Jeff Shaw. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
The October 10 vote at Special Town Meeting to censure the Harvard School Committee has precipitated the resignation of School Committee member Jeff Shaw, whose three-year term was due to expire in 2008.
The censure vote, brought before Town Meeting by citizens’ petition, called into question the School Committee’s positive performance review of Superintendent Thomas Jefferson and the subsequent extension of his contract, which was not due to expire for two more years, in light of ongoing investigations regarding alleged ethics violations and alleged misuse of special education funds. Petitioners also took issue with the School Committee’s response to the management report presented by the town’s independent auditor in June, saying that the board had “summarily dismissed” irregularities noted in the report.
When contacted by the Press for comment, Shaw said, “A majority of the people at Town Meeting voted to censure the School Committee based on three items. I stand by my votes. Based on the body of work by the superintendent for the previous year, I believe the favorable performance review was appropriate. Extending his contract was a sound business decision. And, in the end, I sincerely believe that a person is innocent until proven guilty.”
Shaw said it had been a very difficult two years for members of the School Committee, who had been embroiled in lengthy teacher contract negotiations and then became the target of public animosity after disclosure in local newspapers about questionable payments to a former School Committee member from special education funds.
Asked if the experience with the censure had left him bitter about volunteering, Shaw said, “I’m still going to volunteer. I’m president of the Harvard Soccer Club.”
But, he added, he needs time to think about all that’s happened before he can really answer that question.
