To the editor:
This is an open letter to the Marblehead School Committee.
We’ve lost confidence in your leadership. Your failure to prioritize our schools’ most pressing needs is hurting our students’ education. Your inability to manage increasingly scarce town resources is hobbling our schools. What happens in our schools impacts all of us, including local businesses and our home values.
Our report card for this committee is an F, across your most basic areas of responsibility:
1. Reviewing and approving the school budget: FAIL
2. Setting policy: FAIL
3. Hiring, firing and managing the superintendent: FAIL
4. Leadership conduct: FAIL
Failure: Budget leadership
● After the 2023 override failed, 33 school staff positions were eliminated. Next year’s school budget will include more staff/program cuts. And yet, instead of focusing resources on classroom instruction, you’ve diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars to administrator severance packages, legal fees, stipends and searches for new administrators. Why?
● The Select Board has identified uses for the Coffin School property to bring new revenue to the town. Despite prior agreements to return this unused, deteriorating property, you have chosen to retain it at substantial cost and risk to taxpayers. Will Eveleth School be added to this list of missed opportunities and continuing costs after it’s vacated by Abbot Library this spring? Why?
● We don’t have confidence in your ability to negotiate a new contract with Marblehead’s teachers this spring, which will be a major budget driver for years to come.
Failure: Policy leadership
● Your job is to develop district policies, not implement them. Policy implementation is the responsibility of school administrators, not you.
● You should be conducting basic, comprehensive policy review; instead your policy focus has been around which flags should be displayed in schools and decreeing yourselves the arbiters.
Failure: Hiring the next superintendent
● You ended Dr. Buckey’s employment in July, but you’re just starting the superintendent search now without hiring an experienced consultant, as is best practice. In this highly competitive market, how will you attract and vet quality candidates?
● After two months as interim Superintendent, Dr. Theresa McGuinness has withdrawn her name from consideration for the permanent superintendent position. Why?
● Four recent departures/resignations of senior administrators (including the assistant superintendent of finance and operations) have further destabilized the district. What’s your plan?
Failure: Leadership conduct
● Unbecoming behavior degrades our school community and tarnishes the town’s reputation.
● Distrust was sown from a failure to disclose conflicts of interest prior to the June 2023 elections.
● Bullying tactics and hostility towards opposing or critical viewpoints is intimidation.
● Unlawful noncompliance with records retention policies, and repeated suspected open meeting law violations.
● Lack of transparency around spending, decision making, and strategic priorities hurts our students, our schools and our town and further erodes trust.
The clock’s ticking. We’re calling on you to demonstrate to all Marbleheaders how you’ll tackle these issues and improve your performance.
Community members: If you’re in agreement, please add your name to our petition HERE.
Sincerely,
- Esme Allen, Humphrey Street
- Nancy Perkins Arata, Darling Street
- Maja Badzak, Cornell Road
- Kirsten Bassion, Smith Street
- Kenneth Bassion, Rose Avenue
- Margaret Bassion, Rose Avenue
- Emily Belfbecker, Ida Road
- Todd Belfbecker, Ida Road
- Dr. David Becker, Nonantum Rd
- Jackie Belf-Becker, Nonantum Rd
- Patricia Blackmer, Seaview Ave
- Michelle Blestowe, Garfield Street
- Kerry-Frances Bourne, Bubier Road
- Tanya Braganti, Weston Road
- Betty Breuhaus, Pequot Road
- Sabrina Brock, Rainbow Road
- Chris Bruell, West Shore Drive
- Marika Bruell, West Shore Drive
- Brendan Callahan, Intervale Road
- Jared Charney, Doane Street
- Eurim Chun, Maverick Street
- Scott Cody, Oak Street
- Amy Connolly, Cloutmans Lane
- Nina Pickering Cook, Pearl Street
- Elizabeth Coppola, Beverly Avenue
- Maryann Criswell, Pleasant Street
- Ray Curran, Pleasant St
- Diane Curran, Pleasant St
- Susan DeSilva, Rockaway Avenue
- Dr. Philip Devaux, Santry Road
- Nina Dinsmore, Tedesco Street
- Amy Drinker, Gregory Street
- John Duggan, Dodge Road
- Julie Duggan, Dodge Road
- Graham Faris, Pitman Road
- Stacey Faris, Pitman Road
- Kenneth Fisher, Maverick Street
- Jeff Flowers, Washington Square
- Laurie Flowers, Washington Square
- Jessica Fontela, Amherst Road
- George Gearhart, Rock Cliff Road
- Marla Gearhart, Rock Cliff Road
- Susan Gessner, Gregory Street
- Howie Goldberg, Village Street
- Jen Goldberg, Village Street
- Michael Goldman, Auburndale Road
- Susan Goldman, Auburndale Road
- Brooke Goodwin-Fullerton, Cloutmans Lane
- Beth Grader, Mill Pond
- Buck Grader, Mill Pond
- Sean Greely, Front Street
- Kristine Gummere, Jersey Street
- Seth Gummere, Jersey Street
- Nancy Gwin, Pickwick Road
- Colleen Hamilton, Jackson Road
- Denise Hammer, Lafayette Street
- Glenn Hammer, Lafayette Street
- David Harris, Jr, Waldron Street
- Elloree Jennings, Commercial Street
- Cara Johnson, Cedar Street
- Graeme Jones, Heritage Way
- Slaid Jones, Chestnut Street
- Brian Kane, Evans Road
- Sylvia Kane, Evans Road
- Andrew Katz, Driftwood Road
- Beth Kasten, Camille Terrace
- Jeff Kasten, Camille Terrace
- Kira Kay, Glendale Road
- Scott Kay, Glendale Road
- Katie King, Seaview Avenue
- Katherine Koch, Waldron Court
- Elizabeth Kronberg, Washington Street
- Kathleen Leonardson, Cloutmans Lane
- Lollie Leeson, Beacon Street
- Abby Lewis, Park Lane
- Joanne Libon, Cedar Street
- Mark Libon, Cedar Street
- Kate Lipsitz, Alden Road
- Matt Lipsitz, Alden Road
- Rebecca Love, Churchill Road
- Linda McLaughlin, Casino Road
- Maria McLaughlin, Conant Road
- Sara Marcy, Crestwood Road
- Jennifer Martelli, Ruby Ave
- Joanne McElhenney, Dodge Road
- Susannah McGee, Rock Cliff Road
- Amy Mitman, Leicester Road
- Greg Mogolesko, Yorkshire Road
- Ilana Mogolesko, Yorkshire Road
- Jackie Mongeiello, Stramski Way
- Ron Mooney, Smith Street
- Lauren Moran, Cedar Street
- Cesca Morgan, Gingerbread Lane
- Lisa Nagel, Westminster Road
- Katie Norton, Crowninshield Road
- Matt Norton, Crowninshield Road
- Christine Nuccio, Damey’s Way
- Andi Oberlander, McKinley Road
- Deb Payson, Arnold Terrace
- Meghan Patterson, Pinecliff Drive
- Ross Patterson, Pinecliff Drive
- Julie Peach, Peach Highlands
- Brian Potter, Emerald Road
- Sonya Solberg Potter, Emerald Road
- Ryan Quick, Hawthorn Road
- Vanessa Quick, Hawthorn Road
- Maggie Raftus, Elm Street
- Michael Richman, Rockaway Avenue
- Sarah Riffel, Thompson Road
- Annie Rockwell, High Street
- Dr. Jeff Rockwell, High Street
- Ashish Samant, Rock Cliff Road
- Lainey Samant, Rock Cliff Road
- Kate Schmeckpeper, Chestnut Street
- Rhod Sharp, Franklin Street
- Aileen Sheheen, Jersey Street
- Brendan Sheheen, Jersey Street
- Brian Shoer, Joel Road
- Diane Shoer, Joel Road
- Renee Sidman, Village Street
- Karen Smith, Crestwood Road
- Scott Smith, Crestwood Road
- Phyllis Smith, Hillside Avenue
- Scott Snyder, Washington Street
- Scott Solberg, Ramsey Road
- Amy Sorkin, Gerald Road
- Vicki Staveacre, Franklin Street
- Susan Stelk, Stanley Road
- Wayne Stelk, Stanley Road
- Mary Stewart, Damey’s Way
- Meryl Thompson, Pitman Road
- Chris Thompson, Pitman Road
- Elisa Torstensson, Wilson Road
- Amy Tully, Beacon Hill Road
- Jamison Tuttle, Amherst Road
- Julie Vinette, Overlook Road
- Erik Weibust, Chestnut Street
- Jeff Whitmore, Abbott Street
- Jen Whitmore, Abbott Street
- David Wedel, Coolidge Road
- John Wilder, Waldron Court
- Kathy Wilder, Waldron Court
