…and no, as much as I wish this blog could be a forum for election politics, that is not an appropriate use of this space. But Rhode Islanders – and Rhode Island’s school librarians – are facing a new era of educational leadership: Peter McWalters, Commissioner of the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, has announced that he is stepping down as of the end of June, 2009. The Department of Ed., in a news release dated October 6, 2008, has announced a series of public forums to gather information in preparation for finding McWalters’s replacement:

“To be successful in our search effort, we must solicit input from a broad array of
stakeholders from across the state,” said Regent Angus M. Davis, cochair of the committee. “The participation of many Rhode Islanders at our forums will inform the committee as we work to determine the essential qualities and qualifications our next Commissioner must possess.”

Ah, therein lies the bridge between the change in leadership to come and the opportunity for RIEMA members to have a chance to shape the direction the new leadership might take. After all, who doesn’t love a good public forum?

In that spirit, I invite members of the RIEMA community to use the comment section here to post your questions for the new Commissioner, whomever she or he might be. If you could direct your most pressing issues to the attention of the powers that be, what would you say? I can’t promise that your questions will get air time if you do not attend the forums yourself, but at least those who can attend can read your comments here and can try to add your voices to the mix.

[If you have never commented before and are unsure how, see the 'How to Comment' link at the top of the page. It's easy!]

Upcoming forum dates and locations are:

Thursday, October 23 – East Providence High School Auditorium
Wednesday, November 5th – Westerly High School Auditorium
Monday, November 10th – Warwick Veterans High School Auditorium
Thursday, November 13th – Davies Career & Technical Center Auditorium, Lincoln

All forums are scheduled to run from 4 to 6 p.m.

This impending change in leadership is an important bridge that our profession will have to cross. The greater our collective voice, the greater our chance to ensure that students throughout the state will continue to have access to the library services and programs upon which they rely. I hope to see you at one of the forum meetings, and in the meantime, I look forward to reading your comments on this important topic.

Oh, and you can read the Providence Journal article about Commissioner McWalter’s decision here.

In the meantime, get out there and circulate.

-Zach