Does anyone know how this ever got approved? Here the district is crying poverty, and yet its idiotic Arts Director Steven Black is putting on a totally inappropriate production, one that the rental for the score alone is nearly $48K (or even vastly more) from what we've heard. How is this being allowed????? It's not at all an appropriate show for public schools, let alone the enormous expenditure. This guy should be $hitcanned as the other "Visual and Performing Arts Director" was ("Debby Dumdum") after only one year for equally idiotic mismanagement. No amount of external fund-raising will make this be okay, especially when so much will be disproportionately going towards this one totally inappropriate production.

And speaking of the disgusting poor leadership, where is the chronically raging band director? Someone said he was escorted out of the building and at first suspended and now permanently dismissed. What's the story? This flamer (who took an unsuccessful dive off the Tobin a couple of years ago) should never have been allowed in front of children, and there were plenty of grounds to get rid of him starting when he was first hired. He was the guy who stood in front of the kids during his first month and called his place of employment and their place of education a $hithole. He and the other former director got investigated for abusive conduct towards female staff, costing the district quite a bundle at taxpayer expense for the outside investigators. Paymore had a weirdly needy relationship with this jerk, so she not only didn't fire him when there was flagrant cause, she elevated Pretty Boy to be on her team when the override was being sought, and then she got a ridiculous photo op sitting in his band playing sax! Just so twisted and sick.

Meanwhile the truly excellent things that the actual teachers and leaders in music and art go un- or under-reported consistently. And of course they have to endure a department led by self-serving clowns and menacing sickos while they're doing the noble work of trying to keep the historically excellent Art and Music and Drama departments going.

Sheesh! And then you have sped directors getting caught being serviced on asst principal's desk... Really wholesome environment in the MPS these days! But sure, plan a $50,000 production about a guy who makes meat pies out of his dad.... (Is that what they're planning to serve for the Liberty B fund-raisers?!)