McCarthy Parents Upset at Plan to Trade Principal With Burke School
Superintendent Herb Levine is swapping principals at two West Peabody elementary schools, much to the dissatisfaction of one school's parents.
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Two elementary school principals are trading places in West Peabody for next school year, but parents at one school in particular are not happy with the move and are doing what they can to fight it.
McCarthy School Principal Ray Smoyer is slated to switch duties with Burke School Principal Judy McNiff effective July 1. The news was announced to staff, students and parents at both schools last week.
Interim Superintendent Dr. Herb Levine says he has received letters and phone calls from McCarthy parents upset at the change, although nothing to date from Burke parents. McCarthy parents have also reached out to local media outlets -- see today's letter from parent Rena Carr.
McCarthy PTO President Leann Schaejbe Smaller said in a message that the city "just can't seem to let our nice little school be happy" and labels the move a "tragic decision."
The change in leadership is coming not long after McCarthy parents boisterously protested the possibility of closing the school during budget talks last year, and even the year before that when school officials identified the McCarthy as the likeliest school to have its doors shuttered if the School Committee was willing to go down that road.
The idea was shelved again last spring without much appetite from the School Committee to pursue, but this time, Smaller argues the administration is just going to take away the McCarthy's "fabulous principal" instead, just when he's getting comfortable after his second year.
She said the school community will unite again to fight the change. Parents, teachers and kids met Monday afternoon to figure out a way to do just that. According to the Salem News, a crowd of about 50 people gathered outside the McCarthy to formulate a plan.
Levine, however, says he made the decision (and conferred with incoming Superintendent Joseph Mastrocola) to better match up the respective principals' talents. He said it was based on his 40 years of experience as an educator and assessing where their talents best lay after working over the past year with both Smoyer and McNiff.
“I think Judy McNiff will do a good job there [at the McCarthy] and I think Ray Smoyer is ready to take the Burke School to the next level,” Levine said.
He also said it’s not unheard of for a superintendent to make such a decision and it’s not the first time in his career that he’s done so.
"[It's] to match skill levels with the schools they should run," Levine said, while still commending both principals for doing good work in their current jobs.
He added that the decision came directly from him, not the mayor or the School Committee, since it's a school personnel matter. Levine approached both principals directly and thoroughly discussed the matter before acting on it, he said.
The swap is also not a critique of either principal's performance and should not be interpreted as one of them failing at their job, Levine said, again stressing that certain talents match better with different school populations.
While not talking further about each person's respective abilities, he noted that the McCarthy School only enrolls 175-200 students, while the Burke School has about 350 -- the preschool program at the McCarthy is run separately by a program director.
One thing Levine can assure McCarthy parents of, is that the move is not a precursor to closing down the school after all. He said he's not pushing for that and there's no appetite from the mayor nor the majority of the School Committee to do that.
“I can tell the McCarthy parents there’s no conversation to close the McCarthy School,” he said.
Levine said he thinks "it's the right move" for both schools and is unlikely to change course at this time, but he won’t rule that out just yet, adding that he is “happy to meet with McCarthy parents” to talk about it further.
In fact, he is scheduling a meeting with them for next week -- time and date to be determined. Levine said the mayor will likely be there and the broader public and press would be welcome to attend.
If, as Carr promised in her letter, McCarthy parents seek to follow Smoyer over to the Burke School, it all depends on available seats. Levine said parents are welcome to apply for open enrollment, but that is based on where seats are open, and in this case, there are still more unfilled seats at the McCarthy.
In This article
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John E. McCarthy Memorial School
76 Lake St, Peabody, MA -
John E. Burke School
127 Birch St, Peabody, MA -
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andrea walsh
10:41 am on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
The meeting with the McCarthy parents has been scheduled for Thursday May 17 @ 6:30 at the McCarthy.
John Castelluccio
11:23 am on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Thanks, Andrea.
John Burke
1:22 pm on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
As a parent at the Burke, let me challenge you with this thought. It could be something else than there is something wrong with the Principal. I am very concerned as a parent that the McCarthy parents are making Mrs. McNiff into a bad Principal. At the end of the day, this woman is someone that cares deeply about the children, she is a wife, mother and a citizen of Peabody. What has she done wrong for you to have such great objection to her? Maybe the parents at the Burke understand change does happen and have trust in the school administration that they are making decisions that are in the best interest of the children and schools. You sit here and imply silence is our happiness of the change. All they are at the end of the day is your perception and not the fact.
We have voted in our School Committee who is the boss of the Superintendent; they have many more years of experience than most of us. The Mayor only serves as the Chairman of the School Committee and cannot force the Superintendent to do something that would not be in the best interest of the schools and the children. This is what is called seperation of powers and checks and balances.
You indicate that McCarthy is always fighting something, potential school closings and now this. Maybe you need to stop fighting and work with the city. Maybe its you and not us
If you do not have faith in them then in about a year, I suggest you run for School Committee and help make the decisions of Peabody.
Rob Moreschi
1:55 pm on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
As was mentioned in the article, the Superintendent is the one who made the decision, not the School Committee, so what does their "years of experience" have to do with this?
Your comment telling us to "stop fighting and work with the city. Maybe its you and not us", is simply defined in two words: embarrassing and inappropriate. Do you teach your kids to not stand up for what is right and to get over it as you are implying?
Know this, the objection to Mrs. McNiff should not be taken as a knock to her, however, it should be taken to show what great respect and admiration that the parents and teachers of the McCarthy School have for Mr. Smoyer.
Diane McCarthy
6:12 pm on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Everyone at the Burke school knows that there have been several complaints about Mrs. McNiff to the Superintendent. I have a relative who had a complaint regrading Mrs. McNiff and went to Dr. Levine and was supported by the Superintendent. This is a FACT. My Burke relative also told me that it is very hard to find a parent who has not had a problem with her. As McCarthy parent, I want to keep my current successful principal. I am sure that Mrs. McNiff is a good person, but maybe she is not a great principal. If the Burke parents wanted to keep McNiff, they would let everyone know. Let's be realistic.
Traci Bisson
7:09 pm on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
That's a very shallow & narrow minded comment. We take pride in our school & believe our school is worth the fight!
Peabody Pete
2:49 pm on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Every School deserves its "Ray" of sunshine..... Let the Burke School go find its own rather than being a school yard bully and take the McCarthy's ....
Traci Bisson
7:10 pm on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
We are not fighting against Mrs. McNiff, we are fighting for Mr. Smoyer! He has been a great principal & role model for our children & these children need consistency! Changes like this are not necessary.
Linda Raymond
7:42 pm on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
I don't have children at either school so I don't have an allegiance to either. I have to say though that anyone with half a brain can read the article and figure out that 'something is rotten in Denmark', I mean 'Burke'. I have been a big fan of Dr. Levine but I think he is making a serious mistake doing this to the children, parents and staff of the McCarthy school. I have heard nothing but great things about the school. They have been through a lot the last three years and yet they seem like a very happy, successful little school. Why mess with that? If I did have a child at the McCarthy I would be very upset. I hope that Dr. Levine reconsiders his decision. If there are issues at the Burke, then deal with the Burke. It would be interesting to see the most recent performance reviews of both principals. If I were a parent with children in either school, I would request that from the School Committee. They publish the Superintendent's performance ratings in the paper so why not those of the principals involved here? Also, where is all of the outrage from the Burke parents on losing their principal if she is in fact as Mr. Burke states 'someone who cares deeply about the children'? Mr. Burke seems to forget that the school committee works for the parents, not the other way around. Parents should express their disappointment with this decision very loudly to the committee and they in turn should stand behind the parents who elected them!
McCarthy Mom
12:12 am on Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Thank you Linda - it is nice to see that we (the McCarthy Community)are not the only people who see a PROBLEM!! Your words will help us continue to focus on the fact that our CHILDREN are what is most important and the city needs to see that! We have a strong community at the McCarthy School and our fight will not stop. @ Diane - I too have heard from friends at the Burke school that they are not happy with the current principal and were very happy when this news was released. Unfortunately this change will not solve anything, but, will only carry a problem forward!
Mike Collins
1:29 pm on Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Maybe you should not exploit your children and act like adults instead of grandstanding and thrusting your children into the debate. Maybe you should have set up a meeting immediately with Dr. Levine instead of blasting this all over the newspaper and in front of school committee. You see more and more parents trying to grow their children up instead of sheltering and protecting them from adult concerns. I would never do that to my kids until a final decision was handed down and then have a meaningful discussion with them. If I was Levine, I would not change my mind because then he has endorsed this poor behavior from the McCarthy Parents. You make it sound like your school will be ruined forever and it will be your undoing for any real impact on the children by turning this into a circus instead of a conversation. By you thrusting them into the SC meeting last night and having them listen to overstated concerns you have in fact put the thought that the school will be no good if this happens.
BTW there was no intent from the School Committee to close the McCarthy so you were not fighting anything last year. That was your over emotional reaction just like what is going on here.
Mary Hilton
3:28 pm on Thursday, May 10, 2012
People who know the schools say Smoyer, the title one director and the SPED director, are the rising talents in the school system. Smoyer comes with military command experience, too. Maybe they're looking down the road and want to try him in different spots.