Left In Lowell

Is Anyone Asking?

14 Responses to “Is Anyone Asking?”

1. Gerry Nutter Says:
   January 22nd, 2010 at 1:48 pm

   I posted a similar item on my blog…these guys don’t get it

   No job has been posted yet but a deadline for applying has been set March 19th. According to School Committee member Mike Lenzi in today’s Lowell Sun even though no applications have been made Mary Jo Santoro is the front runner .School Committee member David Laferriere of Lowell said a starting salary at $125,000 is too low because Santoro already earns more, a fact Olson also pointed out…

   Why bother going through with this charade at all, Mr. Tully we know is already in Ms. Santoro’s corner so along with the above mention committee people the job is hers and only a few details need to be worked out. Mr. Fallon and any other interested party should withdraw or not apply. Send the committee the message that this orchestrated production is not worth their time or energy . Why bother interviewing for a job that really isn’t open?

2. Maggie Says:
   January 22nd, 2010 at 3:18 pm

   Okay we all know my hubby used to teach at Greater Lowell. When I told him the news, he started laughing and said he was glad he was retired. He said she got her job through Cassin and Hayden - which ought to tell us something. And he used the term political hack and then his description sort of went downhill from there. He also said Laferriere needs to go.

3. Kami Says:
   January 22nd, 2010 at 3:33 pm

   Another nation wide search. Just like Bernie Lynch’s nation wide search for his new assistant. But of course he gets a pass right? Same old, same old.

   I don’t know anything about her but anyone associated with Hayden starts off in the negative with me. Tim Fallon is a good guy. I hope he is offered an actual shot at this.

4. Erik Says:
   January 22nd, 2010 at 4:17 pm

   Sad day for the Voke students when the board won’t look at all applications for Superintendent before making a decision. They never do talk about whats best for the students do they?

5. Gerry Nutter Says:
   January 22nd, 2010 at 4:18 pm

   Not that they would listen but get as many people as you can to send emails that state: We want a fair and open process

   Let’s bombard the School Committee with this message send to:

   dtully@gltech.org Chairman and the Lowell Reps

   dlaferriere@gltech.org mlenzie@gltech.org
   fbahou@gltech.org gohare@gltech.org

6. Bob Forrant Says:
   January 22nd, 2010 at 6:44 pm

   Holy smoke. This defies all hiring rules in terms of things like the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and other regulations with regard to creating an open and above board hiring process, a reasonable posting time, an unbiased read of the applications, etc. Anyone who might apply in good faith who reads about this particular SC meeting will logically figure- why bother? And,that’s exactly what was intended here. In effect candidates were told “HA, don’t waste your timeapplying here for this job - it is hot wired.”

   And, to be very clear, the person in question some on the committee seem to facor could be terrific - I have no idea. Lunkhead management of the process tarnishes the person in question, no matter what and that’s too bad.

   To publicly state that someone is the front runner before you even agree on the job description and post it and to then yack about how the salary has to be set at a certain level to somehow accommodate that person - simply amazing for a public education institution in these budgetary times.

   There is so much wrong with this that sells the school and students short and that once more gives the average person the clear message that “we the folks in charge don’t need to do things fair and proper because we no better than you - so trust us.”

   This junk conforms to the dumb stuff going on under the golden dome in Boston these days too, in terms of continual fights over transparency in government and the insistence that elected officials be held to the highest standards and that for the public’s trust they do the right thing always.

   There oughta be a law - oh wait there is.

7. -b Says:
   January 23rd, 2010 at 1:56 am

   That last quote from O’Hare is just plain scary.

8. Frankie F Says:
   January 23rd, 2010 at 2:27 pm

   Everyone who gets a whiff of this situation ends up holding their nose! Obviously, the School Committee (at least this five person majority) feels that the job MUST go to Mary Jo Santoro. They have ignored repeated, public requests to open up the process so we could all see that the selection is done in a fair and above-board manner.

   They have absolutely no interest in exposing their candidate to any serious competition. WHY? Why would any school committee not want to secure the best possible candidate available? Why throw roadblocks into the path of potential competitors? Why subject their favored candidate to the suspicions that will attend her tainted selection process?

   I don’t pretend to know the answers. I can offer no legitimate explanation for the actions of these school committee members. I can not tell you why several were so complimentary, so seemingly close, and so overly generous with the current superintendent. Neither can I tell you why they are so totally committed to their pre-chosen replacement.

   The actions of these school committee officials defy legitimate explanation, and, therefore, the explanation must lie elsewhere.

   What could possibly be motivating them to behave in a manner guaranteed to expose them to intense public distain? Do they simply believe they are in the right? Do they believe that “Might makes right?” Do they believe they are simply above any requirement for accountability? Could it be simple arrogance, distain for proper rules and procedures?…Why?…Why?…Why?

   We should not rest until we have secured a satisfactory answer to all of these questions.

   Have they no shame?

9. nextyearishere Says:
   January 23rd, 2010 at 5:48 pm

   At the MA Municipal meeting yesterday Governor Patrick promised that Chapter 70 and local aid would not be cut in his upcoming FY ‘11 budget. In addition, he offered a few plans to help cities and towns control their own budgets. Among these suggestions was one to allow regional school districts to share superintendents.

   Wouldn’t that be a great idea for this case, with only a super-regional superintendent, and with GLTHS remaining with a principal only?

10. Right In Lowell Says:
    January 24th, 2010 at 11:39 am

    I think we all need to start attending these meetings. Email is good but a face is better. My bet is the O’Hare and LaFerriere don’t even know how to use email and Fred is already on board with an open process. Who in their right mind would bother going through the application process after reading those comments.

11. Bobbi Says:
    January 24th, 2010 at 1:07 pm

    OK, so the school committee is hell bent on doing things their way. Regardless of how sinister it looks, they want their person to get the job and, by God, that’s what they are going to do…let the public be dammed!

    What about their chosen candidate? As much as she must want the job, and likely feels that she fully deserves it, how can she feel at ease with achieving her goal through such dubious means? Wouldn’t she be the chief beneficiary of an open process? Wouldn’t she be in a much stronger position to lead the school if she achieved the job through a competitive procedure that offered - at least - the veneer of fairness?

    There are some things that people with integrity WILL NOT DO. Accepting this position, from this school committee, under these highly questionable circumstances is certainly one of those things.

    I know I ask much, but I am calling on this candidate to denounce this unfair process. Please ask the school committee to throw open the doors and let the light in. Please, show us that you are the candidate for this position. Please, show us your character.

12. Gerry Nutter Says:
    January 26th, 2010 at 5:00 pm

    Over on my Blog I have the story about Dracut School Committee member Victor Olson stating on the Dracut Forum Blog that the SUn reporter had many misrepresentations and errors in her report.

    I have emailed Erin Smith and Campy at the Sun looking for a response.

    Check out the Dracut Forum Post and see what you think.

    http://www.dracutforum.net/2010/01/24/130k-an-insult-maybe-to-the-taxpayers/

13. Mr. Lynne Says:
    January 26th, 2010 at 8:57 pm

    No problem with him trying to correct the record. I think he should also be writing the Sun on those issues.

    However, in addition to trying to correct the record he presents additional data to support a salary of 130K. I love good data. Problem is, I’m not sure it’s as supportive as he thinks it is. In particular, the data points offered for comparison may not be analogous to GLTHS, which is a district of one school. Most places have principals of one school and superintendents for groups of schools. Presumably the job requirements and workload differ enough between the jobs of other MA superintendents and that of a GLTHS superintendent to justify the notion that they are not analogous enough with each other enough to draw conclusions that their salaries should be close to each other.

    Nextyearishere’s comment about the idea Patrick put forward about districts sharing superintendents is looking more intriguing.

14. Gerry Nutter Says:
    January 27th, 2010 at 11:00 am

    I received a response from Erin Smith and based on her replies beleive the SUN is once again showing the slanted coverage and Biased it gets accused of. See my blog post today and let me know what you think.

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