Here are some timely musings and one left in the drawer since the spring.
School Committee, union negotiations —Far apart with limited time remaining
After six bargaining sessions which started in March, the School Committee and Marblehead Education Association have finally exchanged compensation proposals. The proposals are off by an order of magnitude. That’s a 10 times difference for you non-math majors. The MEA has requested wage increases of 40% for educators and 50% for other staff over three years. The SC has offered 4%. It is time for both sides to publicly lay their cards on the table relative to their view of wages in other school districts that have high student performance. Unfortunately, the next negotiation is not planned for nearly another month — July 16. That leaves only about 45 days before school starts again. Let’s hope that we don’t have a teacher walkout like Newton did last year.
School Committee — I wouldn’t trust them with my money
On April 25, the School Committee did a meet and greet with the recommended incoming director of student services, LisaMarie Ippolito. A very nice, congenial woman from Newburyport, LisaMarie replaces Paula Donelly who resigned from the position after the student restraint crisis at the Glover School.
Now LisaMarie applied for a director-level position. She was recommended by Thereas McGuinness, interim superintendent, for the director position. But during their chat the SC learned that LisaMarie actually held a superintendent level position in Newburyport. Thereupon the SC gave her a promotion to an assistant superintendent of student services on the spot. One doesn’t do that in the business world. The SC couldn’t just say that they would consider an increase in title based upon performance after some time on the job. This appears like a desperate move to secure the good graces of one of several needed replacement hires. Irrespective of their low-ball positioning on teacher contract negotiations, can we really trust the SC to make our money go further?
Are teacher resignations next?
Over the course of this year we have seen principals, assistant principals, the athletic director and senior staff members resign. And replacement candidates have withdrawn their names from consideration. We were down eight senior administrators at one point.
Even before the end of the school year, rumors were starting that we might see a wave of teacher resignations. It’s hard to tell how big that wave might be. For some educators, even the result of contract negotiation won’t have an impact.
How do the schools replace teachers who leave? Or can they, given the turmoil in the district? How fast can they replace them? As residents of seaside Marblehead, you all know (or should know) the saying “a fish rots from the head.” I will let you interpolate the meaning in the context of our schools.
Needed repairs, landscaping — In time for the Fourth?
With tourist season upon us, it’s too bad that the painting of our Old Town House and the repairs to the sidewalk and seawall at FortBeach weren’t completed before Memorial Day. I was hoping Gene Arnould’s plein air painters might have stepped up to help to paint the Town House. Well, that project is completed. And just last week the Fort Beach repairs were completed.I hope the pressure is on to finish the roadwork around Abbot Hall before the Fourth. Fort Sewall landscaping doesn’t look so great. Maybe they can get rid of all the weeds along the walkway and over the stonework to the inner fort. The grass needs a new development and maintenance strategy. It would only get trampled by the FoA reception anyways.
Recall provision – Lost opportunity
Late on the final day of the Town Meeting the attendees were expecting to consider Article 50. This article proposed creating a recall provision for elected officials. The article was indefinitely postponed. Given the dysfunction in two of our elected boards, this was a lost opportunity to deal with problems sooner rather than later
MBTA Community Act – gerrymandering a way out
Why don’t we spin off a new township called “Head Out.” It would be created using a strip of land along the borders with Salem and Swampscott. This would remove Marblehead from the “adjacent community” designation and required compliance with the onerous, town character killing MBTA Community Act. How wide should this strip be? Enough so it isn’t viewed as a “sham.” The “no” voters at Town Meeting should provide guidance.
This new township would contract services from Marblehead, Salem or Swampscott based upon the best price, as is done in some rural areas of the country. The seat of government would be the YMCA – “Yes MBTA Community Act.” It needs a mayor, though. The forceful, pragmatic John DiPiano would be an excellent candidate, but he lives too far away from the strip and is on the opposite side of the issue. I am still researching where some of our town leaders live who support the MBTA Community Act.
Until another time.
James (Seamus) Hourihan was born in Marblehead and is a MHS graduate. For 35 years, he worked in finance, marketing and executive management roles at high-tech companies. He has lived here full-time since 2009 and now serves on the Charter Committee.
