Steve Nardelli, the Executive Director of the RI League of Charter Schools, is retiring.
The Rhode Island League of Charter Schools today announced that Executive Director Stephen Nardelli will retire from his long-standing career in education on June 30, 2015, after serving at the helm of the League since 2004.
Nardelli's career has included work as a public school teacher and coach, serving as Executive Director of Legislative Relations at the R.I. Department of Education, and the League’s first full-time Executive Director who helped expand the role of charter public schools in Rhode Island’s public education system.
“Through his work as the Executive Director of the Rhode Island League of Charter Schools, Steve Nardelli has helped to provide more options and opportunities for Rhode Island students and their families. He has supported many great schools that serve as examples of what’s possible with great teaching and leadership,” said Deborah A. Gist, Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education. “I wish Steve well in his retirement, and I know that our charter public schools will continue to play a vital role in education in Rhode Island.”
In 2004, Steve became the first full-time Executive Director of the League, a non-profit entity designed to expand the role of charter public schools in Rhode Island’s public education system. At the time, 11 charter schools existed in Rhode Island. Under Steve’s stewardship over the past decade, the number of charter schools in Rhode Island has more than doubled, and the number of students served by charter public schools has grown by approximately 200%.
Timothy Groves will succeed Nardelli at the helm of the League.
Nardelli will be succeeded by Timothy Groves, a former development officer at the Rhode Island Foundation, attorney at Barton Gilman LLC and co-founder and vice president at Schoolyard Inc. Groves will start in his new role as Executive Director on June 1, working in tandem with Nardelli in transition for the month.
“On June 30th I close the book on a 46 year career in public education. I have been truly blessed to have had the opportunity to enjoy such a full and varied career in education - as a teacher and coach, as the Special Assistant to the Commissioner for Legislative Relations at the R.I. Department of Education, and as the Executive Director of the R.I. League of Charters Schools,” said Nardelli. “It has been an honor and a privilege to represent and work with charter leaders in advocating for Rhode Island’s charter public schools. I am confident that our state’s charter public school initiative will continue to grow and succeed under the able leadership of Tim Groves.”
Groves, who earned a B.A. at Colby College, a M.A. at Middlebury College and a J.D. at Roger Williams University, looks forward to working with League members to build on Nardelli’s legacy of success.
"Rhode Island's charter public schools have a vital role to play in our state's system of public education. Since their inception, our charter schools have spurred innovation and developed scalable strategies for improving teaching and learning in Rhode Island,” said Groves. "I am eager to collaborate constructively with educational leaders and stakeholders throughout the state to enhance and extend the positive impact of the amazing work that League members are doing every day."
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Claim to Fame: Central Fall’s Chess Team has experienced incredible success and finished in the top 10 at a national tournament that had over 5,000 competitors, as well as receiving funding from star powerhouses such as Alec Baldwin’s Foundation.
Jacqueline M. Walsh School for the Performing and Visual Arts
2013 Rank: #23
Enrollment: 167
Claim to Fame: The schools shares prestigious artistic patnerships with RISD, Sandra-Feinstein Gamm Theatre, Fusionworks Dance Company, Athletics, Pawtucket Boys and Girls Club, Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School, and Aurea.
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Claim to Fame: Famous alumni include Mark van Eeghen (former NFL Pro Bowl running back and the only person ever from Cranston West to have their number retired in any sport), Anthony Meo (baseball player), Jeff Diehl (baseball player), Tom Denucci (actor), Amber van Eeghen (former cheerleader for the New England Patriots).
Claim to Fame: The school sports a School Improvement Team that brings staff, students, community members, and parents together once a month to have their voices heard concerning how the school can be tailored for success.
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William M. Davies Career and Technical High School
2013 Rank: #29
Enrollment: 833
Mascot: Patriots
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Claim to Fame: The school is heated entirely by recycled wood chips in order to preserve the environment. The school also sports an Energy Lab that enables students to develop career pathways in stem agriculture. Their colors are green, and so is their mindset.
Claim to Fame: Famous alumni include Bill Almon (baseball player) and Damian Constantino (baseball player, holds NCAA record holder with hits in 60 consecutive games).
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Claim to Fame: Janice Anderson (Assistant Production Manager of Cirque de Soleil), Tom Cavanagh (Forward, Worcester Sharks), Sara DeCosta (Goalie, 1998 and 2002 U.S. Women’s Olympic Hockey Team),Tony Petrarca (Chief Meteorologist, WPRI-TV), Brian Shanley (President of Providence College), David Petrarca (Director whose work has included Big Love, True Blood, and Hung for HBO; over 40 world premieres including Marvin’s Room on Broadway and West End, Fuddy Meers in NYC, and A Year With Frog and Toad on Broadway).
Claim to Fame: Students have the opportunity to bask in the spotlight in the Husky News Network, a student news organization where students can serve as anchors, camera men, and content writers.
Claim to Fame: Famous alums including Bebe Buell (model, singer, mother of actress Liv Tyler), The Cowsills (family singing act that was the inspiration for TV’s The Partridge Family), Tanya Donelly (co-founder and guitarist of the band Throwing Muses), Joanna Going (actress) Paul Gordon (keyboardist and guitarist for the B-52’s and the Goo Goo Dolls), Kristin Hersh (co-founder of Throwing Muses), P.H. Horgan III (PGA Tour player), Van Johnson (actor), John Mellekas (professional football player), David Narcizo (drummer for the band Throwing Muses), M. Teresa Paiva-Weed (President of the Rhode Island Senate), Jerry Sullivan (sports columnist at The Buffalo News), Noah Jewell (Olympic gymnast).
Claim to Fame: Students have the opportunity to work in The Confucius Classroom, a public educational institute established in collaboration with the Confucius Institute at Bryant University under the sponsorship of Hanban. The classroom is dedicated to developing globally competent students through an understanding Chinese culture, language, and economic trends.
Claim to Fame: Middletown High School has enacted a specific Professional Learning Community in 2013, a program geared to make fundamental shift from focusing on teaching to an area of learning where students and teachers collaborate.
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Claim to Fame: Scituate High School’s “Schools for Schools” club has raised thousands of dollars for Invisible Children to help Uganda defeat the children soldier crisis there.
Claim to Fame:Famous alumni include Bill Reynolds (Providence Journal Sports Columnist), Phil Madeira (Award-winning Songwriter/Musician), Judy Clapp (Recording Engineer who has worked with Dwight Yoakham and Bill Frisell) Brian Howe (film and television actor) Marceline Hugot (a film, television and Broadway actress) Brett Quigley (PGA golfer) Shanna Moakler (Former Miss USA, Playboy Magazine model and ex-wife of Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker/star of MTV’s Meet The Barkers), Spalding Gray (Monologuist/Actor) Matthew Broome (New England Amateur Golf Champion).
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