Melrose Free Press 4/7/16: 'The Melrose Public Schools have ditched the dreamcatcher as their official logo.
Pending a larger discussion about Melrose High School’s Red Raiders mascot and its Native American associations, the logo for now is simply a red block “M” with a red circle around it.
Since the mid-1990s, the logo had been adorned with two feathers to resemble a dreamcatcher, a handmade object with Native American roots.
Superintendent of Schools Cyndy Taymore referred to her decision to remove the feathers as an interim measure.
“After discussing concerns about the logo with some parents and community members and then exploring the history of the logo, I made a decision to take the feathers off the logo,” Taymore said in an email. “This is an interim measure while we plan on how to best develop a new logo that honors our history.”
Neither students nor the School Committee were involved in the decision to remove the feathers. Taymore did speak with community groups such as the Human Rights Commission, as well as several parents, including Heather Leavel.
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Unbelievable. A classic public relations technique of "misdirection" and "changing the conversation" to avoid
focus on much larger issues. What "history" would the superintendent choose to honor ? Certainly not recent
history. What next ? Having a "larger discussion" on referring to manhole covers on school property to
"personhole covers" ? Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
Excuse me but why was only the Human Rights Commission the only formal group brought into this discussion? Why not bring this before the community such as the school committee, who she answers to, PTO groups, and other such organizations. If it was important to change the logo, wouldn't it make sense to give a community buy-in before making such an change? Does the Human Rights Commission oversee changes in logos?
As we all know, Ms. Taymore has been criticized previously for a lack of inclusiveness prior to making important decisions such as, (1) when she first arrive at our school district she dismissed the teacher heads of the art and fine arts program without consulting with internal groups. When there was an uproar by the community, she apologized and promised to fix the situation and admitted a lack of communication before making this decision, (2) when she eliminated outside recess for elementary students without proper notification to all parents - she apologized for this lack of communication and promised to be more inclusive in involving others in such important decisions, and (3) when she and the Mayor, while working to negotiate the last teacher union contract, told the community that all teachers were only getting a 1% pay raise when in fact it was later discovered they had increased the pay at each step level which would give significant raises to teachers over the 3 year contract amounting to almost 25% pay increases.
I guess Ms. Taymore has not learned much from her 4 years at Melrose - the community wants transparency, truthfulness, and inclusion on decisions which reflect the ideals and the needs of our community. I agree with many people in our community who want Ms. Taymore to be dismissed from her position.
Any agency that relies on state or federal grants looks for such oppiortunities to add to its "activities".
As I noted earlier...Taymore needs to be fired! Let's review what she just did - she single-handily decided to revise the school logo without discussing such actions with those groups, organizations, including our elected school committee. And now she wants to talk to these groups to review what needs to be done about our logo! Either she is senile or this is just another example of her dictatorial nature - which is it?
"After discussing the logo with some parents and community members." That is a piece of work. Some parents? Who exactly? The one that wanted the feathers off?
Aside from the fact that changing it without any type of consensus is offensive(!) does the administration consider the financial implications of changing the logo? Every uniform, all the signage...banners...the list is huge.
Taymore gets worse every single day.
“After discussing concerns about the logo with some parents and community members and then exploring the history of the logo, I made a decision to take the feathers off the logo,” Taymore said in an email. “This is an interim measure while we plan on how to best develop a new logo that honors our history.”
Neither students nor the School Committee were involved in the decision to remove the feathers. Taymore did speak with community groups such as the Human Rights Commission, as well as several parents, including Heather Leavell.
My guess is she discussed it with her go to community group the MEF losers. They are the only ones narrow minded enough to support such a change without involving the rest of the community. By the way, I don't believe that she didn't discuss this with the school committee or the Mayor who sits on the school committee.
Keep the logo and get rid of some of the ****ty coaches!
It's official. Sales for clothing state when the clothes with the feather sells out it will then only have the M. I guess money (with the sales of the remaining clothing) is more important than the fake diversity she is claiming to promote.
With all the school issues going on in our district - our school superintendent is spending her limited time on changing our school logo. What a disgrace - this just shows how incompetent she is and what poor judgement she has - thinking that changing the school logo should be give such a high priority on her to-do list - perhaps this is the reason she does not have time to find out what is going on in her school system.
Please Ms. Taymore, go back to your hometown, Salem, and change your school logo of "Salem Witches" showing a witch's hat!
Perhaps the newly formed "Melrose Commission on Women" can take up this matter with her.
Seems to me that she gave this one the proper amount of attention. She heard from a few people; talked to some interested groups and then made a decision. I would agree with you if she, as some are asking for, tried to expand the discussion and let everyone weigh in on this. Instead a decision was made and she can move onto more important stuff.
she removed the dreamcatcher logo because we no linger encourage dreams in Melrose
What should have been done, was what Tewksbury just did. They had a town assembly and let everyone voice their opinion. They even went so far as ask the greater Lowell Indian council for their input. As it stands the Redmen name and the Indian head logo will stay.
The Problem is the School committee, mayor and superintendent haven't permitted a true open public hearing where true discourse can take place in several years. The last attempt at that is when Carrie Kourkoumelis permitted true back and forth open meeting style conversation during the school budget process when she was the Finance chair. That was shut down promptly by the school committee chair's anti-transparency anti-public dialogue policy that has virtually shut down democracy in the city of Melrose. What makes you think that the school committee chair or superintendent would suddenly consider such an open meeting, when for the past three years they have violated MGL, Chapter 71 Section 38N which requires "The school committee of each city to hold a public hearing at which all interested persons shall be given an opportunity to be HEARD for or against the whole or any part of the annual proposed budget." This requirement has been illegally replaced by a process where citizens are required to send in e-mails questions which cannot be tracked, can be disregarded or modified, censored, or simply ignored. This is a prohibited practice where the citizens have no assurance that all questions are even being responded to, as the questions are not addressed at a public meeting, but are instead diverted to the School committee chair who can cherry pick the softball questions offered by the MEF crowd while ignoring the important questions from the rest of the citizenry.
Although I personally found the feathers offensive, I was shocked to see the the logo was changed suddenly without community input. Speaking to a few people isn't the community weighing in. Citizens have passionate feelings on the subject and it should have gone to a vote this November.
We are having an election this November. All the costs of running the ballot box are going to be there anyway so why not put this to a public vote?
It's just like swiftly swearing in the loser school committee candidate, hyphenated-Grande hoping that it flies under the radar until the deed is done.
As a Melrose High Student, we have discussed this in school many times over the past week. Suprisingly, many students in the school had problems with the logo... dream catcher and feathers. A lot of students expressed some concern that these objects were hijacking Native American culture, and had no business being in the Melrose logo, as we have no connection with it and don't share that part of culture.
I personally don't really care either way. The new logo needs to be changed (a "M" in a circle is as boring as it could be), but if some students at the school itself take offense to having that logo, I don't see why there is a problem with changing it. Besides a bit more community discussion beforehand of course.
There is no reason to believe that using a dream catcher appropriates Native American culture, There are dozes of Native American websites that will sell you a dream catcher for $19.95...why appropriate it when you can buy it. Any of you fools suffering white guilt over a dream catcher need to get your heads out of your bums. You fools all voted for Elizabeth Warren as Senator and she actually stole a spot at Harvard by stealing Native American culture. Chief Red Bum thinks you Bozos just complain to complain. Chief Red Bum thinks MFD is fat white man who needs another hobby. Chief Red Bum says all you MM losers need to go outside and take care of property. Honk Honk
I think the Chief drank some of Clown Patrol's whiskey!!![8-)]
So exactly how did your bum get red? Spending too much time in the Mayor's office?
Where did the feathers and dreamcatcher even come from?
Just because you personally are not offended by the logo doesn't mean it isn't offensive to some...
I never cease to be amazed at the schizophrenic logic used by some people, who seem all too ready to argue for the removal of a logo that could at worst be considered mildly offensive, while at the same time supporting a superintendent who attempted to protect a friend who told a black student to go back to the plantation, something that should completely and thoroughly disgust each and every one of us. When you people are done trying to make yourselves feel better and show at least a modicum of interest in taking a stand against a serious sequence of injustices perpetrated by the current administration, then you'll have earned something besides my contempt.
I actually have two dreamcatchers hanging from the rear view mirror in my car. Know where I got them? The gift shop at Foxwoods. Is that "cultural appropriation", or is it okay because I bought them at an Native American casino and the tribe made a few bucks?
"The only way to discuss the mascot/logo issue will involve the larger issues of racism/OCR investigations/findings. This will be messy/painful but a true discussion/community conversation is what is needed ASAP."
Now THAT is the real crux of what needs to happen! Thank you! The imperious conduct of the superintendent in changing a logo to bow to political pressure doesn't fix anything (and should NOT be thanked!!!). Remember this is the same disastrous superintendent for whom just a couple of weeks ago the entire school committee/mayor (with the help from its PR firm, no doubt) did its outrageous thing in getting her an "award" from Mass Assoc of School Superintendents. They are all complicit in the imperious conduct of this superintendent and mayor. Even if feathers have been removed, they have never admitted one iota of their own obvious guilt in all that has happened. Neither have the throngs of parents who are working with this unethical committee via MEF/YES and don't seem to have any conscience about what they have de facto supported. In fact they just keep wracking up the wrongs, as should be obvious to anyone looking beyond the surface.
Have a real community dialogue where the tough and messy questions can be discussed in a totally open and public way, and then see what can be done. But the creeps who are in this for their own political/financial/positional gain will continue to hide behind "confidentiality," the claims around needing to "focus on the budget," and all the other walls they've constructed to keep the public at bay.
The training, research and application of social and emotional development work must begin with the SC members, MPS Administrators and the City Hall Team. They have not shown the psychological maturity to handle differences, admit mistakes, practice self reflection, act as leaders or challenge the status quo. Their repeated behaviors reinforce the perception that Melrose is in crisis and perpetuates the decisions and operating patterns that have pushed the City into legal and financial difficulties. A series of open forum "community conversations" needs to be organized so problem solving and healing can begin.
Get a grip people. The group that is driving for a change of the mascot is the same group that is pushing the Black Lives Matter movement. There are a handful of BLM posters in windows around town, these are the same people focusing on this non-issue. Think about if you really want to stand with them.
Forget racism. It's a cover. More relevant is the "feminization" of the school administration (female superintendent, female athletic director and female majority on the school committee). Removing the feather most affects the logo used by the largest male sport football. Better to have "Nancy Boys" than "Warriors".
Fluff and fakery has taken precedence over fact and function.
Fluff and fakery is used to obscure incompetence and dysfunction. Problems must be addressed head-on to fix them. The people in charge need to own up to their failures. Only then will a corner be turned.
Marty Barron, Editor at the Washington Post, conducted a huge survey of Native Americans to find out how many of them were offended by the term "Redskins". Nine of ten were not, and seven of ten did not think naming a football team "Redskins" was in any way objectionable.
Yet here in mega-PC Melrose, a large number of white middle to upper class yuppies think the use of a dreamcatcher in the HS logo is offensive and inappropriate.
Oy vey.
tempest is still wrong. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/sports/football/redskins-poll-prompts-a-linguistic-debate.html
Mike Drop.
Tempest is not wrong. Catering to the wishes of a small minority is the epitome of out-of-control political correctness. A word is only a slur if it's intended as a slur, and a dreamcatcher is no more offensive than the shamrock on the Boston Celtics' or Notre Dame's uniforms. Would the PC police be happy if the team were named the Washington Native Americans? Should Wakefield, or Golden State, for that matter, change it's name from Warriors, when warriors is a description Native Americans consider a source of pride and one of the most honorable and desired titles one can be awarded, and which is intended to describe a fighting spirit akin to that of Native Americans, of which they are justifiably proud? Should I get all bent out of shape when someone describes me as Black Irish?
And why now? Why did Taymore decide to do this now? You don't think this was a coincidence, do you? This whole thing was concocted to deflect attention away from the real issues in the schools and her miserable performance as super. If she really cared about it she would have learned the difference between "tommyhawk" and tomahawk.
To show the hypocrisy of Taymore about this matter, just look at her school budget proposal for FY17 - it includes 7 pages with the dream catcher symbol! Her incompetence is so visual.