TIVERTON — NEA Tiverton, the union representing Tiverton teachers, issued the following press release late Tuesday morning, shortly before the Sakonnet Times went to press:

“The faculty members of NEA Tiverton met last week and, with overwhelming support, took a vote of no confidence in Peter Sanchioni, the superintendent of the Tiverton school system. While the vote was unanimous, a few members not in attendance did not agree with this step, and we remain troubled that even this protected action would lead to further bullying and intimidation from the Superintendent.

 The members listed the following concerns:

 1. The termination of the union president for doing union work. The Superintendent has continually demonstrated a refusal to acknowledge the fact that when the union and management come to the table, they sit as equals.

2.The perpetuation of a distressing culture. Instead of cultivating a culture of open dialogue and soliciting input, the Superintendent’s top-down management style is one of bullying and intimidation with the expectation that union members will just fall in line. When individuals step forward to challenge the Superintendent, they are met with a domineering, belittling attitude and sarcastic responses.

3. The demoralization of ineffective leadership. The recent debacle of the Superintendent distributing layoff notices – faulty notices – that used inaccurate termination language during a global pandemic; a difficult time when educators and support professionals are already stretched thin and stress levels are heightened.

4. The basic failure to understand the necessity of educating the whole child. In these times of strife and uncertainty, the failure of the Superintendent to grasp the importance of educating our students in all aspects of the world they will someday enter as adults – including art, music, health and physical education, as well as providing for the social and emotional needs with guidance and social services and ensuring those with special needs are treated as equals – shocks our collective conscience.

 Therefore, despite low morale in our ranks brought on by the onslaught of failure of the Superintendent’s leadership at every turn, NEA Tiverton has come together to call upon the Tiverton School Committee to bring about an independent agent to investigate our concerns.  We would expect this agent to report directly to the School Committee, as we believe an outsider would not be subjected to the tactics we have endured.

 At a time when leadership from the top needed to show vision and the ability to collaborate with those on the front lines of our children’s education, we were instead given the back of his hand and Superintendent's essentially told we were to be seen and not heard.”

Superintendent's reply

Reached on deadline to reply, Mr. Sanchioni said he had not heard from NEA Tiverton about the vote.

He said he could not reply to the first accusation because the termination of the union president is a personnel matter.

He said he is disappointed by the accusation that he has created a “distressing culture.” Since his arrival two years ago he said he has reached out to teachers in part through the creation of committees and working groups such as Teachers Advisory Committees, two Technology Advisory Committees and more, and that concerns in Tuesday's no confidence press release  did not surface until the recent dismissal of the union president.

He said he has worked to create a culture that welcomes expression of opinion and new ways to help better educate Tiverton children.

As for words like “domineering,” “belittling.” “bullying” … “Anyone who knows me knows that is not my style.”

He said he has “never used vile or vulgar language” in his dealings with school personnel, has never shown up at a meeting uninvited, and does not make false accusations against people.

The superintendent said that he is proud of the way remote learning has been accomplished in Tiverton and that he feels it went better here than in most of the state. He credited that to hard work by teachers, staff and leadership and to technology preparations made before the pandemic had ever been identified.

Mr. Sanchioni said that he deeply values art, music, health and physical education as vital parts of the curriculum “but the reality is that our budget could be cut by over $2 million.” Cuts of that magnitude hit every area of schooling, he said. “We trimmed everywhere,” something he said he deeply dislikes having to do.