Here's what was in the Free Press. So they went ahead and gave CT a new contract and now a salary nearly $170,000. Joe Casey left the district two years ago making $149,000. So in two years, there has been a huge jump in all administrator salaries and compensation packages. Next time you hear any administrator complaining about the lack of funds for books, computers, experienced teachers, remember this. Next time your kid comes home with assignments or instructions from administration that are not in recognizable English or that is full of typos, remember this. And remember that it was only a few years ago that the president of the United States made around $240,000! (it's up in the 400s now, but the Commissioner of Education for the whole state makes a salary not that far removed from Taymore's). A year from now when Dolan, Driscoll, Thorp and Constantine run for reelection, remember this. When the Aldermen vote to approve the next budget and fail to question this, remember this.
By Jessica Sacco / jsacco@wickedlocal.com
September 03. 2014 2:25PM
Contract extended for superintendent of Melrose Public Schools
Superintendent Cyndy Taymore started the school year off with an extended contract and a new set of goals for the district.
The School Committee approved prolonging Taymore’s contract an additional three years and accepting her goals for the year at their meeting on Aug. 26.
Taymore’s contract, which was set to expire at the end of the 2015 fiscal year, is now extended from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2018. The matter passed with six in favor and member Carrie Kourkoumelis in opposition.
Committee Chairman Kristin Thorp told the Free Press this action does not mean Taymore was given an additional raise. Members voted on Aug. 12 to increase her salary from $164,800 to $169,744 (beginning July 1, 2014).
Also during last week’s meeting, Taymore outlined four main objectives for the 2014-2015 school year. They are centered on instructional leadership, management and operations, family and community engagement, and professional culture.
When drafting her aspirations, Taymore said she tried to use the School Committee’s goals as a reference, along with their evaluations and her own personal reflection.
"It was not an easy task," the superintendent said. "There is obviously not a one-to-one correlation between your goals and my goals."
The School Committee voted to accept Taymore’s goals with six in support and Kourkoumelis opposed.
AREAS OF FOCUS
Instructional leadership: Taymore will work to set goals for administrators that target their practices and student improvement benchmarks; negotiate parameters for low, moderate and high growth in each grade and content area; increase staff’s capacity to analyze data to improve instruction and raise expectations for students; and continue to provide professional development.
Member Jessica Dugan asked the superintendent if it would be possible to add professional development for administrators, to help them align their teacher evaluation practices across the district to allow for uniform data analysis.
Taymore said she would be willing to add a goal encompassing that suggestion.
Management and operations: Develop five-year plans for the budget and technology to foster better planning by the district and city (beginning with fiscal 2015 as the baseline); and conduct an independent technology review of the district’s resources and create a five-year technology plan that accounts for needs, goals and mandates.
Member Chris Casatelli recognized Taymore’s effort to develop five-year budget plan as a positive step going forward.
"I know that that will be a major undertaking and I appreciate the effort that will go into it and I think it will serve us well for the long-term," she said.
Family and community engagement: Finalize an internal communication plan that outlines expectations and strategies for internal and external communication with students, staff, families and the community; work with external stakeholders to improve understanding of the Melrose Public Schools and to increase their involvement in the schools; and provide professional development to administrators on these matters.
Professional culture: Work with all members of the community to develop a revitalized vision for the district that emphasizes the 21st-century skills students will need to succeed and continue to build a professional learning community that is reflective, goal-oriented and self-sustaining.
http://melrose.wickedlocal.com/article/20140903/ENTERTAINMENTLIFE/140908970
Boston Magazine top 50 High School List released, Melrose not on list!
I am not sure about that list. It has Austin Prep as the 3rd best private school in the Boston area, above schools like BB&N and Belmont Hill? Also, I am surprised Wakefield is no longer on that list as it has been the past couple of years. If you look at the list, most of them just correlate to the most wealthy communities (of which Melrose is not one).
Where can I get a hard copy of that list? I ran out of toilet paper...
Hey...Need a Copy...just make many hard copies of your posting and use that for your toilet paper. That way you can "kill two birds" at once, clean up and distribute it appropriately!
With all this blather about "data-driven evidence" where did the school committee see one shred of it that justifies giving that woman one cent more than her already bloated salary? Does anyone in this place even pay attention anymore? Or is it just about street fairs and sports events? With all the sand that heads are buried in here, maybe the Chamber of Commerce should consider a sand-castle theme next year. Plenty of politicians could line up to be buried in creative ways in their booths instead of having pies thrown at them (waste of pies).
The previous poster should run for a city position, that was a very creative suggestion and pertinent!
Throwing the pies is okay, as long as there's a brick inside them.
Because King Robbie said so. Long may he be mayor.