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Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

These people have no shame! How can Taymore and Driscoll look people in the eyes and say that they are for educational excellence when they lack a basic understanding of transparency and honesty towards the residents of Melrose.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

This 21 page string created and maintained by the lunatics of Melrose needs to die a quick and painless death. Transparency is the most overused word in government.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

March 14, 2018 the seniors will walk out of MHS for 17 minutes around ten o'clock. The protest is to enforce new gun laws. Power to all the students at MHS.For the victims and stronger gun control.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

The discomfort of thought has the potential to draw in a crowd. But it can’t happen without more truth, openness, and debate first.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

The City is in such a tailspin covering up the school issues and the drug problems. Look out for yourself and your own interests.Because the leadership in this City has "gone along to get along" for so long that they deny and avoid all conflict and can't handle a municipal budget in an honest and equitable way. So, take care of yourself and your family.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

shame
The SC that voted to keep Taymore guess what, they are leaving and that includes the mayor. Thanks for your assistance in leaving the most costly superintendent in Melrose. She has been here five years what has she done? We as a family are worried that Dolan has done more damage and wants out before the residents know what is going on.
CT and PWL will never be able to find jobs in another district. The risk to a school district is too great with their history of OCR violations and other misdeeds..unless they find another district as foolhardy as the Melrose School Committee to hire them.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

Diamond
shame
The SC that voted to keep Taymore guess what, they are leaving and that includes the mayor. Thanks for your assistance in leaving the most costly superintendent in Melrose. She has been here five years what has she done? We as a family are worried that Dolan has done more damage and wants out before the residents know what is going on.
CT and PWL will never be able to find jobs in another district. The risk to a school district is too great with their history of OCR violations and other misdeeds..unless they find another district as foolhardy as the Melrose School Committee to hire them.
There are lots of districts in the same mess that we are in. There is a real lack of true leaders, due to the fact that many of these "leaders" get into education simply to be "in charge". They spend no time actually teaching, and their knowledge of both teaching and leading is sorely lacking. Unfortunately, I think they could find jobs in other places- there are a lot of desperate places.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

Folks - stop this ridiculous discussion! She is an arrogant, egotistical bureaucrat who will leave when she finishes her current term so that she can maximize her retirement benefits - and the school committee will not let her go and admit they made a mistake.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

I do! Freedom of speech on an open message board - please seek other message boards if you are too offended - otherwise - accept the criteria for posting - anonymity & freedom of speech!

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

Lesson to be learned: Change the school superintendent . short of this nothing changes.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

It's about being accountable..What has to happen for someone to read into this major problem in Melrose.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

There are so many employees jumping ship midyear at the high school the system can't keep up. Within the last month four employees quit from the same special needs class and the reasons have nothing to do with the students, though this type of wreakless abandon negatively impacts students who are used to and depend on routine. Don't get me wrong, it's with good reason and self preservation people went elsewhere. Perhaps the administers of the school should look into the reasons every single Paraprofessional couldn't even hang on until years end, because trust me,there are legitimate severe concerns that should have been addressed a few years ago.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

Sorry, but I have no idea what chaios is, nor do I have any idea what wreakless abandon is.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

What?
Sorry, but I have no idea what chaios is, nor do I have any idea what wreakless abandon is.
Chaos had a typo, whoops, big deal. If you don't know the definition of wreakless abandon, you're too stupid to be on this site. Oh, good try to ignore the bigger problem by focusing, or should I say redirecting on a trivial misspelling instead of the the poster's message. Nothing like trying to marginalize the topic currently at hand.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

reckless abandon

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

Prof. Correctipants Jr.
reckless abandon
The professor is in desperate need of a pull-up...and a life.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

Not true. I simply feel that when someone is calling someone else stupid, they should at least get the term correct themselves!

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

Thank you. It appears that you share my feeling that correct spelling and punctuation are critical for effective communication, and that it was, in fact, not my comment that marginalized the poster's point, but the poster's own dreadful spelling that did that. I wonder if either of those two dimwits can even spell dictionary, let alone use one. Stupid is as stupid does, I guess - like giving the launch codes to someone who can't pronounce nuclear correctly. Nucular? WTF is that? Part of an eyeball?

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

What?
Thank you. It appears that you share my feeling that correct spelling and punctuation are critical for effective communication, and that it was, in fact, not my comment that marginalized the poster\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s point, but the poster\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s own dreadful spelling that did that. I wonder if either of those two dimwits can even spell dictionary, let alone use one. Stupid is as stupid does, I guess - like giving the launch codes to someone who can\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'t pronounce nuclear correctly. Nucular? WTF is that? Part of an eyeball?
Here we go again with the mindless babble of the incredibly stupid. If you are going to correct spelling and grammar don't forget with your own quotation marks, "Stupid is as stupid does." Melrose, wtf is wrong with You? These paid spin doctors working on our dime with nothing but time on their hands but to discredit the truth. Apparently, "You can't handle the truth." Read between the lines or are they too blurred for you? MAGAs get back to your meanial civil service jobs covering up for the likes of our fake mayor, disfunctional and delusional Driscoll, PAYMORE to herself and her friends with that pot of money you hide in SPED. Flunky Farrell probably can't find where she hid it so she needs to rely on the help from Zammuto while giving SEEM a financial break. Meanwhile our kids are Pod-People, unable to attend school in their own neighborhoods so SEEM reaps all the benefits of the Ripley's Believe It Or Not and Beebee...thats the buzz.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

The etymology for stupid is as stupid does is as follows: Modeled after handsome is as handsome does, attested to since at least 1862. Although Tom Hanks as Forest Gump did say it in the movie, the expression has existed for many years prior to the making of the movie. Therefore, it does not require quotation marks, since it is common usage.

I have no idea how you arrived at the conclusion that I was spinning anything. For the record, I think the entire school administration should be fired. The same goes for those twits on the School Committee. I couldn't stand the former Mayor, and am glad he's gone. Unfortunately the charter is so poorly written we are now stuck with Infurna, who takes her direction from Dolan and his remaining lackeys. We've got school buildings not being used as school buildings, and at the same time just spent six million bucks on modulars at Winthrop.

My meanial civil service job? I don't have one, nor do I have a menial civil service job. Additionally I don't understand what Beebee is.

I guess the bottom line is this - if you want my attention, and you want to be taken seriously, speak English. You also may want to spend some time reading up on appropriate paragraph construction, run-on sentences, and sentence fragments. Otherwise, get out of my face. I have no time to waste on an ignoramus.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

Dear Ms/r. know it all. Kiss my bl@ck/red, white and blue a$$.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

We live in a country that had a President who couldn’t pronounce nuclear correctly, so an entire news network started pronouncing it incorrectly so he wouldn’t sound stupid! Sad.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

Get over yourselves

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

i no Comey; write? Just cuz you and i doesnt right as gud as them their like all your not as gud as us. There the stupid ones and people listen too me and yew.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

Cover up
Dear Ms/r. know it all. Kiss my bl@ck/red, white and blue a$$.
Now there's an intelligent response. I rest my case.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

"To become a teacher if you didn't major in education, in most states you will need to complete an alternative teacher preparation program. These programs typically must be approved by the state's board of education and lead to a post graduate certificate or a master's degree plus licensure" Superintendent Taymore firmly stood by this protocol.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

This all started with the the election of arrogant and incompetent school committee members headed by self-serving chairpersons. They dish our enough favors to remain in office for years - developing a school network to ensure re-election for years to come - while parents are too busy trying to scrape by paying little attention to the education of their children. The schools imploding is the only event that will change this formula - which appears on the horizon!

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

It really started to sink to the lowest depth in July 2012 with the arrival of Taymore and her crew though they still kept the unbelievable inept PWL in SPED. It was doing poorly under Casey in 2007 and those he brought with him. It really started to sink to the lowest depth in July 2012 with the arrival of Taymore and her crew though they still kept the unbelievable inept PWL in SPED.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

Melrose takes awhile to wake up and hopefully not to long this time.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

Transparency
Melrose takes awhile to wake up and hopefully not to long this time.
Mayor Infurna last night announced that she will eliminate health benefits for the aldermen in next year’s budget.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

The school committee did make a mistake.It is time to Call for the resignation of Cyndy Taymore.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

Jealousy is not a pretty color, people. #Be Best!

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

Jealousy is not a color. Ditto for the other times you posted the same!

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

Constant chaios
There are so many employees jumping ship midyear at the high school the system can\'t keep up. Within the last month four employees quit from the same special needs class and the reasons have nothing to do with the students, though this type of wreakless abandon negatively impacts students who are used to and depend on routine. Don\'t get me wrong, it\'s with good reason and self preservation people went elsewhere. Perhaps the administers of the school should look into the reasons every single Paraprofessional couldn\'t even hang on until years end, because trust me,there are legitimate severe concerns that should have been addressed a few years ago.
Are we supposed to trust that these officials are competent and trustworthy?

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

Clean the swamp and Melrose will change.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

Why not the first year when she showed signs then with Kathy and Rita. Now children with needs had to go through some ups and downs for no reason.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

In case you missed the oped in this week's Free Press:
In the coming weeks, interim Mayor Gail Infurna and the Board of Aldermen will complete a required cycle toward a fiscal year 2019 operating budget for the city and schools to begin on July 1. The total budget will come in at about 80 million; about 30 million will go to the public schools.

If the many cycles of such are any indication, the powers that now are will complain again about lack of funding and then pass yet another budget with no significant changes or restructurings. All while rumblings of yet another override attempt percolate behind the scenes. The last two would have added millions more; both were resoundingly defeated by a 2-1 margin. A third override attempt will follow the same defeat. Eighty million is plenty to run the city ands schools, especially with the annual budget increases coming from unregulated water and sewer increases and no major management or restructuring initiatives for long-range planning.

During Rob Dolan’s reign, I offered gratis to assist him in major undertakings that any well-run municipality implements. He balked at all. Today, there are about 350 city-side retirees (public teachers and administrators are under a totally separate and independent retirement system). They fall into two groups: Group IV is all police and fire employees; Group I is all other city workers without delineated categories of service. Group IV is about 25 percent of the 350 total; Group I the other 75 percent. All city employees are eligible for a life pension and life health insurance after just 10 years service. These include all mayors and aldermen. The 350 current retiree’s names and their pension amount is public information. Most are former part-time employees collecting a life pension and health benefits.

After 16 years of the Dolan administration, the number of projected retirees is now about 450 according to the city’s Retirement Board. Their names, current salaries and Group membership toward life benefits are not public information.

For the city to financially survive, it is mandatory that Infurna and the aldermen, especially wannabe mayor and attorney John Tramontozzi (who takes the18K health package) begin the process of reducing city employees who are currently paid part-time wages for current and future full-time benefits.

In the school department, the last two Melrose FY budgets had some 35 percent dedicated to special education—about 10 million. The national average is about 12 percent; the state average about 18 percent. Such an expenditure screams for a coordinated and accountable curriculum in Grades K-3. The majority of SPED services in all school systems begin in Grades K-3; the majority of such referrals are for reading and language related reasons. Add that Melrose skirts state and federal mandates for regular-education intervention strategies before SPED kicks in with parent awareness and it all add up to major and wasted education dollars.

The third and final major initiative needed is an “Early Retirement Incentive” in the school system. Simply put, the ERI pays teachers that are retirement eligible a bonus to retire with one year’s irrevocable notice. The payout is usually for three years after retirement, and a win-win for the teacher and the taxpayer by hiring a first-year teacher to replace the top-scale retiree as well as saving current “longevity” stipends received annually by teachers with 10 or more years in the system. Those bonus amounts are, for example: 10K in Year 1 of retirement; 7,500 in Year 2 and 5K in Year 3. The majority of all Melrose teaching staff, numbering about 275 of 350 school-side staff according to the school website, is currently eligible for ERI. While most Melrose teachers are dedicated professionals, too many are biding time and need an earlier path to retirement.

An organized curriculum in PK-3, 4-5, 6-8 and 9-12, all approved by the school committee as policy and managed by each principal, makes teachers accountable to measurable outcomes aligned with special education protocol and state and federal assessments, not to mention their annual performance evaluation. This organization and accountability would push many retirement considerations. Look no further than the lack of such organization and accountability as the major reason why so many Melrose parents opt for charter or private or parochial settings.

Here we are in early April. If we restructure just 5 percent of the FY19 budget –- a very very respectable amount – that’s 4 million dollars to lower water and sewer bills or to increase teacher salaries or to bond a new police station -- or all three.

Restructuring city-side employees to full-time, adopting coherent and measurable “Areas of Essential Learning” in reading, writing and math in Grades K-3 aligned with special education, and adopting an Early Retirement Incentive in the schools are all doable by September 1. Yes, in just four months.

Once again, I’m available gratis to assist. A one-hour public meeting for each of these three initiatives with Mayor Infurna, the president of the Board of Aldermen, Superintendent Taymore and the school committee chairperson is an easy start to explain eventual major financial and educational gains for our kids, parents and taxpayers.

(Bob Snow is co-host of MMTV’s “Matters of Interest.” He is also the former assistant superintendent of Somerville schools and a former three-term member of the Melrose School Committee.)

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

I am not a lifetime Melrosian (?) I moved here for the location, not the schools (I don't need the schools, fortunately for me, I guess). I love MM as a guilty pleasure, and usually don't post or reply, but I have to ask: Who is this Bob Snow guy, and why doesn't he run for mayor? He makes more sense than anyone on the SC or BOA, as far as i can tell.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

He doesn't live in Melrose anymore. That said, while he can be a trigger-happy crank, there are more nuggets worth chewing on in his stuff than I used to give him credit for, so I don't care that he doesn't live in Melrose any more. There should be journalists raising issues, instead of being lap dogs. The standard operating procedure of city hall folks is to only put forward information that advances their causes, be as silent as possible about anything that doesn't, and cover for each other. That's hardly unique to Melrose, but the Put On And Maintain A Happy Face And They Will Go Away routine gets more tiring the longer one has lived her. Newbies to Melrose: never accept what city hall says at face value, unless you are pleased to be credulous suckers (I used to be one of you/them).

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

You answered the “why”, because he does make more sense, and for some reason people don’t like that!

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

Bruce
You answered the “why”, because he does make more sense, and for some reason people don’t like that!
wrote one too many accurate articles about the myriad MPS scandals.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

Thank you for the post. I believe that our careers sees waves of engagement, greatness, and trust in the system. I try to remember that sometimes people are at the bottom of the wave. I feel it is my job to get them back to the top. Staff wellbeing is too important to be left to chance. Can our new year's resolution be to work on it together?

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

No matter how vigorously the local realtors lie/aka "represent" the state of the city and schools, there is no covering up of the stench this SC and administration have created. It's a mess, and changing the charter is a necessary first step in fixing it.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

The City of Melrose has a long way to go with all the legal fees first. The SC is more to blame than the superintendent. Our School Committee is Cyndi's boss and has the power to let her go at anytime. What has to happen for someone to read into this major problem in Melrose.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

Ms. Taymore should be leaving.Not the teacher;s.Not good for are children and families.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

This superintendent needs to go. What is wrong with the SC not to let her go?

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

Taymore never should have been given a new contract.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

Clean the swamp and Melrose will change. Yes we can.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

Melrose Public schools civil rights" and read the numerous reports and newspapers telling the ugly truth.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

The office of Civil Rights at DOE can give you the details, or you can just google.

Re: More Staff Leaving the High School?????

The one that none of them can hide a major scandal.So may be it is time for the Call for the resignation of Cyndy Taymore.

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