What kind of school system Does Melrose want and One that works - the current version doesn't!
What does the Melrose school system have in common with fish? They both rot from the head first!
Lesson to be learned: Change the school superintendent and the school committee - short of this - nothing changes.
Free Press: Dolan said – as he has repeatedly – that while he will continue to look for additional funding, increased taxes are the only long-term solution to improve the schools.
“The only way to achieve the goals that we have set out is increased revenue through additional taxation,” Dolan said. “Just because [the property tax override] lost at the ballot doesn’t mean it’s not true.”
This knucklehead just doesn't get it, does he?
Listen up, Mr. Mayor - putting your own house in order is your number 1 priority. Until you do that, no matter how many times you say more tax revenue is necessary, it's not going to happen. Exactly what part of that do you so foolishly and stubbornly not get? Stop stamping your foot like a spoiled brat and do the job you were elected to do.
Honestly, I actually want to see another override attempt just to see it fail and cement in the minds of these knuckleheads that residents demand transparency from the current mayor and school administration when it comes to their tax dollars and how they are spent. It is like pulling teeth to get even the basics out of these folks. Even school committee members have to file public records requests to get even the basic information they need to vote on important fiscal matters and warrants. They simply denied these records from the school committee chair and the superintendent. And even then, the mayor city solicitor and superintendent obstruct the public records law. Honestly, I can't wait to see another override fail just to see Dolan's face turn red and steam come out his ears.
Watching the lamebrain aldermen "question" the superintendent and school committee members (and that slimebag city money guy) about the school budget last night makes it clear that they are really no better than their SC counterparts. All about patting themselves collecting on their well-greased backsides, asking only the softest and least significant of "questions," if they could even be called that. Not one asked a thing about the runaway train legal bills or took the school officials to task when they couldn't answer the simplest of questions about their own budget. JL just smiled sympathetically as she lobbed a few non-questions and made it clear she buys the bull about the budget "crisis" sob story. RB asked his usual inane and officious BS about nothing, leaving the glaring questions to glare. JT was quite willing to accept the super's word (fool!) that department chairs had willingly given notice they are leaving (a patent lie in one case) and that the elimination of the arts department director position will in no way harm the functioning of the department (foolishness), since all he apparently cares about is the department in which "all four of his daughters" thrived as starlets. DC (Mr. Peabody City Solic.) acted like the Tough Guy and asked nothing of import (as usual lately), focusing on low-level nonsense even though there are huge obvious issues that he knows about and should have tackled with even just a little bit of political courage (which he obviously does not possess, or much caring about the district either). Same with SF who has the financial background and should have tackled any one of dozens of real problems he could not be so ignorant to miss. Even MM asked only the flimsiest of questions when she could have started with the ungainly document that demonstrates the total incompetence of the former biz mgr and should have been deemed unacceptable (to say nothing about the preponderance of feathered logo appearances). Then of course the predictable disgusting blather from Crocodile Tears MBMM and her CT-adoring sidekick, GI. Just a load all around. The patronizing slimebag PDR brought it all together with his oily tiresome "explanations" about how a budget works and how utterly legal it all is with all the various "audits" that he wants all to believe actually occur (protesteth a bit too vigorously on this point, eh?). What a disheartening and disgusting fraud the whole thing is. Had to tune out when the slimebags from the Voke started talking. Where did that school find this oily bunch when they once had good, actual leadership? Oh wait, one of them is the dad (CT's retired super buddy and neighbor, now double-dipping with his consultant bennies) who fathered that fool Melrose Public Schools has been paying six figures to since CT brought him on to botch up the numbers, and now he's joined the stellar crew at the voke, meaning that Melrose citizens will still be paying a portion of his salary. So disgusting. What a thing. Not even the Feathers crew bothered to show up, so it seems that our pathetic community is getting exactly what it deserves.