09/08/08

What could have been done to prevent North Andover’s Education failures?

Mary Ann Walters

  How does an upper middle class town like North Andover end up with a school on No Child Left Behind (NCLB) warning status? The story is one of corrupt leadership, failure of school committee members (past and present), and the failure of state and federal officials as well as our laws.

Title 1 is a program set up by the US Department of education to fund schools with a high percentage of low income students. Title 1 schools are regulated by federal legislation including NCLB. Title 1 schools that have not made state defined adequate yearly progress (AYP) for 2 consecutive years, must offer every student in that school the option to transfer to another school in the district.

So what really happened at the Thomson School?

A terrifying blight came upon the town in 2002. Briefly recall past school committee members Dan Murphy and Al  Perry. Murphy, Perry and his pals made sure they influenced the Superintendent search committee to hire Harry K. Harutunian as Superintendent of Schools. Harry was by far the greatest detriment to public education in North Andover in the last 20 years.

Soon after taking the reigns, Harry drove principals from the district. While some of them did need to retire, their leaving opened the door for new hires. These new hires would have to understand that all bowed to the mighty midget and his Napoleon complex.

The Thomson and Sargent schools would be the recipients of new principals. All looked to be on the up and up with the search committees but Harry’s friend, then Lynn Superintendent Nick Kostan, had a wife who was on shaky ground in her principal position in Peabody MA. Well, a friend in need will owe you down the road. (recall, Harry got a teaching job in Lynn with a fat salary after his disgrace in North Andover).

So, to the Thomson school went the greatest disaster in Thomson history, Kathleen Kostan. She was the most ineffective leader to darken the doorstep of a North Andover school. The joke among most parents at the time was that the custodian ran the school. Well, that joke must have been born of truth for when the custodian runs the school, the quality of education will go down the toilet.

The two year Kostan disaster impacted the already academically challenged Thomson like Hurricane Katrina battered New Orleans. But wait, we’re not done with the disasters yet. In an effort to get his paws on more taxpayor funds, Harry decided to redistrict. When all was said and done, kids that had been redistricted several times before were moved again. A large percentage of low income subgroups in town were now enrolled at the Thomson school. This triggered eligibility for fedral Title 1 funds that were NEVER properly distributed to the Thomson school. Harry also closed the Bradstreet School and increased the Thomson enrollment from 275 to 425.

Now the perfect storm will hit. A principal who seemed not to care, needy kids without structure, a surge in enroll-ment, staff terrified to take one wrong step, a poor curriculum, an inept school committee, horrified parents and a Superintendent off misappropriating Title 1 funds.

Fast forward to the Harry scandal, leaving the school department in the woefully inept hands of Dick Bergeron and Al Perry (Murphy had moved on by then). What more can be said? Someone should have called FEMA!

Soon after, Harry departed in a cloud of shame, his Thomson principal went out on medical leave and requested early retirement. What a shock! With the rumor mill in town was whirling, the real story is purported to be that some strong willed Thomson parents took the opportunity to take the rest of the trash to the dump. They had no chance of getting Kostan out during the Harry’s reign of terror despite efforts to bring her poor performance to the attention of the school committee. (Remember Al Perry was the SC chair!)

Now the district has no superintendent, no Thomson principal and a sham of a school committee. Enter one year interim Superintendent Dan O’Connor. He was far more interested in his EQA audits than the plight of an elementary school. To the Thomson went Principal John McAleer, a man moved twice before to meet district needs. Note too, that McAleer was on the retirement fast track. McAleer did not have the time, funds or resources to make much needed improvements. During his tenure class sizes soared to 30-37 in grades 3-5 due to “severe budget cuts.” This will result in cycle one of AYP failure.

Again in 2007, a Superintendent could not be hired. Jim Marini was offered a  two-year interim position. His top priority was N.A. High’s accreditation. By the time he got around to paying attention to the Thomson, time had run out and the 2nd consecutive year of AYP failure triggered the school choice option for Thomson students. Of note, the Thomson was searching for a principal but no candidate would take the position. Can you blame them? It would be career suicide to walk into Hurricane Thomson with no support.  Then, a one year interim principal, Gregg Gilligan of NAHS, was appointed to the Thomson school.

The big question. What could have been done to prevent these failures?

Some concerned parents had attempted to advocate for the Thomson at school committee meetings but they were treated like dirt by the holier than thou chair of the School Committee and her minions. Building a preschool that would primarily service 100 preschool aged special education students was more of a priority than the 425 elementary students at the failing Thomson school.

The students can’t be to blame. As  Mr. Gilligan stated during the 8/19 School Committee meeting;  the cornerstone of his educational belief is that all kids can learn, no matter what. That leaves leadership. There hasn’t been any at the Thomson. A few dedicated parents and teachers kept the lifeboat  afloat but the Titanic was sinking in the face of adversity.

The answer? The School Committee needs to wake up, Dr. Marini must take serious action and seek answers from the ones who kept that school afloat despite the circumstances. They may have the insight so desperately needed to avoid  leaving the Thomson children so far behind ... once again.

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