I am writing to express my support for the citizens’ petition to censure the School Committee at the upcoming Special Town Meeting. One of the major reasons for the censure is that the School Committee members extended the superintendent’s contract for an additional year even though he had two years remaining on his contract. They even granted him a pay increase at a time when our schools are so challenged financially that another override was being requested. These actions occurred at a time when he is under investigation by both the state’s ethics commission and the Worcester County district attorney. This action defies common sense and shows a clear lack of sound judgment by the School Committee. If any one of us had an employee who was accused of wrongdoing, we would surely get to the bottom of it or at least wait to know all the facts before rewarding their actions. Surely the people of Harvard, especially our school children, deserve better leadership than has been shown by the Harvard School Committee.
My wife, Margaret Grogan, and I are 20-year residents of Harvard and, along with our son, volunteer and contribute to this community in many ways, like so many of you. Margaret is also a respected employee of the Harvard schools and was a Harvard schools honoree in our Fourth of July parade this year. This past year, she was wrongly and unjustly accused by the superintendent of bringing to the public the matter of the inappropriate payment of $30,000 to a former member of the School Committee. He approached and personally intimidated her several times on this issue and took retaliatory action by reassigning her to a lesser position, reducing her working hours and, thereby, reducing her pay. Although she has apprised the School Committee of the treatment she received from the superintendent, it has remained silent and ignored her letters.
The School Committee, despite recent assertions to the contrary, has ignored individual citizens who attempt to raise a red flag over any mismanagement or wrongdoing in the Harvard public schools. My wife is a good example of the committee’s failure to take any of the issues surrounding the superintendent seriously. Our elected School Committee should get back to placing the interests of the citizens of Harvard as its highest priority.
This is just an example of the environment created within our schools over the past two years. I wrote this letter because the citizens of Harvard need to know what is really going on within our schools and take action before it is too late.
Mark Bierbower
Pond Road
