Schools & School Committee
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Override...

Another over ride, another calling to all, speeches and venom and blah blah blah. Vote yes of you hate our schools and our future. Guess what I vote no. I can't afford this over ride plain and simple. Elderly, disabled, disabled veterans all on fixed incomes does anyone care. Not in Melrose. Make the town unaffordable, we keep hearing these people in real estate speaking about what sells homes, the schools, yes you are right but we have to be able to afford to be in the town to send our kids to those schools. So tired of the based yes vote from Real Estate officials at the meetings. Maybe your million dollar homes have families who can, because I see plenty of those selling but what about your average home with a blue collar family, sorry I can't afford it and it was not just the schools, it was the safety provided by the police, the low crime rate, the community programs, the sense of belonging. Then we listen to more people speak about the 26-35 moving in to Melrose. Where? I fall in that category and since I have been here I have struggled to no end because its one thing after another to get more and more money. Lets keep taking for granted what we have. Melrose Schools may have issues so does every school but yet they are superior to most. Class sizes went up, so what. It is still at a controllable ratio. Enough! I listen to teachers complain about things that almost make me laugh when I think of other school systems and what it is like in those schools but yet those schools have teachers who dig their heels in with their students and find a way to motivate them to success. Finally I get to say NO. I Vote NO!

Re: Override...



You are not alone. My family hears you. My family agrees with you. My family can’t afford it and will vote know, too.

Re: Override...

What needs fixing in the Melrose schools cannot be fixed by throwing money at it. We are in the mess we are in now because of the current superintendent and school committee. The school committee and it's chair chose to repeatedly ignore calls for action about the superintendent's abrasive management style, and improper behavior towards parents who chose to come forward with serious accusations of civil rights abuses by staff and administrators. This has been driving our best educators to leave the system for better school districts. This was all preventable but the school committee and it's current and former chair chose to sit on their hands, paper it all over and cover up multiple civil rights offenses. For some reason they all collectively chose to cover up the problems rather than to acknowledge the problems and implement fixes, the first of which should have been removing the current superintendent and other administrators who were complicit in improper behavior to cover up civil rights transgressions by staff administrators.

Re: Override...

Yet, here we are five years later. Same superintendent, same lackeys on school committee, same school committee chair who helped CT and RVC with the big coverup, only to be caught red handed by the Office of Civil Rights. The voters have let this happen and they deserve the poor schools they voted for when they voted for the go-along to get-along school committee members who have enabled the current superintendent to destroy our schools and spend millions on the coverups. legal fees and legal settlements. Oh, and did I mention that they expect us all to pony up 5.18 million dollars but won't even let our alderwoman at large have a copy of the tax payer funded student population projections study? Are they hiding something?

Re: Override...

How Teachers' Union Handcuff Schools. Paraprofessionals misrepresentation union contract update. You need to work for the override to get an added year to your contract. The only thing that can prevent the teachers' union reform movement from expanding is the one thing the teachers' union can't seem to deliver-a public school system that works. I will vote No in the spring.

Re: Override...

I would like all residents to ride by the Melrose Police Department and then ride by the schools.

Re: Override...

America's students deserve more than politics as usual.

Re: Override...


The Melrose Police and Fire deserve more than politics as usual, too.
Ask firefighters and police officers what they think of Illegitimate Gail and her Schools Only Override.

Re: Override...

misrepresentations
How Teachers' Union Handcuff Schools. Paraprofessionals misrepresentation union contract update. You need to work for the override to get an added year to your contract. The only thing that can prevent the teachers' union reform movement from expanding is the one thing the teachers' union can't seem to deliver-a public school system that works. I will vote No in the spring.
The scheduled to take effect later, maybe the new contract agreement, which still needs to be ratified is what the union is waiting for and the members will receive the full contract.

Re: Override...

Yet the Liberals have been slamming anyone and everyone with a question or information? This is not about party. this is about moral compass and Melrose has lost it. Using children to get money is appalling and everyone last time I checked had a right to speak but not in Melrose when you even mention a fiscal conservative attitude your called a "child hater" because "this is our schools." What was the title of the article in 2016 after the failed override.. "Melrose Public Schools rank highest Among MCAS Score sin the Region." Maybe if people stepped back and appreciated what we have things would be less volatile. The PODS were part of our plan for the future for 5-10 years now the plan changes in one? These people are absurd and if anyone cares about our children then they would start holding the people of power responsible not shouting its our kids give money.




























Re: Override...

In this town recently it feels like people don't believe the police and fire departments do not help our children. They educate as well people! They keep our kids safe in and out of school. The fire department does so much for the community as well as the police when it comes to children. Only give to the teachers? There was one firefighter who gave strength to my family more than any teacher and more than anyone in the school when we needed guidance. He asked for nothing because he believed in nobility. He would work for free because he has a passion to ensure kids are treated fair and equal. I'm sorry to rant but I would tell the whole story but ut of respect to people involved I gave the cliff notes. the school did nothing, left us behind. Not the police or fire departments. Heroes. NOBLE heroes. Not motivated by the dollar bill. Thank you!

Re: Override...

resident 45years
I would like all residents to ride by the Melrose Police Department and then ride by the schools.
My family and I just got home from the YMCA and drove by the police station and it is despicable. The superintendent and union should be ashamed of themselves for even thinking about the schools such greedy people. No kindness in this override. I vote for the police and not what the mayor said only the schools get the override.

Re: Override...

The Teachers Union is going to negotiate an increase. There will be complaining that the current contract states 1% increase but not only do they get a cost off living increase but their checks and lanes increase. People do not understand the word negotiate. Nope lets just give up tax payers money without ACTUALLY negotiating. So the contract negotiates 2.5% for increase then their checks and lanes..come on and the override calls for 6%. The Police are being neglected! I have not had an increase in six years but who cares about my family or my income. I make half of what the teachers make with only a single insurance plan to pick from which is awful. So absurd how this town thinks. But in Melrose not all people are equal. You have to be in the "click". we all know what that means. Affordable living? For who? soon it will be only be for the school administration with Taymore as Mayor. UNREAL.

I agree...Police matter too! (They also have better things to do than hand out tickets for not shoveling a side walk while you are at work, another mindless proposition presented without facts or information)

Re: Override...

No Way!
resident 45years
I would like all residents to ride by the Melrose Police Department and then ride by the schools.
My family and I just got home from the YMCA and drove by the police station and it is despicable. The superintendent and union should be ashamed of themselves for even thinking about the schools such greedy people. No kindness in this override. I vote for the police and not what the mayor said only the schools get the override.

The MPD must “jump start” one of the cruisers every shift in order for it to be driven. DPW John looked ridiculous when he promised a “draft report” of the vehicle fleet conditions by February. The subject came up in June. He mumbled and bumbled his answer. Then the IT manager looked ridiculous when he stated that the new Fire Chief is moving to push forward technology implying other Chiefs were resistant. The MFD’s infrastructure makes it impossible. The SCHOOLS ONLY Override is ridiculous! VOTE NO !

Re: Override...

Jump Start
No Way!
resident 45years
I would like all residents to ride by the Melrose Police Department and then ride by the schools.
My family and I just got home from the YMCA and drove by the police station and it is despicable. The superintendent and union should be ashamed of themselves for even thinking about the schools such greedy people. No kindness in this override. I vote for the police and not what the mayor said only the schools get the override.

The MPD must “jump start” one of the cruisers every shift in order for it to be driven. DPW John looked ridiculous when he promised a “draft report” of the vehicle fleet conditions by February. The subject came up in June. He mumbled and bumbled his answer. Then the IT manager looked ridiculous when he stated that the new Fire Chief is moving to push forward technology implying other Chiefs were resistant. The MFD’s infrastructure makes it impossible. The SCHOOLS ONLY Override is ridiculous! VOTE NO !
This so unacceptable in Melrose now in 2018 the police have waited long enough. I DO NOT CARE WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PASSED THIS IS FOR OUR COMMUNITY PEOPLE! My family and I will be voting NO ON THE OVERRIDE FOR THE GREEDY SCHOOLS.

Re: Override...

Failed override in 2015 nd the next year MCAS Scores highest in the region. 98% of high school seniors are going to college with 30.8% being accepted to "prestigious" institutes..(example is Harvard). Yet we have to cry about ratio and teacher salaries. You kidding me? Not a single shred of data from any site researched shows a ratio issue it is just a preference issue. Reality?... Our kids have it a lot better than most. Get mad over an extra kid in class when you have schools that have ten times that and they still do fine. We are not paying teachers to parent our kids... we are the parents and despite anything I will push them and guide them to find success. God forbid there are trials and tribulations to define us. God forbid we have obstacles to break through and in Melrose these are small. Shelter and shun might sound good in theory but is that what brings the world the next great innovators or inventors or whatever. Life was never a handout and life was never meant to be a smooth road. Yet here we are trying to pretend that throwing money at the school can make that happen? What happens when reality sets in? What happens when they are faced with a challenge?

I vote no because 5.18 million dollars will never define success, never define what makes a great thinker think, never will it make an artist forget how to paint. I will not tell my children follow the path of least resistance because it is easier and you might make more money. I will tell them follow their hearts and their moral compass.. You can keep trying to buy us but t will never happen..even if it passes you are still not buying us..our minds are not for sale, our character is not for sale... You want to take the Ten Commandments and who cares what religion because anyone who says thou shalt not steal is okay in my book. You want to take the Pledge of Allegiance. it is not about God it is about saying thank you to those who gave it all for a country where we can have debates like this. You can keep trying to make this bubble of a world where theses things do not exist but you cannot erase our moral compass and you cannot buy our vote or our minds.


Accountability!