School Officials to Worcester Parent Group: We Want Names

Friday, June 08, 2012

Walter Bird Jr., GoLocalWorcester Reporter

An anonymous group of parents who don't want Paula Severin as principal of McGrath Elementary School is being told to identify itself.

State Your Name

“We need to have some names. You should be signing your name when you have a strong statement to make,” School Committee member and 15th Worcester District state representative candidate Dianna Biancheria said.

School Committee member John Monfredo believes the group should “absolutely” identify itself.

“Why are they anonymous? I have a difficult time with that,” said Monfredo, a former school principal for whom Severin once worked. “I’m a big supporter of parental involvement. I have a problem with people who chose to be anonymous. I mean, what are they looking for? How many people are we talking about? And what do they know about Paula?”

E-mails Sent

The group sent a series of e-mails to city and school officials, identifying itself as Worcester Parents United, first demanded a meeting with School Superintendent Dr. Melinda Boone and Mayor Joseph Petty. The group said it had learned that Severin, the current principal of Claremont Academy, had been appointed principal of McGrath Elementary, where current principal Nancy Dahlstrom is retiring at the end of the year. The group called the appointment “political.” Both Boone and Petty have said they will meet with the group and Boone said no on has been hired for the position yet.

In an e-mail GoLocalWorcester received late Wednesday night, the group remained anonymous, reiterated its call for a meeting, saying it should be held at McGrath School, and upped the ante by saying, “It would be much easier if Principal Severin would rescind her application … and then we can all move on.”

No Discrimination

That last demand was met with stern refusal by Biancheria, who said, “We are not going to discriminate against anyone who has applied. If (WPU) wants a meeting, yes, there can be discussion.”

Like Biancheria, Monfredo was taken aback by the request that Severin withdraw her application.

“Why? She’s a very capable principal,” said Monfredo. “She hasn’t even been given a chance. I would hope these parents, if she were the person selected, I would hope they give her a chance.”

Questions Unanswered

To this point, the group has refused to answer any questions. In e-mail conversations with GoLocalWorcester, the group has said it fears retaliation against parents and children should its members identify themselves. First, they want to meet with the superintendent. Yet, several days after both Petty and Boone agreed to meet them, the group has not offered a date.

In the same email in which the group called for Severin’s elimination as a candidate, it also said, “If (removing Severin is not an) option … we look forward to hearing through the school when the meeting is scheduled with you, the City Council, and School Committee.”

Official Response

Boone did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment, and Petty has not commented since releasing a statement earlier this week to GoLocalWorcester, saying: “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 has not commented at all on the issue.

Claremont Controversy

The furor surrounding Severin stems from actions taken earlier this year at Claremont Academy. Boone, who had received authorization from the school committee to enter into impact bargaining with teachers at the school, ended up notifying them they would have to reapply for their jobs in order to return next year. Even then, no one would be guaranteed a job at Claremont; many could end up being transferred to other public schools in the city.

There was immediate outrage, leading to a boisterous rally of teachers and students outside Boone’s administrative offices. There was also a protest at city hall. The incident even led to state Secretary of Education Paul Reville and Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) President Paul Toner coming to Worcester for a meeting. While things appeared to calm down after that, the matter soon erupted again when Education Association of Worcester teachers’ union president Leonard Zalauskas decided the superintendent was not serious about addressing teachers’ concerns. He scheduled another protest and students at Claremont staged one of their own. At the last minute, however, a resolution was reached and several teachers were guaranteed they would return to Claremont in the fall. Others were afforded the opportunity to bid on jobs elsewhere in the city.

For some, it all reflected poorly on Severin, who is being replaced as principal at Claremont by current University Park Campus School Principal Ricci Hall.

Other Avenues

School Committee member Tracy Novick said she was glad the superintendent agreed to meet with the parents, but she didn’t think that was necessary.

“I don’t know who the finalists (for the McGrath principal’s job) are,” said Novick. “If Paula is in there, then the place to take that up and express concern at this point is to the panel that was put together to review the applicants. That was their decision.”

If WPU wants results, its members may have to reconsider its anonymity and the vague and mysterious e-mails. That’s the way Biancheria sees it, saying: “What I’d like to know is whether they are willing to name names. Give us a list of names who would like to call a meeting. Setting up a meeting now is impossible because they’re anonymous.”