Page 2 - Kate Devane News Today

The West Tisbury select board voted 2-0 to appoint Bradley “Brad” Cortez as a West Tisbury police sergeant during a Wednesday afternoon meeting. Board member Skipper Manter abstained from voting since he is the current West Tisbury police lieutenant.  “We’ve completed the restructuring process I wanted to have taken place by the time Lt. Manter […]

Incoming Superintendent Richie Smith had his terms of employment finalized and his final contract with Martha’s Vineyard Public Schools approved by the All-Island School Committee (AISC) Tuesday.  Smith is taking over for outgoing Superintendent Matt D’Andrea, who is leaving the Island to take a job as the superintendent of Wareham Public Schools. The committee chose […]

Richie Smith is the new superintendent of Martha’s Vineyard Public Schools for a period of two years. During Thursday’s meeting of the All-Island School Committee (AISC), members voted 11-3 to appoint Smith as the superintendent for the remainder of what would have been outgoing superintendent Matt D’Andrea’s remaining term. Smith will take on his new […]

Teachers and school employees staged an Islandwide walk-in/out on Thursday to show solidarity with the Martha’s Vineyard Educators Association (MVEA) in their ongoing battle with school officials regarding salary increases.  Following a recent failure to reach an agreement during lengthy negotiations with the All Island School Committee over their three-year contract with the district, the […]

West Tisbury affordable housing committee member Jefrey Dubard came before the up-Island school committee during a Monday afternoon meeting to present a potential location for affordable housing for school staff.  “When the land where the West Tisbury School currently sits was purchased in 1972 … 2.7 acres of it were undeveloped,” Dubard said. He shared […]

Updated @ 4:30 pm After going to mediation and failing to come to terms, the Martha’s Vineyard Education Association (MVEA) and the school committee remain at odds in their contract negotiations. Along with compensation, the teachers union and the committee also disagree over the attempt to renegotiate the health insurance plans of school employees, according […]

After significant debate among the All-Island School Committee (AISC), assistant superintendent Richie Smith was offered the role of acting superintendent until a qualified candidate is hired for the permanent position.  The 7-5 vote to offer Smith the job came at Thursday’s AISC meeting, after significant discussion surrounding the process of either reaching out to potential […]

The West Tisbury select board unanimously approved a 5K race proposed by Island Autism executive director and co-founder Kate DeVane.  “We’re hoping to do a 5K in West Tisbury. We’ve done 5Ks in Katama, but we thought that since West Tisbury is now our home, now that we have a home, that we should do […]

Supporters of the Martha’s Vineyard Educators Association (MVEA) gathered on Saturday at Vineyard Haven’s Five Corners to build public awareness about their ongoing contract dispute with the school district. Omnipresent bright yellow “Fair pay for the MVEA” signs held by Vineyard teachers, parents, and students were met with supportive car honks. The teachers and their […]

The Up-Island school committee voted 4-1 to participate in school choice, with member Skipper Manter as the only dissenting vote, because he said he believes the program is a strain on West Tisbury School’s resources and students.  Martha’s Vineyard Public Schools Superintendent Matthew D’Andrea said this “is the time of year” to vote on whether […]