from today's Patch: "Melrose Schools Winter Schedule: So Many Days Off!
MELROSE, MA — Good news for students, bad news for parents. A lot of school vacation days are on the horizon. Here's a look at the fall and winter school schedule:

Wed., Nov. 22: Early release.
Thurs., Nov. 23 - Fri., Nov. 24: Thanksgiving break, no school.
Wed., Dec. 6: Early release.
Fri., Dec. 22: Early release.
Mon., Dec. 25 - Mon., Jan. 1: Winter break, no school.
Wed., Jan. 10: Early release.
Mon., Jan. 15: MLK Jr. Day, no school.
Wed., Feb. 7: Early release.
Fri., Feb. 16: Early release.
Mon., Feb. 19 - Fri., Feb. 23: February vacation, no school."

With every disingenuous, rubber-stamped, self-congratulated unanimous vote of the bogus school committee, they allow the administration to degrade taxpayer-funded education of our students even further than anyone could have ever believed possible not so many years ago. It's bad enough they approved (again) a teachers' contract that does nothing to improve education or the quality of educators this district attracts and retains and everything to soften the work requirements (for a substantially deficient, "Needs Improvement" staff by administration's own measure). "Professional Development" in Melrose is just another part of the sick joke that passes as "exemplary" with the so-called school committee and the ridiculously ignorant parents who support them.

Now the move is toward eliminating some of the snow days with "blizzard bags" (oh heavens, don't call them that, because it gets Cyndy's leggings in a knot, being all appropriate and so-called "caring" about "our students" and somebody told her that there is a PC name for this program that isn't "blizzard bags"). The gist is that instead of a full school day, the district can assign a nominal online assignment and call it quits for the day, win-win for the admins and teachers, a happy day for students, a miserable outcome for working parents, and another degradation of obviously poor and continuously tanking Melrose public school education. Anyone take an actual look at the recent abysmal MCAS scores for MPS students? How about the SATs? (truly awful, in case you remain unaware, still below the state average and below the rankings for virtually all comparable demographics). (Hey Clown Patrol/Vuvu, here's your chance to start befouling the responses with your ever silly and ignorant OCD rants about how great MHS is, how many Ivies, and gotta trash MVCS.)

But hey, it's all good in Melrose now that the failed override maniac czar has won the election and will join the ranks with the convicted felon who stole from old people, Melrose's own Dolores Jane Umbrage (who announced she intends to be chair yet again, since she can't let go of that "preciouses" One Gavel to Rule them All), Dudley Dursley (who clings to his 2nd floor office because he can't get a city manager or state job no matter how hard he brown-noses as the jig is up and too many know what a mini-Trump he is), and the "Real Scientist" (whose Archie Bunkerisms emerge every time she opens her so-called scientists's mouth, which is a lot, since she likes to hear herself talk). Good luck to the other two new ones, who are bound to be given zero power by Dolores, who no doubt is already in gearing up for some amusing catfights with the snarling failed override lunatic when the rabid greed for power and control bursts to the surface.

Let's hope the door hits the departing CC and JD where it counts on their exit, for their ignoble service to their egos and the harm they managed to do to children. The hypocritical JM-G is nodding even more frenetically now that her brood are safely enconced at the MVCS (oh poor Doughboy's brats didn't make the lottery--yes he tried!, but at least hypocritical Morty's and Vanny's broods have had success at the dreaded charter, too). These are among the same frontline city officials who have ranted rabidly about the MVCS (which certainly is deserving of much criticism), but have turned around and enrolled their children there, or tried to, which is a testament to their lack of faith in the very system they are charged with supporting and/or running. Talk about hypocrisy! And that's not even touching the issue of all the brown-nosers who are simply trying to get a cushy job in the MPS or some nearby school (like the SEEM, which is increasingly becoming the halfway house for rejected or upwardly-aiming Melrose administrators or unqualified moms who want an easy gig). CC & JD need only wait a short bit following their terms here before they can get onto that bandwagon. Just watch and see.... Poor Dolores must not be having any success getting her gravy-train biz manager job or we'd be seeing her six-figure salary showing up on the warrants, too (but then she'd have to forfeit her Preciouses' gavel).

"Time-in-Learning" is just another sick and expensive joke in "quaint" little-minded Melrose.

Close all the schools in Melrose. All the children are above average already. They need to practice their sports, anyway. All parents are rich and don't need child care. Administrators like to be on permanent vacation. Real estate taxes can get cut in half. Win-Win-Win-Win!

Demonstrates perfect understanding. Has anyone ever tried to find PWL or any of the elem principals during periods when the kids are out (like summer) but they're still being paid (by us!) to be working? Right. They're gone, always gone. Gee, those admin meetings must be really taxing, especially when it's obvious that the admin in question (if you know their cars, you'll find them in all sorts of non-work places during school hours) is at the hair salon, Whole Foods, bank, anyplace but on the job (where we're paying them to be). And half the time CT was supposed to be on duty she is actually in Florida or home w/ Jack drinking martinis (and have you ever once seen her present during a Melrose Symphony concert or other important community event? Had to give credit to Joe because at least he understood his role in the community and was present, a lot more than most of us would have wanted actually).

Those PD days...more bad joke on us. The same incompetent venal admins getting paid extra to "deliver" the PD content themselves, insuring that their incompetence and bad attitudes percolate downwards and are permanently embedded in their C-minus teacher hires, that their botching of the English language is emulated by the equally low-caliber sycophant employees who will ape their "superiors" so that they, too, can achieve their full Peter Principle potential, moving "up" the administrative ladder until they can bounce right into their very own six-figure position of power and onto another willing prey district.

Yup, Blizzard Bags are a year-round thing in actuality for this disgusting and disheartening district. Just ask any of those poor students who are plunked in front of a (low-end) computer with some stupid program (but in that vast prettified and very very costly but still empty wasteland known as the "Learning Commons") that has been relegated to "teach" them the entire content of an important course that no one at MHS or MVMMS is qualified to teach (but is listed in the Program of Studies, bad joke that it is). Or ask the parents who've been forced to pay a hefty TUITION bill for their child's public school course being held at a local comm. college because the admins and school committee have decided this is an appropriate way to "meet the needs of all learners," bogus claim (in a long line) that they promote and which the idiot parents have bought. Meanwhile the poor elem students are surrounded by a plethora of "experts" to teach/"support" the teachers (really!) since virtually all district resources ($$$$$$$$$) that aren't devoted to padding admins salaries are going into placating the "babies'" parents, beefing up the early education to a ridiculous degree and starving the secondary ed system at every turn.

"Meanwhile the poor elem students are surrounded by a plethora of "experts" to teach/"support" the teachers (really!) since virtually all district resources ($$$$$$$$$) that aren't devoted to padding admins salaries are going into placating the "babies'" parents, beefing up the early education to a ridiculous degree and starving the secondary ed system at every turn."

The school committee (especially the mayor) and administrators pander to the youngest children's parents in every major decision. Several of the worst SC members of the last couple of election cycles, including the newest horror show, JMcA, got their initial "inspiration" to become active tormentors of the rest of us parents because their precious darlings didn't get their first choice of kindergarten placement, which was their first round of fanatic and ridiculous activism. The mayor may as well deliver pretend certificates to the preschool and kindergarten parents in his "Birth to Five" boondoogle, and promise that their perennially "gifted" children will be guaranteed admission to Harvard as long as they buy his load of bull, contribute to his campaign and guarantee success of his override and new building schemes, regardless of whether there is an ounce of actual merit or fiscal truthfulness in them.

Then watch and see how many of these parents have pulled their children entirely out of the district by the time they are coming home with their Needs Improvement MCAS results (those that actually take enough time off the golf course or yoga classes to pay any attention at all, that is, since many won't notice until it's college application time and they are suddenly outraged and mortified that their brilliant offspring didn't get recruited for any kind of prowess, sports or otherwise, and now they are going to have to fork over full tuition at UNH or some other highly selective college where beer is the major extracurricular).

I find the gap between many of the posts on Melrose Messages and the experience from all of the families I know like an episode out of Bizzaro World. As far as enrollment goes MPS's are bursting at the seams. Elementary School enrollment is way up, the Middle School retention rate from 5th grade is near 100% and the mass exodus of kids to private schools has not only ended but many of the kids who went to the catholic high schools in the area have come back. As far as college achievement goes the last 4 years have been unprecedented in Melrose. In no previous time period over the last 30 years have so many Melrose graduate's been recruited to play college sports, got admitted to great colleges and earned the bounty of academic scholarship money these kids have. Each year has been better than the last with last years graduating class completely ridiculous. As an old economics teacher once said "People vote with their feet" all you need to do is follow the traffic. All traffic points to Melrose Public Schools at every grade level...and then right to some pretty good college opportunities afterward.

You tracked all this information and have it documented in writing. Right! If this were true it would have been in the papers, blogged by the mayor and superintendent and every other place they could brag about it. How stupid do you think we are? We know who's payroll you're on spin doctor/PR firm. Liars everyone.

I can answer Bizzaro Superman with one word - bull****.

What a load from Bizzaro (apt name)! Trump could take lessons from the BS-flingers like Bizzaro here in this BS "quaint" town with all its "incredible" and "exemplary" qualities that only Melrose embodies (according to Doughboy and his Trumpian minions, that is).

If you had kids in the system, paid any kind of attention beyond the school committee meetings and this message board you would know. Its not a secret. Try going to a high school graduation and picking up the graduation publication that shows where the kids are going to school and interviews them. Check out the weekly news and the sports pages. Talk to your high school student and ask him how many kids from Malden Catholic and Austin Prep came back to Melrose or how many 5th graders from St. Mary's came to the middle school. Go to a football game, a school play, or an orchestra/chorus performance. Lots of great kids getting great educations, great extracurricular activities with very happy parents.

Keep drinking that koolaid, Bizzaro. You clearly wouldn't recognize what a good education is if it bit you on your pretentious behind. There is excellent education in this area, just not in Melrose anymore. But just like those many ignorant Melrosians ("true" or otherwise) who don't know the difference between the MSO and the BSO, you wouldn't understand what actual quality is, let alone recognize how much world-class quality--in education, arts, food, etc.--is within a couple or a few miles of Melrose because you're too limited to know the difference. Such parochialism should be embarrassing, but there again, you wouldn't understand Melrose's actual standing in the bigger world. As said before, keep drinking the koolaid or your fancy alcoholic beverages. You obviously need very much to believe that you live in the BEST place, with the BEST schools, sports teams, school music programs, etc. There's no hope for the likes of you.

BS must be a joy to hang around with.

The pure anger and rage evidenced in BS's posts is astonishing. This poor individual needs our sympathy not our ridicule. What could have possibly happened in this poor person's life to create such a massive inferiority complex. You have my sympathy and I would suggest you seek some help for the good of your unfortunate children that are immersed in your sad, sad world.

"Bizzaro" is none other than Vuvu/Clown Patrol, back rebranded with the same tired horsepucky. I doubt that "BS" is unhappy, just real and able to employ critical thinking skills, unlike this very sick and "Bizzaro" individual who simply cannot help herself from gushing about everything MHS/MPS, which in her world, simply have to be far superior to any other school district, probably because she is a "True Melrosian." (She's probably also a Trump voter or may as well be!)

That's a reach Nope. Most Trump voters are angry middle aged white people that are anti public education...just like you. I'd say the majority of the anti everything crowd in Melrose voted for Trump and the people out enjoying everything Melrose has to offer definitely did not support him. Like I said Melrose Messages is Bizzaro World living in an alternative universe, just like Trump. Thank you for making that point more clear.

When multiple team members are leaving, it's a sign that change is needed. Embrace that mindset. Melrose needs help fighting turnovers. Realizing that the problems they have must be pretty bad to consider leaving, it's likely that those issues are affecting many others on the team. How many principals have come and gone. Losing a single employee can cost tens of thousands of dollars, which means a employee turnover can quickly run up costs ranging in into the hundreds of thousands.