The Marblehead School Committee meets this Thursday and will host its second reading of a controversial draft flag policy. The policy requires three readings (discussions) before it can be voted on. Public comment is also on the agenda. The meeting opens to the public at 6 p.m. and is held at the high school library. It can also be joined remotely HERE. Flags like these in the high school cafeteria would be removed, at least initially, under the School Committee's latest draft policy. CURRENT PHOTO…
Veterans School Principal Matt Fox has announced that he is the finalist for a principal position at Andover’s West Middle School. His new position would begin in the fall. Matt Fox has led the Veterans School for 14 years. He is a finalist for a position in the Andover schools now. COURTESY PHOTO “After 14 years within the Marblehead community, I wanted to make sure that you heard this news directly from me,” Fox wrote to parents Monday evening. Contacted by the Current, he declined…
New mom Emily DeJoy has joined at least three other candidates running for School Committee this June. There are two seats up for grabs with incumbents Sarah Fox and Alison Taylor’s terms ending. Fox is running for re-election. As of Monday morning, April 14, Taylor had not taken out campaign papers. Emily DeJoy is running for School Committee. COURTESY PHOTO “As an investor, I’m excited to bring a fresh, strategic approach to managing our schools’ budget, ensuring it not only meets but accelerates our educational…
NAME: Brady Weed AGE: 18 SCHOOL YEAR: Senior INVOLVEMENT IN MHS ARTS: I’ve been performing at MHS since my freshman year when I played Banquo in our production of Macbeth and joined the choir. Before that I had been doing choir for two years and theater for five. FAVORITE MEMORY: Last year I had the privilege of writing and directing “It’s About Pirates and Nothing Else” which went up at Dramafest. The day before opening night, we were 10 minutes or so over our 40-minute…
Veterans School eighth grader Anastasie Sycheva is considering a career in politics now that she has served as an ambassador with Project 351, a Massachusetts nonprofit that empowers youth-led service by engaging one student from each of the state’s 351 cities and towns. “United for a year of leadership and service, ambassadors transform communities, elevate kindness, advance social justice and gain the courage, compassion and capabilities to lead change,” according to Project 351’s website. As part of her Project 351 experience, Sycheva has organized a…
Marblehead Public Schools presented the annual All-Strings Concert on April 3, featuring 200 students in the district’s orchestra program. The concert started with the fourth-grade orchestra and proceeded through seven student orchestras, ending with the high school orchestra. This year’s theme was “The Sky’s the Limit.” COURTESY PHOTOS / TANYA BRAGANTI
Another iteration of a draft flag policy for Marblehead schools is moving forward with two key changes, one of which appears to give students an avenue to make flag and banner requests. A new proposal, presented at the April 3 School Committee meeting, still permits only U.S., state and POW/MIA flags, but allows the superintendent to make recommendations to the School Committee for additional banners and flags. The School Committee could ultimately reject the superintendent’s recommendation, according to committee member Sarah Fox. Interim Superintendent John…
An outside investigator hired to look into accusations of antisemitism — as well as counter accusations — among Marblehead educators has determined that there is not enough evidence to find that “any party was subjected to discrimination or harassment, including antisemitism.” The School Committee approved $25,000 for the investigation last June, after Veterans School teacher Brigitte Karns accused several Marblehead High School language teachers — and the district — of antisemitism. In a webinar a few weeks earlier, Karns identified one MHS language teacher by…
At a meeting on Thursday, April 3, interim Superintendent John Robidoux is expected to release the results of the long-awaited investigation into antisemitism accusations — and counterclaims — involving current and former Marblehead educators. The meeting begins at 5 p.m. in executive session, and opens to the public at 5:30 p.m. at the high school. It can be joined remotely HERE. The School Committee approved $25,000 for the investigation last June, after teacher Brigitte Karns appeared on a webinar accusing several Marblehead teachers and the administration…
***This story was updated April 1 at 5:20 p.m. after the School Committee changed the time of the public portion of the meeting from 6 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The Marblehead Education Association is asking the School Committee to “cease and desist” developing a draft flag policy that would allow only the U.S., state and POW/MIA flags to be displayed in schools. The controversial proposal gives the School Committee sole authority to determine any other flags, banners and symbolic displays on district property and excludes…
