PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Javier Montañez, who rose from student to teacher to the top job in the Providence Public School District, told families Friday, Oct. 30, that he is resigning as superintendent.
In a letter to families, Montañez called the move a personal and difficult decision made as the district starts a new chapter under local control. His last day has not been set and is still being worked out. The board’s president, Ty’Relle Stephens, has put the likely timing at a few weeks out.
The exit lands just a few months after the state handed the district back in July, ending close to seven years of state oversight that began in 2019 over poor performance. It also follows a string of senior departures, including two deputy superintendents and the chief of staff.
Montañez joined the district in 1996 and served as a bilingual teacher, assistant principal and principal of Leviton Dual Language School before state Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green named him superintendent in 2021. He led the schools for most of the takeover. His contract ran through June 2027 and pays about $225,000 a year. Terms of his exit, including any severance, have not been released.
The board, which now holds the power to hire and fire the superintendent, plans to post an interim opening early next week for qualified internal candidates and may widen the search to outside applicants after interviews. No timeline has been given for naming a permanent leader.
The board faces its own transition, too. New members take their seats in January, which will set up a fresh leadership election on the panel.
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