http://melrosecityma.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=2994&Inline=True
This school administration/school committee never fails to produce foolishness for their so-called agenda.
For starters:
Page 3: $3700 MHS Field Trip Proposal to Haiti, Nicaragua, Senegal or Malawi
Now that's just exactly where the school administration should be contemplating sending MHS students! And presumably we, the taxpayers, are liable (ultimately, via our school insurance premiums) for anything that could go wrong. What could possibly go wrong in those locations???? (But that's okay because only the rich kids could go anyway.)
P. 5: "Haiti and Senegal - Eat all three meals together due to sanitation reasons...do not eat with host families)
P. 13: Moving onto the alphabet soup of ridiculous policies--Driscoll's shining rewrite/gutting now under the so-called leadership of the Felon.
"The Committee has its powers conferred upon it by state law and must perform those duties mandated by the state, including the responsibility and right to determine district policies and practices as well as to employ district staff to implement its guidelines relative to the appropriate education of the district’s students. The Committee may have additional powers and duties conferred on it by City Charter, by ordinance or otherwise, although those powers and duties will not be inconsistent with the granting of powers by Massachusetts General Laws.
The Committee takes a broad view of its functions..."
But then Dolan and Zwirko made sure that Kristen Thorp "guided" the so-called city charter review/revisions, so that "The Committee" could continue to take its so-called "broad view" in implementing its various abuses of power as it has done for the last decade under this Trumpian regime.
"The Superintendent shall be appointed by vote of the Committee and shall directly report to the Committee as provided by law and perform all the duties that are prescribed by law and such other duties, not inconsistent there to, as a majority of the Committee may direct."
So for any who persist in giving a pass, it is the School Committee who ultimately approved the federally sanctioned violations of United States civil rights laws as implemented by their sole employee and as can be found in the OCR Findings Document:
http://melroseschools.com/administration/presentations/ocr/resolution-agreement-ocr-compl-01-14-1259/#sthash.tEQHPBjZ.wZ05HdZU.dpbs
P. 16: "By law, newly qualified Committee members receive from the City Clerk and sign a receipt for a copy of the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law governing the conduct of Committee meetings in general and executive sessions in particular."
But of course this does not mean that any Melrose School Committee members have any intention of abiding by said Open Meeting Laws, and their decade of violations are notoriously noted by the Attorney General's Office. Just look up "Melrose" and see for yourself (same deal with chronic middle finger given by city officials across the board in Melrose to Public Records laws):
http://www.oml.ago.state.ma.us/Search.aspx?section=1
"All School Committee members shall, within 30 days of taking office, and every 2 years thereafter, complete the Massachusetts Ethics Commission's online training program."
But surely no one would expect that any MELROSE official actually cares, let alone abides by such trivialities.
p. 17: "BDD: Committee/Superintendent Relationship
The relationship that exists between a Committee and its Superintendent is an intrinsic part of the educational process within a community. Good rapport coupled with an awareness of the distinctive contribution each makes to the system is fundamental to the success of the schools. Knowledge of what each can reasonably expect of the other can help substantially in promoting sound working relationships."
In other words, you scratcha ours and we scratcha yours....
p. 20: "Notification of the dates, times, and places of regular meetings will be published on the district web site and, a minimum of 48 hours prior to each meeting, the Committee shall cause to be posted a listing of each subject the Chair reasonably anticipates will be discussed at the meeting (“the agenda”). Notification of a change in a regular meeting time or place and/or notification of a special meeting will be filed with the City Clerk at least 48 hours in advance, as required by Massachusetts General Law."
But don't expect that the doors won't be locked, or that secret agenda items won't already have been totally deliberated before, after, during (secret texts & emails flying around at meetings). That's the Melrose way, after all!
On and on the nauseating bilge flows....
p. 38: Warrants: 2 separate $799.00 payments to Guilfoil
Oh yeah, that taxpayer-funded PR fake news really improves student outcomes! Great use of "scarce educational resources"!
p. 41: $16,000 paid to Toshiba! (Oh but that probably is code for whatever they couldn't figure out a code for, like those pesky legal "settlements" they always now list as $0!)
p. 48: Equipment Surplus: Once again they will be dumping huge quantities of perfectly usable furniture and equipment and charging the taxpayers for new stuff, whether it's necessary or not.
p. 49: Alphabet Soup Policy "recommendations" by the Campbell Soup Company (aka MASC)
p. 51: BHE: Use of Electronic Messaging by Members
"As elected officials, Committee members will exercise caution when communicating between and among themselves via electronic messaging services including, but not limited to, electronic mail (e-mail), text messages, social media postings, Internet web forums, and Internet chat rooms.
The Open Meeting Law applies to any deliberation by a quorum of members about any public business within its jurisdiction. Deliberation is defined as movement toward a decision including, but not limited to, the sharing of an opinion regarding business over which the Committee has supervision, control, or jurisdiction. A quorum may be arrived at sequentially using electronic messaging without knowledge and intent by the author. Committee members should use electronic messaging between and among members only for housekeeping purposes such as requesting or communicating agenda items, meeting times, or meeting dates. Electronic messaging should not be used to discuss Committee matters that require public discussion in accordance with the Open Meeting Law."
Aw, come on now, surely you don't really expect that any of these upstanding officials care one iota about such silliness! Just try filing a request for Robbie's or Cyndy's or Margaret's electronic in-meeting communications and see how eagerly they will cooperate!
p. 52: "An effort will be made to procure multiple bids for all purchases in excess of $35,000(crosssed out and replaced with) 50,000.
When recommending acceptance of a bid, the Superintendent will inform the Committee whenever possible of the competitive price of a reasonable substitute for the item specified."
Naturally, they will up the ante to decrease the level of oversight absolutely whenever it is possible to do so.
p. 54: "Staff travel requests within budgetary limits may be approved by the Superintendent. Staff travel requests that exceed budgetary limits will require the approval of the School Committee and the identification of funding sources by administration. Each request will be judged on the basis of its benefit to the school district."
Naturally the taxpayer-funded administrative junkets will continue apace, especially if they can make sure to throw anything that would appeal to MEF or MAAV, with a minimum of four-star hotels as a baseline.
p. 55: The Felon is putting a spotlight on and supposedly bring into compliance the legally required functions of the Student Representatives, but which the MSC has failed to abide by for many years. Gotta at least pretend that the law matters, after all.
And that's all, folks, just another thigh-slapping good time with this swell bunch.
It's like a kid in a candy store. The big shots are loving that no one is watching them.Most of you people still don't get it.The schools use most of the tax $ !
Watching the SC is like watching grass grow and just as exciting. Most decisions have already been pre-decided from previous meetings among them - and you can tell this by the limited discussion. CKK told us all about this and how they collude among themselves.
Maybe it's nothing new, but it's all still outrageous and wrong.
Sadly Melrose continues to get exactly the governance it apparently deserves since so few actually care.