Page 22 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, NOVEmbER 3, 2023 SOUNDS | FROM PAGE 3 ical 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 comiSOUNDS | SEE PAGE 24
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