The Superintendent of Springfield Public Schools is retiring effective Friday, amid growing calls for his resignation. Daniel Warwick was slated to retire June 28th, but moved to depart earlier after audio of him disparaging a school committee member and her family caused uproar throughout the city.
Warwick, who led the school district of some 24,000 students for the past 12 years, announced Thursday that he served his last day as superintendent.
A statement from the school department quoted a letter he submitted to Mayor Domenic Sarno, reading in-part:
“Due to my desire to act in the best interests of Springfield Public Schools students, staff, families, and the community-at-large, I am notifying you that I will be retiring effective Friday, June 7, 2024.”
The announcement comes a day after audio of Warwick disparaging Springfield School Committee member LaTonia Monroe Naylor was shared on social media.
In addition to profanity aimed her, Warwick could be heard saying the Naylors "would steal everything that’s not bolted down," among other comments.
Naylor tells WAMC she felt like she had been stabbed in the back and front at the same time when she heard the recording, given they had just been at the graduation ceremony of her daughter.
"I had no clue that the same person who's talking to me nicely, smiling in my face, congratulating me and my family, would then be sitting in an office or wherever they were sitting at the time of the call, and be talking and badgering my family that way," she said in an interview hours before the announcement.
In the run-up to his decision, Warwick canceled an interview with WAMC scheduled for Thursday morning.
News of his immediate retirement also came hours after a press conference was held in city hall featuring local leaders such as Bishop Talbert Swan II and Naylor herself calling for Warwick's resignation.
Warwick was to be replaced by former Springfield principal and teacher Dr. Sonia Dinnall, who was selected after a contentious hiring process.
Naylor says Dinnall was likely to start at the beginning of July, with contract discussions commencing soon.
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UPDATE: Springfield School Committee member LaTonia Monroe Naylor shared the following statement in reaction to Warwick's departure:
"I am elated that the community spoke and that the message was heard loud and clear. Now we can move on to focus on the education of our children and rebuilding a culture of proficiency and equity."
