School Committee meeting last night:
https://vimeo.com/160040052 @ 2:45:00

Absolutely nuts

Complete with choking up and tears. You'd think this woman should receive a Nobel instead of the door!

This is the School Committee response to Mrs. Kourkoumelis' call for action last week.

These people are out of their minds and live in some alternate universe.

Frankly the whole meeting was nauseating, starting with the parade of Grover's gullible Talking Points nursery school moms who clearly have no clue but dutifully lined up to come forward with their scripted "non-negotiable" pleas designed to prop up the mayor's latest budget/finance schemes. Yuck. The "non-negotiable" stuff really rubbed me the wrong way. So entitled, so clueless about the bigger picture (like what about the high school?), obviously just listening to the fabricated propaganda. And these are college-educated reasonable-sounding and most likely well-intentioned parents, sadly.

The display around music/arts fees was gross (but then the whole thing was). That chair is quite obviously without a shred of competence.

The dysfunction (the purposeful kind and as a result of incompetence) around Parliamentary Procedure was more evident than ever last night, and not just because of the new members. Casatelli has been there 14 years or so and came down on DeSelm for "changing" a motion when she had a valid amendment. Good for DeSelm for trying to bring a note of reason into the meeting several time (she was really the only one), like about not raising ECC fees by 8%. Obviously the plan was prescripted to get that 8% raise, so they weren't going to allow anyone to veer the discussion too far away from that prescripted plan even if they had to give the new one some slack before shutting her down. Lizbeth also spoke up about financial questions, and again wasn't given a real answer (typical), but at least she tried.

But the kicker was that final circus at the end of the meeting. Just wow. For anyone who doesn't understand how or why things are the way they are with the Melrose Public Schools, this is it in a nutshell (quite literally).

Crazy play actors reciting lines written by creative fiction authors and paid PR consultants. The "professional reviews" tell a different story and the audience (voters) already registered their opinion. NO !

The more absurdly dysfunctional Melrose gets, the better for surrounding communities. Melrose - the gift that keeps on giving.

What a freaking train wreck. It's horrifying, but you can't help but watch. I find myself stuck between laughing my head off at the absurdity and being next to tears at the shame of it. WTF is wrong with these people, and WTF is wrong with the rest of you for allowing it?

Please remember people, that nothing is going to change even though we have 3 new people on the committee - I also would like to give credit to Liz for doing some challenging of the chair - she may end up surprising us - good for her. By the way, what the heck is up with Ed, why is he so quiet and non-consequential in their discussion of the issues. Come on Ed, get on the stick and start being present at the meetings! However, we will still have the "I hear angels" chair Ms. Driscoll - and that can not be good for making needed changes.
ymore

My final comments about Taymore's leadership award - Ms. Drsicoll says that she is a great example for other superintendent's to emulate - yep....numerous OCR investigations with one finding so far, Melrose's first level 3 school (which was only changed to Level 2 recently), and who has decimated the once stellar music and art departments in Melrose - yes this is one woman that ALL women supers should emulate!

Helping to obtain awards for clients is one thing PR firms do. Not unlike the The Wizard of Oz producing an
award for "good deed doer".

No doubt the PR firm is behind this. They're pulling out all the stops in defense of the call for her resignation due to her illegal actions in the OCR case.

Interesting to see yet another new crop of wide-eyed parents of preschoolers and elementary age there to suck up to Supt. and School Committee. There is a fresh supply of them every year.

Don't be too critical of young parents. They don't yet realize how much they're being manipulated by the school and the Martha Grovers of the world.

Many of us parents of older children have been there. You think the schools are great because your daughter seems happy and everyone acts so complimentary of her. They really know how to manipulate parents. They act as if elementary school's just a wonderful party and they do it all so professionally and perfectly. After a few more years, earlier if your kid needs sped services, you and your child learn they don't care in the least. When she gets to middle and high school, where they don't even try to pretend, you decide to hold your nose until she can graduate and get out of there. You feel ashamed you promoted the schools with all the volunteer time, or that you defended them when you did.

You could be justified holding it against these new parents because today there is proof in the paper that the supt,principals,sped director and school committee all violated federal laws. That should make any parent think twice before praising in public that they care so much about the children.

Driscoll is definitely brown-nosing for something. Says she's going to make a couple remarks and she drones on about "Cyndy" for 5 minutes. If her choking up wasn't an act, it was because she knew how much of a lie it all is.

She's desperate to prop up the super only because of how it reflects on her when the super goes down in flames. Driscoll's rep rides entirely on some oscar-winning public image she and her new PR pals can spin for the super.

when the super goes down in flames. It will be in time and i hope soon.

I was sickened to hear of this charade taking place with those pathetic school committee members (Dolan, Driscoll, Dugan, Casatelli) actively participating in this shameful exercise. Even to the most naïve of Melrose parents, this was recognized as a blatant PR stunt. Awards of this nature should not be handed out to those who:

Throw school districts into turmoil.

Reduce school districts to level three status.

Swear at members of the public at school committee meetings in front of children (and then never even apologize!)

Violate public records laws to cover-up educator/administrator civil rights violations,

Openly deny school committee members the public information they need to do their jobs of protecting the interests of students, parents and the Melrose taxpayers.

Openly violate civil rights laws by actively retaliating against victims and reporters of teacher and administrator misconduct/abuse.

The sad thing is that these same school committee members enabled and even participated at times in above violations.

In order to sleep at night or look themselves in the mirror, the SC members are known to self medicate often. Dulling their guilt will not erase the harm they continue to cause.

Kudos to "Shame on school committee and MASS" for bulleting the disgraceful state of affairs so accurately. These veteran SC members - Dolan, Driscoll, Dugan, Casatelli - are guilty on all counts. They have most certainly thrown the school system into chaos. (Remember when all but one administrator resigned en masse just 4 years ago? That's on them, too!) They have plunged this district repeatedly into one shameful situation (and many outright illegal situations!) after another, made each administrative hire worse than the previous, and now are flagrantly abusing the public trust in even more outrageous ways. What they did Tuesday night with that disgusting show of self-pleasuring at the end of their meeting was beyond even their lowest moves to date.

What a way to induct their newest committee member, beginning the meeting with a ridiculous command from Father Dolan for all to rise (no, Rob, you are not an ordained officiant, idiot!) while the "ceremonial" swearing-in took place. More disgusting theatrics.

CKK: You called it. Good for you for your strong and ethical stand and for stepping away from that festering madness. Watching the total dysfunction of this most recent meeting makes clear what the last 6 years would have been like had you not been there. Thank you for your service to our community!

Guilfoil, you are not going to be able to wash away the stains of these complete utter abusers of the public trust! Collect your $10,000 and then charge extra, but it still won't work. It's done, history. These people all need to go! They have painted themselves with the broad ugly brushes with every action they take. If there's a way to screw it up and make it worse, it's a virtual guarantee they will get that job done, and beyond our worst imagining. That cheap stunt of the "award" and then the bizarre and badly done immorality play at the end of Tuesday's meeting really took the cake. There aren't enough new mommies with stars in their eyes for Martha to prop in front of the tv cameras with their silly propaganda that could possibly undo the damage of these veteran creeps who have ruined our school district.

The parade of Hoover mommies who gushed over the school system, SC and Mayor still haven't accepted the reality of the Override defeat. The school system, SC and Mayor aren't trusted or respected. Tight personal budgets and questions regarding the process of governing in Melrose led to No votes and the failure of the Override to pass.

Forgive them, for they know not what they are doing...

The PR firm will spin as long as they are being paid. However it's over. The reputations of CT, the SC and the MPS have been tarnished and no amount of bull can undo what has happened. Interesting to hear RD's comments at the last meeting. Listen closely to his words and inferences. He seemed to be paving the way for the Supers departure.

It amazes me how much you all care about this award, especially since you went out of your way to discredit it and say it is so meaningless. Are you afraid that unless you attack this award, people may think that our superintendent is doing a good job? By your own accounts, anyone who has kids in the school system would automatically understand how terrible the school administration is. There should be no need for this long email string to go on about how terrible things are and how meaningless this award is. It makes it sound like you are worried that there actually think there IS some credibility to this award, the way you are discounting it so much - to quote Shakespeare - "the lady doth protest too much, methinks?"

Dolan certainly criticized the last few superintendents saying they wouldn't make tough decisions and he had to make them. I've only been here from Casey's time, but Dolan always claimed he was the best, just as he does for Taymore today. Once Taymore's gone, he'll claim she wasn't any good either.

Should Donald Trump win an award for promoting diversity? What's your point? Melrosians want to make sure accolades are not bestowed on those who have done so much damage to education and social justice. I may be wrong but you probably are not a minority, or have a child with social/emotional, physical or learning disabilities. You have no idea how much pain she has caused to so many families who have been terrorized by this woman, her assistant superintendent and city solicitor. They should all be in jail if you ask me.

It isn't complicated. The job is too much for these administrators. They're in so far over their heads, they can't fulfill basic requirements of law. They can't do special education right. They can't honor basic civil rights. They can't craft a budget that funds basic needs like technology or textbooks without the city having to float bonds. No wonder the schools are in disarray. The only reason the average Melrose student performs as high as state average is due to generous demographics.

No, it isn't complicated. And it isn't an overreaction to call for the Superintendent's resignation. The overreaction was the MEF "Sitting In" letter (written w/help from the on retainer PR firm) in praise of Taymore in today's Free Press. Things must be really imploding for the attempt to defend her to be so exaggerated.

I disagree. They know and can follow the law, they can do SPED right, they know the civil rights laws and they could honor basic civil rights. However, they willingly choose not to out of selfishness, laziness and to save money. It's all part of a finely crafted plan to get these parents and their high needs children to go away and hopefully leave the school district all together, thus saving money and hassle. Administrators and principals filing false police reports against children parents, the filing of false harassment charges against children and parents in local district courthouses, the transmission of retaliatory and intimidating letters by city solicitor (copied to the chief of police and superintendent) falsely claiming parents of harassing school administrators and threatening criminal harassment charges: This is what the city's minority and SPED children and their parents have been up against the last several years, simply for filing complaints.

There may have been a time that a letter from MEF would be respected. But the majority of Melrosians see it for what it is - spin. Teachers in this City have no respect for MEF. If MEF ever had any credibility in this City with citizens it's long gone now - and the letter is just embarrassing. Sadly a missed opportunity because putting pressure on Taymore and the SC would have gone a long way with re-establishing their position in the City. Instead they maintain their role as lapdogs.

You repeated so I will too.

I only see people expressing surprise that this superintendent was chosen for this award at this time which is quite reasonable to question.

Although the school district overall had some successes recently such as the PARCC scores, the superintendent herself can be directly linked to some serious recent failures. The civil rights violations being the most obvious but the failed override with her good ideas for teacher coaches and other nonsense, sits at her door as well as the mayor's.

Since you know that the community is going to hear about how Melrose has an "award winning" superintendent, it is only prudent to investigate what this award is really about. If the award is on the up & up, pristine, then there shouldn't be a problem with people looking for further information.

There is a problem with being unable or unwilling to withstand scrutiny which pervades this community in many ways.

Don't ask questions. Don't inquire. Just go along with what the big guys are saying. Research? Who needs it? Facts? Tedious and might disprove someone's personal agenda. Shut up and go along is the mantra even when it flies against all reason.

Otherwise you will be ostracized and your property tax bill will go up. Water bill too.

Looking carefully into this award is a rational act. Too bad if that makes you uncomfortable.

I feel for you. Problems emerge when you have to exit the lock step march of the group and seek out something different for your child. As long as being a sheep works for your family, everything is okay. Once you require something else, there is a problem.

The families than can afford it pull their children out of the public schools before high school. Why is that?

Martha Grover is a power monger but smart enough to realize that her public presence and charisma are nil. She also knows that there is power in numbers. Rev up some insecure parents by making them feel that you know something about education and get them to speak out.

Smart move really. Attempting to set the stage for a new override proposal but this time appealing to well rounded student development. Except that if an override passes, the money can be used for whatever city hall wants. Clever Martha clever. But we see you.

Where is the Shakespeare poster when you need them?
MEF letter to the Free Press defending Taymore? Me thinks the lady doth protest too much.
Here the ladies are Martha Grover and Jen McAndrew.

Exactly what part of "Hell no!" do you imbeciles not comprehend?

Yes, and then there are the gross letters from Elisabeth Christopher and Christine Galgiano in the Weekly News today. Really over the top and displaying their nastiness quite unsubtly.

According to CG and her ad nauseum rant, those of us who have criticized and called for action are uncivil and not "fact-based." I guess that means the United States Office of Civil Rights is uncivilized and telling fairy tales, too. Or the Secretary of State's Office, or the Attorney General's Office. It's obvious who these nasty MEF women are targeting and whom they are defending, very sickeningly obvious. I think it's fairly obvious even to many of the younger parents now, too, if some of the larger discussions happening around town are any indication.

Keep at it, Martha, Jen, Christine, Elisabeth and all your "bomb-throwing" clones, because in fact what you're doing amounts to classic projection (as in, accuse your opponent of exactly the thing you are in fact doing). You may think you're "civil" but it's quite clear that you are anything but. The more you froth in your rage, the easier it is for the most gullible parents to figure out what your real agenda is, so do please keep it up. You're only proving the opposite of what you intend.