Funny how everyone on this board seemed all over standardized test scores when they placed Horace Mann (and the district) into Level 3 status - how frequently was this brought up? But now that test scores show Melrose is doing well, those same test scores are a bunch of nonsense.
Yes, HM was Level 3 back when there was something to compare itself to, when there were many years of MCAS results piling up. Now it's all just a major cluster-you-know-what. Looking at the combination of the few areas of MCAS and then PARCC, and then reading about the tiny technicality that bounced the school (based on a precedent of one other elsewhere in the state that was challenged) out of Level 3 into 2 (more DESE BS) shows what a meaningless game the statewide testing is now, where even DESE cannot agree with itself about what it's doing. However SAT and ACT tests are national, and they have nothing to do with local statewide education politics. Every student hoping to get into any kind of even vaguely selective college has to worry about being measured in these tests, certainly flawed, constantly being revised and politicized in their own right, but critically important nonetheless. MHS does not begin to stack up, even with the mediocre districts. Critical reading/thinking, math...not deemed important to the careers of the Melrose administrators and therefore not a priority. The results are abysmal and they show the collective years of neglect and bad management in Melrose. PARCC and MCAS are meaningless exercises for high school students going to college (except of course in that they continue to point out where Melrose still fails catastrophically, as in science). Read between the lines about all those statistics of how many students did NOT score proficient/advanced, but rather Needs Improvement/Failing, and Melrose still sucks overall.
Ms. Taymore should be leaving.Not the teacher.You have every right to be concerned.It's a constantly revolving door of staff up there, it's impossible to keep track of who anyone is any more.
Very simply, there is a charter school that “serves” the Melrose community that is at its current capacity. Expansion of charter schools in the state will only cost Melrose taxpayers more dollars and there will be no upside to residents here. Regardless of what you think about Melrose or the MVRCS; expanding charter schools in the state will only be a negative for Melrose residents. There will be no more slots made available to Melrose students anywhere. Simply put; not upside to residents. Unless you are interested in using your dollars to fund students in other communities, it makes no sense to support this.
Question 2 is going down like a $2 dollar hooker[:)]
You'll be surprised in November how much question 2 wins by.
When there are as many slots for Melrose residents as there are applicants, and when the reimbursement to the city is exactly the same as is paid out in costs for those who do go,and when charters are not allowed to decline to support special needs students, then I'll consider it. Right now it is not a level playing field.
Here's an example: Student A enrolls in a charter. City pays the cost for the full year. Student A withdraws after the cutoff date. Student B (because there is an enormous wait list) enrolls to fill the vacancy. Charter then collects full year cost from city (same or different city) for that student. Bottom line - charter has had 1 total student for the year but collects total cost for 2. In whose world or on what planet is that right?
If your child has special needs the teachers and principals ignore those students. Vote yes on question 2 the charter is the way to go.
And therein lies one of the big problems. Charter schools under the current funding forula and regulations are a racket that needs to be stopped. I have no question that such a school with "special" standards for admission and retention might do a "better job" of educating those that do stay the course there than a local system, especially the train wreck that is the Melrose system, but for all practical purposes,they "cherry pick" their students population, eliminating poor performers and those with special needs, and they get full year cost for every student that attends, even those that withdraw during the year. It is a racket. I'm still waiting for someone to explain to me how MVRCS has made the real estate acquisitions they've made in the last few years. Where does all that extra money come from?
Meanwhile, if you don't "win" (really?) that lottery, you're stuck in Melrose, but you're paying for the kid that did "win" the lottery. Since when is education based on the luck of the draw (or worse)?
Superintendent T. right now makes just under $180,000 a year. If she retired tomorrow at 80% she'd be collecting approximately $144,000 in retirement. Good Bye!
Wouldn't it be much cheaper to file criminal charges against the school administrators here who continually violate the law? It only costs the Commonwealth $25,000 a year to hold these criminals at a minimum security prison, whereas it is costing $60,000 in tuition per year to educate the victimized students in specialized private schools; the common settlement agreement after parents file suit against the district (and we haven't even touched on the legal fee expenses that come right out of the school budget defending these offenders). And all because the administration here routinely chooses to violate SPED laws, civil rights laws and harassment/anti-bullying laws. [8-)]
Attention parents of sped students. Because CT is too cheap to pay a decent wage for subs, paras are constantly being pulled not just for hours but for days from your children. And not just classroom paras, one to ones, a violation of the law. It's up to you parents to do something. Here at the schools, employees have tried to point out how wrong this is and how those children are suffering. CT and PWL don't give a hoot about your kids. Speak up, get a petition going, go to SC meetings but for God's sake DO SOMETHING!! It's happening in every school. Oh, and the ONLY reason the MTA is against the chapter schools is because the are not unionised which means no dues to the MTA. Hey, I don't know if the Chapter Schools are better or not but at this venue we need choices to get our kids the hell out of Smelrose.
You can be sure the super gets her $7,000 check right on time every two weeks, while a sub has to wait a month to get $60.
Don't forget $60 a day that's without taxes taken out so around $40 something. I can't understand.
All children with IEP's the paras all was taken off the one on ones per principal MBM. This principal is the worst and parents don't care. IF MBM stays at the Roosevelt your student will be hurt by this. So wake up for God sake!
CT can do things if she want's to. In the MVMMS CT let a women teacher take a year off with pay and then return. Why not for all?
At the middle school the principal will target you if you are 50 years old or more. He did this at the Lincoln school also to many women that worked for him.
This tactic makes sense for the mayor and superintendent as they can replace a higher salaried worker with 25 years of service with a newbie at roughly half the cost. Does it make sense to harass experienced teachers into leaving the school district and is that good for the kids? NO. Is this tactic a violation of Federal Civil Rights Laws? Absolutely. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 makes this unlawful. But again, this is Melrose where violations of state and federal laws by appointed and elected officials runs rampant.
So Taymore is taking over Education Stations.This time this may not be a bad decision. Since the hiring of Deb, paras won't work for ES, Positions. There' filled and when they are they're short lived. No one wants to work under Deb the dicktator.
Horace Mann isn't any better.It's like you can only be a principal if you have no principals.
Is she still around at the high school?
Bill Clinton is out there talking about how bad Obama care is and he is correct. Now we know they can't stand each other. Bill needs to stay off the campaign trail. Bill and Donald are no different...
But Bill Clinton is not running for President but Trump is.
More staff leaving the Roosevelt its a sinking ship!
Heard MBK from education stations is a para now because of CT. Lost everything to be the head of education stations at the Roosevelt.
IT IS WHAT IT IS.
Children are still leaving the schools in Melrose. Its happening in the Winthrop school. The students are changing from a public school to home schooling.
Myron where are you know on Trump? Inquiry minds want to know.[:-?]
Myron, what's wrong with you? Not only is he a misogynistic piece of gutter trash, he is also a liar, a fraud, and a crook. A billion dollar loss? That's your definition of a successful businessman? He doesn't pay his employees, he stiffs his contractors, and he is perhaps the worst possible example of a successful businessman you could conjure up.