EXCLUSIVE: Outrage Over ‘Political’ Hiring of Worcester Principal

Tuesday, June 05, 2012

Walter Bird Jr., GoLocalWorcester Reporter

A group of parents is demanding a sit-down with the mayor and school superintendent in Worcester. The group is outraged over what they see as the “political” appointment of the outgoing Claremont Academy principal to the same position at another school in the city.

There’s just one problem, according to School Superintendent Dr. Melinda Boone: No one has gotten the job yet.

Scathing E-Mail

A group identifying itself as Worcester Parents United (WPU) first broached the issue in an e-mail addressed to city councilors, school committee members, Mayor Joseph Petty and the Worcester Education Collaborative (WEC). In it, the group wrote: “We are writing to you today to express our concern that the principal of Claremont Academy, Paula Severin, is being hired by the City of Worcester/Worcester Public Schools, as the Principal of McGrath School. We are an organization of dedicated parents and will protest this ‘political’ appointment. We support positive change at Claremont Academy, but will vocally and proactively protest this appointment. We would appreciate it if the mayor and superintendent would transparently interview for and hire a principal for McGrath School. Principal Severin has demonstrated that she is unable to make academic progress as the Principal of Claremont Academy, and we will not stand for an unworthy candidate taking over another one of Worcester's public schools.”

The group called for a meeting with Petty and Boone. No individual signature was attached to the e-mail. The group identified itself as a “Committee of Concerned Parents.” An e-mail to the group was not returned on Monday. WEC Director Jennifer Carey politely declined comment, saying she was unaware of the issue.

Boone Denies Appointment

A spokesperson for the superintendent, who did not want her name published, told GoLocalWorcester, “The process of selecting a principal at McGrath Elementary School has not yet been completed. No one has been appointed, yet.”

When the process is completed, the spokesperson continued, “We will notify (the public) with the person’s name and resume.”

The superintendent’s office would not confirm whether Severin is among the applicants. Neither could school committee members, because the power of appointing school principals rests squarely with Boone.

The current principal at McGrath Elementary School, Nancy Dahlstrom, is retiring and will not return next year.

Claremont Controversy

Severin is the current principal of the embattled Claremont Academy, whose teachers were told earlier this year they must reapply for their jobs before returning next fall. None of them was guaranteed a job at the school; although the teachers were assured they would be placed elsewhere in the system. The issue sparked protests and ignited a fierce struggle with the Education Association of Worcester (EAW), the local teachers’ union. Protests at both city hall and outside Boone’s administrative offices culminated in an April 25 meeting with, among others, EAW head Leonard Zalauskas state Secretary of Education Paul Reville and Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) President Paul Toner. While nothing was resolved at the meeting, Zalauskas called off a protest that had been scheduled the next night.

Several days later, however, believing negotiations had stalled, Zalauskas called for renewed protests, including a demonstration during the Boston Massachusetts Teachers Association’s (MTA) annual Meeting of Delegates. That decision was followed by a sparsely attended student rally outside Claremont Academy in support of teachers.

One day later, on May 11, both sides announced an agreement that would allow 25 Claremont teachers to retain their jobs and another 11 to bid for jobs at other city schools.

Through it all, including a public meeting Boone held at the school to attempt to explain her decision, Severin declined repeated interview requests. The public was only told she would not be returning as principal. Current University Park Campus School Principal Ricci Hall was named as her replacement.

Zalauskas could not be reached for comment Monday.

Transparency is Needed

For those who have been critical of Boone, the Claremont situation fueled their fire. The e-mail from WPU added to their ammunition.

“This has been discusses,” School Committee member Dianna Biancheria said earlier on Monday. “There is a process of community and staff involvement, communication, transparency and accountability. We discussed that. The superintendent does have the ability to appoint someone without any engagement, any communication and without speaking to anyone. It appears the superintendent wasn’t interested in engaging the community. It appears she was interested in making that appointment on her own.”

Biancheria was speaking before GoLocalWorcester heard from the superintendent’s office.

“(Severin’s appointment) came as a surprise to all of us,” Biancheria said. “I learned about it from the e-mail from Worcester Parents United.”

Biancheria wasn’t the only one in the dark about the group. In a statement issued through his chief of staff, Petty said, “We’re trying to identify the members of Worcester Parents United. At the earliest possible convenience of all parties, we will schedule a meeting. We are awaiting communication from the superintendent regarding the situation. Once we receive that we will proceed.”

Severin a Good Choice

School Committee member John Monfredo backed the superintendent’s claim that the position at McGrath Elementary had not been filled, saying, “That process is still going on. It is not completed.”

Monfredo said he did not know the names of any of the applicants. However, he offered a unique perspective. Severin, he said, was a fifth-grade teacher at Belmont Community School when he was principal. He also made reference to Severin being included in the search for anew principal at McGrath Elementary.

“She is very bright and she worked hard,” said Monfredo. “What happened at Claremont? Those things happen. She made a gutsy call in saying she needed a change. How she fares in this process, I don’t know, but if she gets the job, I’m sure she’ll do a fine job.”

If Severin is formally named the new principal, Biancheria wants some answers.

“I’d like to know, and I’m sure parents would like to know, what adjustments will take place and what strategies have been discussed … to ensure we are moving in the right direction and getting things done at McGrath School,” Biancheria said.

She said she “would like to think” the issue will be raised Thursday night at the school committee’s next meeting at city hall.