Does Worcester Still Have Confidence in Dr. Boone?
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Monday, April 06, 2015
Patrick Sargent, GoLocal Worcester Contributor
In light of the events happening at North High this year, including last week’s notorious email, GoLocal Worcester posed the question to Worcester’s school committee and neighborhood leaders - Does Worcester still have confidence in Superintendent Dr. Melinda Boone?
“Dr. Boone has experienced success in the past in her tenure as Superintendent as evidenced by students’ successes and academic progress. She has reached out to many community groups and has been welcomed by them,” said School Committee member and GoLocal Worcester MINDSETTER™ John Monfredo. “Since the problems at North High School, however, there have been differences in the community as to how the situation was handled by her administration. Many have been critical of Dr. Boone’s involvement in North High’s difficulties.”
As GoLocal reported last week, North High’s principal Lisa Dyer wrote an email to her staff attacking North High teacher Janice Harvey's March 26 Worcester Magazine column titled "Coming Together, or Tearing Us Apart?" Dyer accused Harvey of dragging the media spotlight back on the school, and for potentially causing racial tensions.
Dyer has since apologized for the email and took blame for shedding unwanted attention to North, after a seemingly few quiet weeks at the school.
“Most recently the article in the Worcester Magazine followed by the principal’s e-mail to staff at North High has once again put the school in the news. A healing process was under way and the conflict had the school take a step back. Students, parents and staff want to move forward for this situation does not bode well for our city,” said Monfredo. “Middle class families here and others wanting to settle in Worcester are concerned about their child’s safety and we must assure them that safety measures are in place in all of our schools.”
Boone Supports Dyer
Following Dyer’s email, Dr. Boone came out in support of Dyer and her efforts at North High even amidst calls for her resignation from the Education Association of Worcester (EAW).
In a released statement, Boone wrote “Last week, one NHS teacher wrote about the school's past struggles in her column for a local publication. As there have been almost no disruptive incidents at NHS for the past few weeks, Principal Dyer responded to the article with a note to staff asking teachers to remain focused on the goal of education at NHS, and to not be deterred by one of their own teachers bringing NHS back into the media. With this response, Principal Dyer has held her students and teachers to the highest esteem by encouraging them, rather than allowing them to become deterred by a story that repeats past incidents at NHS which have already been published."
Worcester School Committee member Hilda Ramirez is sticking behind Dr. Boone and believes her administration is moving forward in the right direction. Ramirez told GoLocal, “While I’m disappointed in the situation at North. I know that the district is moving in the right direction and that Dr. Boone and her team are doing the best they can to move the district forward.”
Monfredo is also optimistic of Dr. Boone’s efforts, even following this controversy. “I feel that the situation could have been handled differently, but I do feel that because of the past successes of Dr. Boone that Worcester citizens are willing to give her the opportunity to continue. Our community has always been willing to give others an opportunity to succeed,” said Monfredo.
Gary Vecchio, former educator and President of the Shrewsbury Street Neighborhood Association, isn’t as bright-eyed over the situation as the school committee members.
“It is clear that very few people have faith in Dr. Boone. Her job performance over the last six years has left a lot to be desired. Her poor handling of the North High situation is indicative of her overall job performance,” said Vecchio. “If she had dealt with the brewing problems at North High over the past few years, we would not be in the situation that we are today. She decided to ignore the problems in hope that they would just go away. This seems to be the way she deals with many situations.”
How Can North Be Fixed?
“There are trust issues at North and this seems to be at all levels. The school needs to engage in conflict resolution strategies for adults and students. I would like to see an external party who can come in and get to the bottom of culture and climate at North. Students, parents and teachers need to have a voice in how we move forward with this school," said Ramirez.
Principal Dyer is in the final year of a two-year contract with WPS. Under her watch this year, North High has seen a rash of fights, which resulted in all four vice principals being physically assaulted, and has been victim of four bomb threats.
"As a former educator I would have handled the situation differently," said Monfredo regarding Dyer's email. "I would have involved the entire staff in trying to work out an action plan for teachers need to be part of the solution and need to buy into the plan in order for it to be successful. Teachers work with the students every day. They know what needs to be done and need to do it in a positive way."
Monfredo also believes that students that are constantly causing trouble at North should be removed from the school. Monfredo told GoLocal, "As for the disrupted students that pose a safety concern for others, I feel they need to be placed in an alternative setting immediately with special services and not be returned to North High."
Dr. Boone recently had her contract renewed by the Worcester School Committee for another three years.
"The best way to advance the Worcester Public Schools to the next level and deal with the North High School situation would be for the Worcester School Committee to buy out Dr. Boone's contract, and then hire a qualified superintendent," said Vecchio. "At this point it may be necessary to hire a new principal for North High, also. The ill advised and unprofessional email that was sent out by the current principal, very well may mean she can not lead North High out of the situation that the school finds itself in. Furthermore, it is imperative that the concerns and ideas of the students, teachers, and parents be listened to and addressed."
Related Slideshow: TIMELINE: GoLocal’s Coverage of North High Incidents
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October 24, 2014
$73 Million Dollar North High Has 31% Dropout Rate
"Even with the newest school and best technology, at the end of the 2011 school year, North’s graduation rate was only 55%. This low number initiated a change in leadership. To begin the 2013 school year, Lisa Dyer took over as principal.
Dyer said, 'I have a lot of theories as to why the graduation rate was so low, but I don’t think I have any hard facts to offer. Today, we are tracking each individual student and we give everyone the support they need to be successful. This never occurred in the past.'
However, in 2013, North’s graduation rate was still only 65%. North’s status dropout rate for 2013 was 31% (Beyond the 18% that dropped out, 12% stayed back, and 1% is unaccounted for). 4% of North’s senior class earned their GED."
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November 28, 2014
The Repeated Audacity of High School Bomb Threats
"Of the high schools reported, North High School in Worcester, Auburn High School, and Westboro High School were evacuated twice since December for bomb threats. Authorities believe the Westboro bomb threats were connected. The North High threats occurred within ten days of each other. The threats at Auburn High School were a little over two weeks apart.
The first North High threat came on November 12, joining five other schools in the state that received bomb threats that day."
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January 23, 2015
North High's 4th Bomb Threat of Year Has Students Demanding More Security
"On Tuesday, North High School students were evacuated for the fourth time this school year due to a bomb threat. Following the bomb threat, the Worcester Police Department arrested three North students for fighting.
Since then, the North High students have created a petition for a police presence at the school.
On Thursday, at the Worcester School Committee meeting, North High faculty, who sent Mayor Joe Petty apetition of their own from 80 members of faculty, voiced their demands for more staffing and support at the school..."
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January 24, 2015
599 Students Absent at North High School on Friday
"According to sources, 599 students were absent at North High School today. As GoLocal Worcester reported Friday morning, students at North started a petition for a police presence following Tuesday's bomb threat at the school. It was the fourth bomb threat of the year at North.
According to reports, parents and guardians of North High students were alerted of a possible threat to the school on Friday, prompting the large number of absent students.
Following the bomb threat on Tuesday, Worcester Police responded to a fight between 30 to 40 students on the third floor of North. During the fight, a male teacher was punched in the head twice and an assistant principal was spit on."
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January 29, 2015
O'Connell Calls for "Listening Session" on North High Issues
"Worcester School Committee member Brian O'Connell is calling for a 'Listening Session,' to be held at North High due to the recent events at the school the past few weeks.
O'Connell said, "Recent developments at North – and concerns which the North staff have been expressing throughout this year – make this session timely, topical and vital.North’s enrollment has grown substantially in recent years – especially in 2013-14 and 2014-15 - making it one of Worcester's’s larger schools. This has resulted in larger classes, increasing demands on staff members. In turn, this gives them less time to walk the school corridors and to notice, and address, disciplinary issues which a larger student body can provoke in any school."
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February 6, 2015
Boone Presents Action Plan Amid Calls for Police Presence at North High
"...Superintedent Dr. Melinda Boone presented an action plan for North High School. North has been the victim of four bomb threats and several violent incidents already this school year.
"To the listening public and to that person who has found it enjoyable to offer these bomb threats, please know that we have some leads and are aggressively working with the Worcester PD to investigate and close in on these leads. We take this seriously. The interruption of the instructional day is not good for the students or fair to the teachers," said Boone."
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February 12, 2015
North High Parents Action Plan Meeting Tonight, Media Not Invited
"Parents of students of North High will gather on Thursday night to express their concerns over the ongoing issues at the school. As GoLocal reported, North High has experienced four bomb threats this year. The last bomb threat resulted in a brawl that lead to three students being arrested, and two teachers being assaulted.
Media is not allowed at the meeting to ensure parents' confidentiality and freedom to express themselves without being recorded."
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February 13, 2015
Turtleboy: Lack of Teachers and Students at North High Meeting is a ‘Disgrace’
"On Thursday night Superintendent Boone announced there would be a safety meeting at North High. The problem with this is that teachers, students, and the community were not allowed into the public meeting. Ya got that? Teachers and students are the primary people whose safety is at hand, and they’re not allowed. That makes TONS of sense. And why allow the taxpayers into this meeting? They only financed the state of the art multi-million dollar building a couple years back. Why should they be allowed?
The reason they didn’t want anyone there is because the whole thing is a sham..."
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February 28, 2015
More Problems at North High: Vice Principal Assaulted Trying to Break Up Fight
"On Wednesday afternoon, a Vice Prinicipal at North High School in Worcester was assaulted when he got caught trying to break up a fight between four students. The vice prinicpal had to go to the hospital for injuries sustained in the fight.
According to the Worcester Police Department, a WPD officer assigned to North High was informed by the vice prinicpal "that he observed 'two male students speaking with other students in a menacing manner.' Upon seeing this, the vice principal separated the group and followed the two aggressors back to their seats. While speaking with the two students, another 18-year-old male student ran over to the two students that the vice principal was conversing with and began punching one of the males. The male being attacked is 19-years-old."
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February 28, 2015
Retired Educator and Former Alum Blasts City for North High Issues
"In a letter to Worcester officials, Shrewsbury Street Neighborhood Association President, North High alumni, and retired educator Gary Vecchio, blasted the city for mismanagement of violence and turmoil. According to Vecchio, "...It appears that 1,360 students along with the staff of North High are being deprived of the atmosphere that is conducive to quality education."
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March 2, 2015
Turtleboy: You're Either With Boone or You're With North High
"Unless you’ve been living in a cave then you know by now that North High School is the talk of the town. So far this year students have assaulted all four assistant principals. Ya got that? All of them!! This is not a problem; it is a crisis. Unfortunately the Worcester Public Schools are run by inept administrators who are more concerned with policing the Facebook pages of their teachers than they are with creating and maintaining a save learning environment for children.
Anyone with a brain can see that a police officer inside North High School is necessary. It works on so many levels. A police officer is trained in restraints in case of a fight. Principals and teachers are not. A police officer has the ability to arrest. Principals and teachers do not. Most importantly though, a police officer gives students, who might ordinarily have a natural distrust of the police, an opportunity to build positive relationships with the police, and vice versa. It’s a win-win for all parties."
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March 3, 2015
Worcester Public Schools to Station WPD Officers at North High
"Worcester Public Schools Superintendent Melinda Boone and Mayor Joe Petty announced on Monday that a full-time police liaison and a plain-clothed police officer will now be at North High until the end of the school year.
Boone and Petty met with City Manager Ed Augustus, Police Chief Gary Gemme, and other WPD and WPS personnel to determine what steps to take to improve safety at North."
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March 4, 2015
Is Boone's Action Plan for North High Still in Play?
"Dr. Boone told GoLocal, "A police liaison was always included in the Action Plan so that is not new. The Action Plan also addresses the deployment of the liaison. (Monday's) announcement simply specifies that the liaison will serve North full time and the other liaison responsibilities will be covered by other officers. Additionally, bringing more of the community policing model & not a security role, an additional officer will join the liaison to support the community policing model of building relationships with students & staff in a proactive role."
Less than one month ago, Superintendent Dr. Melinda Boone presented her “Action Plan” to the Worcester School Committee, and North High teachers, students, and parents, as an alternative to putting police officers on school grounds.
So why the sudden change?"
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March 12, 2015
Worcester Police Still Waiting on Boone to Link Cameras at North High
"GoLocal Worcester has learned that the Worcester Police Department (WPD) has purchased the license to allow the cameras at North High School to feed into the WPD Real-Time Crime Center.
However, according to sources, the WPD is waiting for Worcester Public Schools (WPS) Superintendent Dr. Melinda Boone to initiate the process and are waiting solely on her approval to get started on activating the cameras at North."
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April 1, 2015
North High Principal Sends Email to Staff Aligning Teacher with Racist
"North High principal Lisa Dyer sent the staff at North an email in response to a column in Worcester Magazine. The email, which was sent to GoLocal early Tuesday morning, accused North High English teacher and Worcester Magazine columnist Janice Harvey of aligning herself with a "racist blog," disrespecting Superintendent Dr.Melinda Boone and causing potential race relation problems at the school.
The email came with a warning to all teachers to not share this with local media."
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April 2, 2015
Was North High Principal’s Email Approved by Boone Before Being Sent?
"Members of the Worcester School Committee have serious concerns regarding an email sent from North High Principal Lisa Dyer to the faculty and staff at North. As GoLocal reported on Tuesday, the email accused North High teacher and Worcester Magazine columnist Janice Harvey of aligning herself with a "racist" blog, disrespecting Superintendent Dr.Melinda Boone and causing potential race relation problems at the school.
The concerns of the school committee go beyond not only what was said in the email, but also address the question of whether or not Principal Dyer went rogue and sent this email on her own to her staff without it being authorized and looked over by administration or if the administration at the very least did approve it before being sent."
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April 3, 2015
Two Students Arrested, Still No Police Cameras at North High
"A fight occurred on Wednesday at North High which resulted in two students being arrested. The fight involved two female students who were arrested by Worcester police officers on site at North.
GoLocal Worcester inquired on whether or not the school's cameras have been linked to the Worcester Police Department Real-Time Crime Center as was proposed by Superintendent Dr. Melinda Boone and Worcester's Mayor Joe Petty.
A response from Dr.Boone's office stated that the school department "was still working it out with legal council."
According to sources, the WPD remains ready, but is still waiting for the okay from Dr.Boone to link the cameras."
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April 4, 2015
North High Principal Apologizes For Putting School Back in Spotlight
"In an email forwarded to GoLocalWorcester on Friday, North High Principal Lisa Dyer apologized to the school's staff for "reacting personally and hastily" to an article written by North High teacher Janice Harvey. In an email Monday, Dyer accused Harvey of aligning herself with a "racist blog," disrespecting the Superintendent and causing potential race relation problems at the school.
Principal Dyer's original email attacked Harvey's Worcester Magazine column titled "Coming Together, or Tearing Us Apart?" In the column, Harvey opines that Telegram & Gazette columnist Clive McFarlane and the organization Coming Together Collective is responsible for turning the events at North High into racial propaganda."
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April 7, 2015
North High Principal’s Email Not on School Committee Meeting Agenda
"The Worcester School Committee agenda for Thursday has been released and Superintendent Dr. Melinda Boone will be addressing the timeline and update for the Advanced Academy at Doherty High. However, one glaring issue that is not part of the Superintendent's report is addressing last week's controversial email sent by North High Principal Lisa Dyer to her staff.
In the email, Dyer accused North High English teacher Janice Harvey of potentially causing racial tension due to Harvey's Worcester Magazine column "Coming Together, Or Tearing Us Apart?"
School Committee member Hilda Ramirez told GoLocal, "I'm not sure how much more we will see (other than what's on the agenda), but sometimes items have been added."
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April 10, 2015
Superintendent Boone Updates Action Plan Progress at North High
"...Worcester Public Schools (WPS) Superintendent Dr. Melinda Boone sent an update to the Worcester School Committee and other WPS administration on the happenings at North High School and the progress of the school's action plan.
In an email, Dr.Boone notes the success of having both a Worcester Police School Liaison Officer and a second WPD officer on site at the school and that the school has experienced "a reduction in the numbers of students engaging in disruptive behaviors."
Dr. Boone applauded the efforts of the faculty and staff at North High and said those efforts "resulted in positive and meaningful experiences at the school."
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April 10, 2015
Union President Blasts School Administration for Not Firing North High Principal
"Although there was nothing specific on Thursday’s school committee agenda regarding North High Principal Lisa Dyer’s email from last week in which she accused teacher Janice Harvey of perpetuating racial tensions at North, the incident still reared its ugly head late in the meeting.
Following school committee member Dianna Biancheria’s request for a report on training of Worcester Public Schools employees during the school year on professional and ethical boundaries regarding electronic and social media, Leonard Zalauskus, President of the Education Association of Worcester, expressed his displeasure for the administration’s lack of action and for allowing Dyer to remain as principal at North High."
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June 10, 2015
Outspoken North High Teacher Transferred Amid Controversy
"In a school year full of making headlines for fights, bomb threats and an infamous email, North High finds itself. once again, amid controversy.
Teacher, and Worcester Magazine columnist, Janice Harvey has been transferred to the Gerald Creamer Center for next school year. Harvey, the subject of Principal Lisa Dyer’s scathing email earlier this Spring, was notified of her transfer via a letter from Worcester Public Schools Human Resources Department."
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