https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/north/2016/03/10/nomelrose/a2e5dmn7DOBkdTuwEr5EhK/amp.html
Am I understanding that this happened under Taymore who has now just proposed a over ride with the best interest of the kids at hand? I also have reached out to certain sources and this is not the only incident!!
Bullying that was never addressed!
Read more.. the Boston glide along with local media call for MORE TRANSPARENCY..will we ever get it
This might be old news but it’s the same patterns and behaviors.. zero transparency, mismanagement, where are the ethics boards to investigate and keep us updated?
We need a change!
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/north/2016/03/10/nomelrose/a2e5dmn7DOBkdTuwEr5EhK/story.html
Melrose School Committee member resigns
By John Laidler Globe correspondent March 10, 2016
A Melrose School Committee member abruptly resigned her seat Tuesday, claiming the board has failed to respond adequately to a federal finding that the district violated US civil rights law in 2014.
Carrie Kourkoumelis, an outspoken critic of the school administration, also called for the resignation of Superintendent Cyndy S. Taymore, in a statement to the community on Wednesday. She resigned formally in a letter to the committee Tuesday night.
“Even as the lone dissenting voice, I did not feel I could in good conscience continue to be part of a body that I believe was not acting according to the best interests of children,” Kourkoumelis, who had held her seat since 2010, said in an interview.
The US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights found that the school district violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in connection with an April 2014 incident at the Memorial Middle School.
The report determined that an African-American student suffered racial harassment when a teacher made derogatory comments to him about his race. It said the harassment “created a racially hostile environment for the student; and, the district failed to take adequate action to redress that environment.”
In an agreementreached in December resolving the case, the district pledged to take steps to prevent discrimination and to properly investigate future complaints.
In her statement to the committee, Kourkoumelis said “I had expected this School Committee to demonstrate leadership in holding those responsible accountable. Instead, I consider the responses of this School Committee to be inadequate and inconsistent with an ethical course of action.
“The self congratulatory culture of this School Committee perpetuates harm, shields those responsible, and impedes necessary change,” she charged, noting that as recently as Taymore’s midyear reevaluation on Feb. 23, “my colleagues did not address what I see as critical failures and continue to offer praise.”
“As a matter of conscience I cannot continue to countenance these actions of my peers and must register a vote of no confidence in this School Committee,” said Kourkoumelis, calling on Taymore to resign as a “necessary first step for Melrose.”
In separate statements, Taymore and School Committee chairwoman Margaret Driscoll expressed appreciation for Kourkoumelis’ service.
“While we did not see eye to eye on every issue, I respect her intelligence and skills, and I believe that she had the best interests of our students in mind,” Taymore said.”There is always room for dialogue and debate in government, and this district will continue to move forward, improving upon the lessons learned from [the Office of Civil Rights], and continuing our district’s proven track record of academic excellence and high standards.”
Said Driscoll, “A constructive dialogue is needed because we face many challenges, and we look forward to welcoming a new member to our committee to work in collaboration with Superintendent Taymore whom we support.”
John Laidler can be reached at laidler@globe.com.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 9, 2016
Carrie Kourkoumelis
To the citizens of Melrose and members of the Melrose School Committee:
In January 2016 the U.S. Office of Civil Rights published the finding that our school district
violated its Title VI responsibilities. After receiving notice of a civil rights incident in April 2014, Superintendent Taymore was responsible for complying with our district's Title VI obligations.
Instead, OCR found that "the District had actual notice of racial harassment; the harassment
created a racially hostile environment for the Student; and, the District failed to take adequate
action to redress that environment."
In light of these findings, I had expected this School Committee to demonstrate leadership in
holding those responsible accountable. Instead, I consider the responses of this School
Committee to be inadequate and inconsistent with an ethical course of action. The self-congratulatory culture of this School Committee perpetuates harm, shields those responsible,
and impedes necessary change. Even as recently as February 23, 2016, during Superintendent
Taymore's Mid-Year Evaluation, my colleagues did not address what I see as critical failures and
continue to offer praise—even commending the Superintendent for planning remedial actions
mandated by OCR.
As a matter of conscience I cannot continue to countenance these actions of my peers and must
register a vote of no confidence in this School Committee. The recent enactment of "Norms"
consolidates authority in the Chair of this Committee and requires that we speak with only one
voice, the voice of the majority opinion. In my view, this contributes to a culture of
obstructionism and diminishes my capacity to serve constructively. I feel my role as a member of
this univocal body legitimizes actions that conflict with my moral compass and are not in the
best interest of students. In my opinion, these Norms codify a broken system that cannot be
fixed as long as the current leadership remains.
I hereby resign my position as a member of the Melrose School Committee. It has been a great
honor to serve our city as a twice-elected official. I will continue my advocacy and will continue
to assist in the process of redress and reconciliation.
As a citizen, I call for the immediate resignation of Superintendent Taymore. I consider this a
necessary first step for Melrose. Furthermore, I urge this School Committee and Mayor Dolan to
address problems openly and honestly and to re-enfranchise the public as partners in the
process. Now, more than ever, we need competent leadership.
Sincerely,
Carrie Kourkoumelis
How anyone could think that this school administration has any credibility is beyond comprehension. The local parent population is so incredibly naive and must really need to believe the Fake News and Alternate Facts put out by the school committee and administration (and frankly, the teachers' union, based on seeing the groups of teachers behaving like sheeple). It is truly embarrassing to see such mob stupidity in this backwards burb.