Ok, so that sounds like you are punting with respect to our local charter school and letting them take our money and do with it as they wish, even if they are spending it inappropriately at the expense of our children.
I get it. It is tough to fight and there isn't much that can be done once they have built up the machine. They have our money and they are outside of the reach of the voters. That is one of the reasons I am thankful for this site. When the taxpayer funded PR person at the Charter school (imagine if we tried to get that type of position approved for the district); puts in overtime creating a false sense of academic superiority; it is useful to have this site to get the truth out there by simply pointing out facts.
Thanks for the reply.

I'm not punting on this topic, Statman! I gave you my thoughts -if people want to object to what is going on at the local charter school, they can show up at their public meetings of the board or better yet, go to the monthly state Board of Education meetings which are held locally in Malden to submit your complaint, Unlike those school committee meetings in Melrose, the people at the state board of ed will at least listen to you!

How did a discussion of Taymore's evaluations morph (or get deflected) onto another, and equally useless, discussion of the charter?

Correct, MFD. Also, the things that are grossly wrong about Mystic Valley do not excuse the things that are grossly wrong with the Melrose Public Schools, nor are they even relevant. Statman is correct that many things are very wrong about Mystic Valley, and the funding formula for all of the state charter schools. But his (or her) perpetual yammering about that every time the Melrose district is criticized just shows how obsessed he/she is about the charter, even when the local district issues are being willfully ignored or he/she is trying to deflect attention away from those gross local deficiencies.

Where is this "Statman" when it counts, anyway? Here, ranting and raving about the charter school instead of demonstrating the courage you and a select few others have shown consistently in support of our local schools, and for being truthful about them.

There's plenty of company in this sort of active deflection, starting with the likes of CrocodileTears MaryBeth, who is similarly obsessed and content to look the other way about the local deficiencies (in which she shares responsibility as a former SC member). Morty has a bit more of a problem since he sent his two to that school, as he certainly had the right to do (but he can't now so easily join in the pounding on that school without sounding even more foolish than he does already). Nearly all the rest of them are mindless lemmings in their statements and votes.

You, though, have been stalwart in your honesty and good citizenship, even showing the humility to admit that you had a change of heart about the city's ignoble leader. You've also taken the time to educate yourself about the issues when it comes to the schools, which is more than can be said about most of the current batch of parents, sadly.

Statman, you're obviously someone of some intelligence. Why can't you see that your ranting about Mystic Valley every time you don't like the bad news about the local district doesn't really do anything except invalidate the decent points you make about the problems with the charter schools?

Exactly!

Follow the string above. This discussion was taking place on other strings but “Parallel” decided to bring me into this string so I am happy to have the debate here or over there. It doesn’t matter. However, my opinion is that, MFD notwithstanding, most on here really aren’t interested in the public schools and are just here to take potshots at the district without facts. For those that dare claim that public dollars are being wasted I feel it is very relevant to remind them how their very own tax dollars are being spent by MVRCS administration. Everyone wants to take the SC to task, yet the MCAS show that the MVRCS is not outperforming the district AND their board is behaving in a way that is so far beyond anything that the SC has ever done that it is beyond belief yet all we get is crickets on this site. I have and will continue to take this up with state officials. The MVRCS has openly thumbed their nose at the state as well as any local dissent so until/unless anything changes this site is as good as any to let taxpayers know about the fleecing taking place.

So it's the same tired old Melrose hater/basher nonsense? Your arrogance in even suggesting that there is no validity to any criticism or complaints made about the system is mind-boggling. Who in the world are you to make such a judgement? And why, every time such a criticism is made, do you consistently try to divert attention away from the criticism and onto the charter school?

It's clear you have an issue with the charter - we get that. What you apparently (choose to) fail to understand is that most people, with the exception of the funding formula, could care less about the charter, and are much more concerned with the obvious failings of our own system. Constantly deflecting attention away from our system's obvious issues and onto the charter, and maintaining that any issue raised is motivated not be a desire to see positive change, but by a desire to bash the city is no help at all in addressing those issues, especially since it's the same sort of tactic used by the administration to cover up problems and quash dissent. You could take every cent of Melrose money sent to the charter school, apply it to the local system, and it would make not one iota of difference in solving the problems that currently exist. Money is not the root of the problem - it's the arrogance and incompetence of the top administrators that's the problem, and throwing more money at that won't change a thing.

One more time, just so you understand - no one gives a hoot about the charter.

Here's the comment where you say “Parallel” decided to bring you into this string: "Mr. "Statman" from another string must also be living in that alternate reality."

Here is your comment that contained the very first reference to MV in the string: "When it comes to comparisons, there are 2 public school choices for Melrose residents that want to stay here (1) the Melrose district schools and (2) the MVRCS."

You followed up with: "Let’s see how the Melrose Middle school stacks up to the Award winning, phenomenal Mystic Valley Regional Charter School."

Then you went on another rant about MV and all it's shortcomings. Give me a break. Every time anyone makes any comment about the Melrose system, you break out the MV smokescreen. You're like a four year-old that when caught in some transgression says "So and so did something too."

I just want to be sure the messasge stays out there to Melrose voters...your money is being taken from you and you have not control over it and it is going to a charter school that has a lower percentage of students in the Proficient of Higher category than the Melrose district. Despite the bogus awards; the facts are what they are. I'm happy to continue this debate for as long as you would like.

To be clear, my child goes to a private school where I have no complaints.

I wonder how many individuals post. If it is close to the number of names then shame on you. Very little is going to change without pressure from the stakeholders i.e. the parents, yet no one goes to the SC meetings to voice their complaints. Having said that, getting change is almost impossible given the nature of public schools (unions). Unfortunately for the majority of families who stay in the public system, people are voting with their feet. Large numbers leave for private school and the Charter has a big waiting list. You can bash the privates and the Charter but in the end many of the informed customers are leaving which speaks volumes.
Some of the kids who leave are brilliant some are not but I think you would be hard pressed to argue that their parents do not care about the education their child is getting. Removing people who give a crap from the public schools inevitably degrades the quality because less people are trying to keep teachers and administrators accountable. Look at all the elementary parents who get involved, many/most of their kids are gone by MS/HS. What you are left with is apathy.

To be clear, your child goes to a private school that does not submit itself to standardized testing... if it did the results would be horrible...thus you have no complaints. Discuss.

This is the typical ignorant response from the defenders of the district: "if it did the results would be horrible...thus you have no complaints." And this is a scientifically reasoned argument HOW? Such arrogant ignorance only reveals how little the poster understands and does nothing to "prove" any points beyond that they are silly and ignorant.

FYI, for any of the good private schools, the state-mandated standardized tests are a low bar that any of their students could pass with flying colors even if asleep.

"To be clear, your child goes to a private school that does not submit itself to standardized testing... if it did the results would be horrible...thus you have no complaints. Discuss."

They must have let Vuvu out of the ward again....

Obvious, you might be right...as long as you don't think the "good private schools" include AC, AP, MC, BF or PJ. Parents flock to those schools to avoid the standardized testing.

Not a very scientific statement: "Parents flock to those schools to avoid the standardized testing." Have you done or do you know of an unbiased study or even a survey to "prove" your hypothesis? How have you determined the primary "reasons" these families have left the district? What is your weighted value system? What other criteria are included? (Are parents allowed, for example, to include other factors, such as the evidence about the district provided by the state regarding the district's performance?) In the absence of any actual data to support your remark, one is left only with the inference that you are stating more of the inflammatory rhetoric and spin of local district defenders. If you have actual "proof" of your supposition, please provide it because it would be of interest to those trying to make objective determinations.

As I said, these schools won't ever allow themselves to be tested. You can only look at the schools that these kids attend. Now if you want to talk about ISL schools, I get it, but that will cost you up to $40K a year. But to pay anything close to $10K for AC, AP, MC, BF or PJ you'd have to be a moron. Again, take a look at where the MELROSE KIDS at these schools end up going to colleges. Also, take a look at the rate that these kids drop out of college. Its deplorable.
I, for one, am happy when kids leave. First off, we’ll happily take your tax dollars as you spend money to send your kid elsewhere. Also, it isn't the "interested" parents that leave. It is the overbearing parents that can't stand it when their kid isn't told how great they are. It is also parents that think their kid will be an athletic superstar but quickly realize they will not play much at MHS so they go to BF or one of the other crappy schools and become a big fish in a little pond. These parents are not missed and are easily identified on this board. Feel good about writing your next check to that crappy school that your kid goes to. If your kid is one of the smart ones at these schools maybe he/she will hook up with a MHS grad at UMASS. Toolbag.

to "cc cc":

You sum up the bullying hateful attitude of so many in Melrose. Why can't you express your opinion (and that's all it is, by the way, since you offer nothing that indicates a factual representation of anything) without calling others a "moron" or "toolbag"? Is this how you've raised your kids, too?

Why does it bother you so much if families choose one of the schools you obviously don't like? For whatever reason, they do. Do you have an inner compulsion that cannot allow other families to make different choices without trashing them? Why? What is your problem? These families are not bothering you (or shouldn't be). Do you simply have to denigrate them and their schools in order to make yourself feel superior? Why do you feel such a need to do this?

Like I said, I don't mind when they leave. Most of them are the overbearing parents anyway, so I'm happy they are gone. I also thank them for their tax contribution. I would stay quiet, but when they come on here to take shots at Melrose to make themselves feel good about spending $10k per year foe a crappy school, I find it tough to sit by quietly since I, and many others, think it is moronic to pay that much for a sub par education. Also, to be clear, it was you that I called a Toolbag, not anyone else. Toolbag.

I feel sorry for your kids that you need to do this to "make [yourself] feel good". FYI there is more than one "parent" posting (have spoken with several). Too bad people like you can't "stay quiet" permanently because you are not making the world a better place. Calling people morons and toolbags is the definition of bullying.

Melrose has a higher percentage of college-educated parents and always had a decent reputation until the last few years, particularly the last two. So what's wrong with parents in allowing this? How this city could have SAT scores, for example, that are below the state average is beyond comprehension.

Money has nothing whatsoever to do with this, except that a minority of elementary parents have managed to maneuver their positions to hire and support an administration that has been pouring money into itself rather than the students. The new teacher's contract will only reward those who manage not to evoke the wrath of their ignorant and terrible bosses. The aldermen and school committee just wave their money wand and give anything they want without any link to anything resembling accountability because they dare not offend those country club parents who are so stridently acting as the lobbying group and militia of the administration (even ignoring the fact that their own children are suffering the consequences!). The mayor came out swinging that he wants to see a 3-year contract extension for this boss in addition to more money. Show up Tuesday night when this fake vote will take place and make the Committee answerable.

I doubt that very many/any families with children will show up at the SC meeting. They never do. So, they shouldn't expect the rest of us to raise our taxes to support this poorly run city and school system. Voting NO on the OVERRIDE ! ! !

You have mentioned you are not voting for an override on many threads at many different times. However, you are just one voter. I am voting YES so your vote has now been cancelled. The big question is beyond the sentiments on this board, which do not reflect public opinion in general elections, will the rest of Melrose vote Yes or No? At this point it is hard to tell. So put it for a vote to see what the REAL public opinion is on this issue, as this board has never been reflective of elections in previous years.

No problem. I'll just vote twice. Idiot.