the money is necessary to bring the district into compliance with state standards and to prevent the high school's loss of accreditation. An override last year failed by about 400 votes, school officials said.
Silverman said he will keep his focus on improving the Randolph schools as Sharon weighs his candidacy. His team is finishing a new strategic plan for the district, while the state is wrapping up a leadership assessment of the district. The state Board of Education will use both documents, among others, to formulate a turnaround plan for the school system.
"I think state intervention is a positive development for Randolph, but the state alone can't solve the problems," Silverman said. "The Randolph community needs to pull together to reconstruct the school district."
Silverman said that Sharon's support for schools made the top job there appealing. He said he was encouraged to apply for the job there, but he wouldn't say by whom.
"They are obviously committed to making continuous improvement and taking their schools and students to the highest levels of achievement," Silverman said.
Silverman faces stiff competition for the job there, according to statewide education observers who are familiar with the other candidates' backgrounds. The other contenders are: Barbara Dunham, Sharon's acting superintendent; George Entwistle III, superintendent of the Falmouth, Maine, public schools; and Christine Tyrie, a superintendent from New Hampshire.
Sharon school leaders, who will be visiting each candidate's district, are expected to make a decision in March.
Larry Azer, chairman of the Randolph School Committee, said a resolution to the question of Silverman's future should come shortly, but he wouldn't elaborate. He said the School Committee is still negotiating a contract with Silverman.
Azer said he doubts that if Silverman leaves, it would affect the outcome of the override vote. He said a bigger factor in the override would be persuading more parents to vote, pointing out that just 19 percent of them did last year.
"You want to set up a structure that will continue functioning at a reasonable level despite certain individuals who may or may not leave," Azer said. "If you put too many eggs in too few baskets, you will run into trouble. It doesn't mean people who leave aren't valuable, but everyone who leaves is part of a team. You are going to have turnover. The key is to minimize impact when it does happen."
Some parents and school supporters hope Silverman will stay in Randolph. While the findings of a state report last fall prompted the Board of Education to declare Randolph an "underperforming" district, the report also praised Silverman for improving relations between the district and the community and for being able to implement some improvements, in spite of the budget cuts.
"It seems to me this is not the time to be changing leaders in mid-course," said Kathleen Haire, a parent of a high school senior who has campaigned for voter passage of tax increases. "I certainly would be disappointed to see him go, but I understand he would want to secure a position. He only has five months left on his contract here and a new one hasn't been finalized yet."
The controversy about derogatory remarks started last fall when School Committee member Maureen Kenney, during negotiations with Silverman over his contract, suggested he did not need five days of bereavement leave, because, "Don't you Jews plant them within 24 hours?" When he objected, she made a remark about the hairstyle of Hasidic Jews. Kenney later apologized for her comments, which she said were intended to be humorous.
Now, citizens are trying to recall Kenney as selectwoman.
When reached by phone Wednesday evening to comment about the possibility of Silverman's leaving, Kenney said politely she had no comment and then hung up.
James Vaznis can be reached at jvaznis@globe.com.
