Sounds of Everett

Luck in the Everett Public Schools?

Several School Committee members coined the term “we are lucky” for Everett and its students to have Priya Tahiliani as the school superintendent four years ago when she was hired. Let us review these last four years to see her impact on the community.

She was hired at a time when our schools were competitive in education. She started three-quarters of the way through what was already a transition year. The year was moving along quite well, and she was walking into what should have been an easy finish. A week later our world shut down and the plan for an easy year changed immediately. Everett quickly made the transition to virtual learning.

September 2020 quickly arrived with no plan in place to return to school. Parents were up in arms; they needed their kids physically in school. The students returned to school in the spring of 2021 to absolute chaos, after over one year of virtual learning. Control, order, structure and discipline had vanished from the Everett Public Schools. Bullying increased, destroying of school property increased, janitorial staff were let go. Our schools that were once attractive to the eye became eyesores. Screens were broken; the grounds were in bad need of landscaping; and trees were growing out of the side of “Character” at the Parlin. That was just visible on the outside. Inside the bathrooms and lockers were destroyed. Kids began to feel unsafe; they didn’t want to go to school, and educationally the schools started to fail.

Summer 2021 should have been a time to review what was a success and failure upon the return to school, but that September, as school returned to complete in-person learning, matters only continued to escalate. Nothing had been done. Parents began e-mailing and calling the teachers, principals and eventually the administrative office, and received no response from all three departments. The parents began reaching out to the previous School Committee, and the School Committee members were told by the Superintendent that they were not allowed to talk to the parents. The word from the top was to keep quiet, say nothing. In the meantime, the violence, bullying and destruction continued.

Violent incidents and bullying became a daily occurrence, and with no action from the Superintendent, on October 13, 2021, the Everett Teachers Association composed a letter to the Everett School Committee (which was also published in The Everett Advocate on October 22, 2021) notifying them of what was happening and had “several reservations” about how the Superintendent handled these issues. The Teachers Association urged that school safety be prioritized and addressed immediately. The uptick in violence was the direct effect of Superintendent Tahiliani’s decision to remove critical members of the Teachers Association who served as security supervisors around the schools to de-escalate violence. The Superintendent’s immediate reaction was to fault the teachers, social media, Covid, parents and students for the increase in violence and destruction within the schools. She blamed everyone and everything except her actions that germinated the issues. Reducing security staff caused the increase in violence and destruction. She never admitted to that major error.

The School Committee were all up for reelection that fall (2021), and many candidates while campaigning were met with the questions that parents were trying to have answered. Many did their best to answer those questions; I’m sure not all were answered. There was a large enough voice at the polls that November where enough new candidates were elected to challenge the Superintendent and her administration. Parents wanted transparency and communication.

The “do nothing and keep quiet” mentality was changed to “do the minimum.” The schools leveled off and performance has been falling below all of our surrounding communities since. They have fallen so much that only 20% of our students are performing at expectations. Minimum input finishes with minimum results.

Fast forward to this past December – our School Committee voted to not renew Superintendent Priya Tahiliani’s contract. There are many who believe this was the correct decision; some believe this decision was wrong. Those who believe that this was a wrong decision have been very quiet about their decision. They are campaigning that they are for our children and are so supportive of making their education better. I ask a question: How has what has gone on here during the past four years been beneficial to our children? Underperforming schools, the district heading into receivership, no progress or achievement, and flatlining MCAS scores are the facts. How is this helping our children?

Former School Committee Chair Tom Abruzzese, who was defeated in the 2021 School Committee primary election, is now using the campaign slogan “let’s not turn back the clock” to return to the School Committee. That is a comical slogan to use by someone who is not a new candidate. Why would we want to turn back the clock? Would we end up with leadership who put the children first? Would the schools return to order, get deep cleaned, landscaped and the bullying under control? Would communication flow freely to the parents? Would more than 20% of the students be performing at or better than expectations? We already know Tom does not put our children first, he puts his family first. He is protecting $600,000 in salaries and benefits. He is protecting his son’s illegal activities as an Everett Public School’s teacher.

Those School Committee members who believe the nonrenewal of the superintendent’s contract was a poor idea have all endorsed Tom Abruzzese. These members and Superintendent Tahiliani have all been silent on the illegal activities by Tom’s son, an Everett Public School employee. They do have the power to renew or not renew teachers’ contracts. They are in a situation where they have complete control to make the correct, just and ethical decision that they all claim to practice. By putting the children first, they have the ability to take action on this employee, yet they are silent because he is an Abruzzese. Are they really putting the children first like they claim to be? Are the City of Everett and the Everett Public Schools really “lucky” to have Priya Tahiliani’s leadership?

Trick-or-Treat

Halloween just past, the trick-or-treaters greeted us in costume pretending to be something they are not. There are a number of candidates running for School Committee. At the October 2, 2023, School Committee meeting, Ward 4 School Committee candidate Robin Babcock spoke out during public comment and stated that she is a professor at UMass Boston. It is impressive that we had a professor as a School Committee candidate running for the Everett School Committee. The newspaper office received a number of phone calls from Lafayette School parents claiming that she is not a professor. When she was asked by parents what her area of expertise was, she immediately retracted that statement.

After these phone calls, I did my due diligence on Ms. Babcock, and to my surprise, learned she is NOT a college professor. Nowhere in UMass Boston’s records does it state she is a professor. She is a Writing Program Manager.

If he lived today, the Greek philosopher Diogenes – remembered for holding a lantern before the citizens of Athens in hopes of discovering an honest candidate – would find his arm throbbing as he searched Ward 4 in vail for a wannabe worthy of inhabiting the Everett School Committee.

At this time the Everett School Committee needs honest candidates who will focus on the education and the issues that arise within the schools rather than grandstand. With this week being Halloween, don’t be tricked by Robin Babcock, who claims to be something she isn’t.

The Circus Comes To Town…Again

A contentious circus is the only way to describe Monday’s special meeting of the Everett School Committee as a result of the activity of school committee members Lambert, Cristiano, and Barros.  This meeting was called due to ten complaints filed by Everett School Personnel against Superintendent Priya Tahiliani for a hostile work environment.  School Committee member Samantha Lambert grandstanded throughout the entire process, speaking out of turn and was even ruled out of order a number of times.  Why is she not listening to these employees’ complaints?  She works for them too and they have a right to have their complaints respectfully addressed.  She showed her true colors tonight by interrupting everyone that disagreed with her opinions.

She performed a great side show explaining due process but what due process did she do when she was handed the report composed by the Law firm of Clifford and Kenny, LLP that provided clear recommendations on how to handle the illegal activities by Mr. Jason Abruzzese, the son of her landlord and former school committee chair Tom Abruzzese?  She disregarded it!  She never spoke up about the safety of the children at the English School and allowed his transfer to the Webster School.  She had a few years to investigate these claims while he was being paid with your tax dollars to stay home.

This office received many phone calls on her hypocritical performance.  Why is Mr. Abruzzese allowed to escape freely without an investigation, while she blocks ten investigations against Superintendent Priya Tahiliani?  Samantha, please speak up on your decisions regarding the superintendent.  We have yet to hear a good reason for her defense.  Someone once said, “Sunshine is the best disinfectant in a democracy.”  Mrs. Lambert, LET THE SUNSHINE IN! — JDM