I'm sure that Brigid is working hard today on the final draft of the "State of The City" today.
I wonder how many times he will call for the Override?

Or use the word "extraordinary"

or "historic"

or "incredible depth"

unprecedented

"haters"

Brigid, please write something for Rob to say during his speech next week to explain how the legal budget is is framed and functions in the school system. Who has oversight and why are the SC so defensive and secrect about what is being spent? Malden had major problems in the secondary schools regarding attorney fees when CT was head of Special Education.

Any Melrose resident that has a problem with the non-school operation side of how the City is run simply has an axe to grind. The budget is balanced, the bond rating is great, the city operations all run very smooth, the down town is fantastic and your property values have done nothing but increase and outpace surrounding towns. Don't talk to me about water rates...you own a property in an MWRA territory 7 miles from Boston. Every MWRA community has taken a beating. The property tax rate in Melrose is in the middle of the pack, no crime, lots of nice parks and fields. 3 train stations, a bus route and an MBTA line. Pretty great place to live all the way around.

For the 25% of the population that has school aged children its a mixed bag. If you believe the critics on this site you child would get a better education in Lawrence or Lowell. However, most of the parents with school age children are happy with the education their kids are getting. Personally, I thought the education my kids got or are getting was great right up through high school. High School was a real mixed bag. Some great teachers, some OK teachers and some horrible ones. Lets hope this is where the focus is moving forward. If the High School could ever get its act together Melrose property values would explode.

I agree....I think the city-side is run very well. The high school, however, is a tragedy. We have reached a tipping point where the few great teachers up there cannot compensate for the incompetent ones. Having a recent MHS graduate and another still there, I feel that the school is getting worse. I watch the SC meetings on TV occasionally, and the presentations made by the high school administration are so bad, I cringe.

I wholeheartedly agree that if the high school could actually get their sh*t together, property values in Melrose would go through the roof. It won't happen unless the superintendent has the guts to admit that the current principal can't do the job, and shows her the door.

For the right person, MHS would be a great career move, if they were willing to deal with the staff they would inherit. This town is desperate for an educational leader up there who would inspire pride in the school.

I can't understand why it's so impossible to find a decent High School principal for 135K a year. It's not a huge school, it's not a rough urban demographic, so what's the problem?

[/quote]I can't understand why it's so impossible to find a decent High School principal for 135K a year. It's not a huge school, it's not a rough urban demographic, so what's the problem?[/quote]

I hope the above comment was rhetorical! Look at the person who does the hiring, Cindy Taymore! Do you really expect her to hire a competent, knowledgeable, and charismatic principal who would threaten her? Be real!

The revolving principals at the elementary schools (and some of the current ones who aren't respected) and the upcoming choice of an unqualified candidate to take over Lincoln are problems. Tamore's reputation and the SC dysfunction will keep anyone from wanting to lead MHS, or any other school in Melrose (unless they are using Melrose as a stepping stone). Anyone who watches MMTV SC meetings would stay away from Melrose, if possible. Richards ran back to Belmont ASAP.

The continuous message by certain groups about how well the City Side does is questionable in many departments. Talk to people who actually work in them and get some of the story behind the story. The spin machine is up and running after a few days off during school vacation. Can't wait to hear "The State of The City" speech. If will be interesting to note what is highlighted, what is deliberately not mentioned and how nervous Rob will be. The Mayor should be very anxious. Things are coming home to roost.

If the 25% of the population who have children in the schools consider them a "mixed bag", why should 75% of the other residents be expected to pay such a disproportionate amount of tax dollars for a school system which isn't delivering the goods to its customers? Many of the 75% of taxpayers are happy with their property values because they do not want RE taxes " to explode" in order to pay for a school system which is poorly managed and has not handled their budgets in responsible ways.

I can't understand why it's so impossible to find a decent High School principal for 135K a year. It's not a huge school, it's not a rough urban demographic, so what's the problem?[/quote]

With this superintendent, mayor and school committee, word is out that Melrose is a horrible place to work, and that is a correct assessment (since that is the word of the year). There are no decent teachers or administrators who want to come to work here (unless they are as deaf, dumb and blind and the general population and don't know what they're walking into). There is good reason for staying away. As another poster pointed out, our neighboring communities have no trouble recruiting good candidates, experienced ones at that (and for less money!). Wakefield had a big assortment of finalists for principal positions, all of whom had been acting principals.

The poster claiming a recent MHS grad and another current student is typical of too many here, wanting to believe the wacky dust that "all is run well" EXCEPT a bad MHS principal. Nope. That situation did not happen in a vacuum. While the principal is definitely a big dud who needs to be replaced, she is not the problem in isolation. There are too many parents like that one who have been content to believe the spin for too long, who are friendly with Rob, or others on the committee, and who in fact have become very much a part of the problem and never part of a solution. They can be counted on never to stand up when it counts in order to fight for the students (let alone the teachers--the few remaining good ones, that is), though their children benefit from the fights of the few brave ones. They always play all ends against the middle, making sure never to rock any boat, complaining endlessly like a dragging muffler about every stupid problem but never stepping up about the big issues. You will only hear from these types when there is a massive PR effort like the one Mr. 26% enlisted for his outrageous raise campaign or the MEF brats when they bombarded the school committee with pro-Taymore letters during the superintendent search. Then these types are right out front making sure to be counted on the side of whom they perceive as the powerful, regardless of whether these same officials can predictably be fully implicated in the awfulness the district now witnesses. Then these types retreat and hope that no one remembers who they actively supported. Well, not everyone has a short memory!

These types are getting the government they deserve. It is just a darn shame that children are made to the pay the price for their parents' lack of backbone and sufficient caring.

Those 4 train stations (3 mbta, 1 T) are major reasons for the housing market rise in this city, not the dear leader. He has done a good job financially with the city though (or so it appears) I'll give him that. The schools look nice, but the kids inside them aren't getting educated like they used to in this city (fact not opinion). That is what happens when you pay your teachers dirt. Same goes for the "Smooth" city operations you speak of. They run smooth because of the men running them (fire, dpw, police) not because of city politicians. I mean for christ sakes, they also get paid beans, Melrose is notorious for that. And the "no crime", thats the gem of your whole post. I don't know what city you live in, but the one I've lived in for the past 40 years has done an unwanted 180 when it comes to that topic. More crime now then ever.

BLOVIATE

When this guy doesn't get his way, he only knows how to throw a tantrum or threaten/intimidate. When his dad was alive, he was kept in check and reminded at least to pretend to mind his manners, but those days are long gone. Many times already this guy has threatened to "lay off" personnel due to all the gloom and doom "mandates" even when the financial times are good and clearly don't warrant it.

He will likely lose it publicly at some point in this unfolding override debacle (unless he chickens out, which he also has a habit of doing, especially if he thinks he might lose) and fall back on the only conduct he has in his limited repertoire, which is juvenile and vicious hissy fits and variations of abusive tirades towards anyone he perceives in his way. He can amp it up with his limited vocab of "extraordinary," "incredible," "historic," but it all adds up to a pathetic tale of many squandered opportunities to manage resources appropriately (especially the schools) if the curtain is pulled away and the full truth is revealed. Sure, sure, the bond rating, and all the other feel-good rhetoric will get thrown around, but there's lots more to the picture, as RD and his sidekick PDR know only too well. The sycophants will continue to buy him donuts and stroke his ego, but even those sources of comfort are rapidly dwindling with each new revelation about the schools or surfacing of commonplace betrayals from this man for whom nothing is sacred.

The best thing for Rob's own physical and mental health, the well being of his family, the schools and Melrose in general would be to find another job and not run again in the fall.

Mayor for life baby[:))][:))][:))]

we'll see, Rob

Let's compare what RD said to what he will say Wednesday night. Here's from the Melrose School Committee Facebook page:
"Melrose School Committee
September 16, 2013 ·

STATEMENT OF:

MAYOR ROBERT J. DOLAN,
THE MELROSE SCHOOL COMMITTEE AND
THE MELROSE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

Over the past several months, School Department officials and the Melrose Education Association have engaged in a collaborative bargaining process designed to achieve a new three year collective bargaining agreement. The mutual goal throughout this process has been to negotiate an agreement that serves the needs of our children, is in the interest of taxpayers, and invests in our teachers. We are pleased to announce that we have successfully negotiated a three-year collective bargaining agreement that ushers in a new performance evaluation system, serves the educational needs of our students, and recognizes the talent, perseverance, and commitment of our educators. It also puts Melrose educators on a trajectory toward becoming more financially competitive with their counterparts in neighboring communities. It will provide the School Department and Superintendent Taymore with a pathway to work collaboratively with the MEA to strengthen teaching and learning in order to increase achievement outcomes for all children. We are happy to make this historic announcement and look forward to continuing the work of providing first class educational services for students across the district."

Did everyone get Margolis's text of Dolan's "OVERRIDE" Campaign sign during Wednesday's speech? The head cheerleader must make her noise of support for the tax increase. Otherwise, she and her husband might actually have to pay for their own health insurance instead of letting taxpayers pick up the tab.

Didn't attend the speech and haven't yet seen it broadcast or text even published. Where is it?

No, have no idea what Margolis said or did, only that she needs to be booted.

The taxpayers are paying something like $120,000 a year (or more now) on health coverage for the families of the aldermen who did the deal with Mr. 26%. That would pay for two or three Library Media Specialists or a teacher and a half or offset some of the school district lawsuit expenses and settlements for their wrongdoing and incompetence.

The concern regarding GIC for the BOA is that the cost over future years will reach millions of dollars. I don't understand how any BOA member will be taken seriously when talking about budget expenditures, if GIC is not eliminated. The Aldermen who have used this "entitlement" should give the money back. Their BOA colleagues who do not take this "unearned benefit" should show leadership and recind it. Health insurance was eliminated for the BOA before and needs to be done again...ASAP.

"Respect is hard to earn. When respect is lost, reputation and trust are also lost. Respect, reputation and trust are very difficult to restore once they have been compromised". Reverend Desmond Tutu