Letter: Appointing Brian Bentley interim Diman Regional superintendent is the right choice

Kudos and a huge shout out to The Diman Regional School Committee for the expeditious decision to fill the Diman superintendent/director position.

The recent “interim” appointment of Brian Bentley to lead the school was, indeed, very welcome news on many different fronts. Brian’s longtime absolute dedication to all things Diman, from his early teaching days, through his rise up and through the administration, along with his peerless dedication to the students and the SKILLS USA program, where Diman students excel and rank in the top tier year-in and year-out, as well as the Diman Bengal Educational Foundation, (even in retirement), is proof positive that he is the right choice! There aren’t many available individuals who can fill the shoes of the superintendent with as much quality hands-on experience as Mr. Bentley. As a longtime advisory board member to the auto collision program, (recently retired after 35+ years), I’ve witnessed his dedication firsthand. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that we haven’t always seen eye-to-eye, but he has always been honest and steadfast in our “lively discussions”.

Make no mistake, this is a job that requires a great deal of energy, as well as the ability to separate the wheat from the chaff, and have the wherewithal to be able to work with the various department heads in a fair and equitable way. There is little question that he has ALL the necessary tools, and that he has been and will continue to be an absolute asset to the Diman family!

This will also provide the opportunity to continue to groom the current assistant, Andrew Rebello, to the top job when the time is right. To be crystal clear… I’ve long believed that for the last/past several years, the lack of a Diman pedigree in any administrative position at the school has been detrimental to the school in so many ways, but that there is little doubt that he can and will be an exception to the rule.

Now… If we can just survive the inevitable exhaustive “nationwide” search that doesn’t result in an untenable applicant, why not seriously consider negotiating a multi-year contract for the absolute best available choice as we wind our way through the new building process and open up for the ‘22-‘23 school year. There are so many distractions and challenges to maneuver, between Special Education requirements, D.E.S.E., (et-al), and ADA Rules & regulations, along with new building decisions, (to name just a few), as well as working with staff & students to get back to some sense of normalcy as the C-19 pandemic wanes, that Mr. Bentley stands out as the best possible option.

Though there are sure to be more challenges as the process moves forward, now is the opportunity for the committee to stand tall and do the right thing for the future of Diman.

Sincerely,
M.R.Napert
Class of ‘72
Fall River, Ma.