Opinion: Salem School Committee Election Is Disappointing

The following letter to the editor was submitted to Patch by Thomas Cahill of Salem.

Dear Editor:

I have three children currently enrolled in Salem Public Schools. Considering the tumult of the past four years in our district, I am surprised and disappointed that incumbents Jim Fleming and Mary Manning were reelected by Salem’s voters.

During the most recent term these incumbents served on the school committee, our district has witnessed: consistent decline in enrollment, constant leadership turnover (at least one principal change at every public school in Salem), a myriad of issues involving poor communication and lack of transparency with stakeholders, and the closure of the Bowditch school; which was required so that the committee could avoid the accountability that would have resulted from the inevitable level 4 designation that the Bowditch school was destined to receive. I expected these failures, coupled with the unusual circumstances surrounding the departure of our previous superintendent, would have resulted in new committee leadership.

Making the results of Tuesday’s election more bewildering is the fact that several eminently qualified and invested Salem Public School parents ran vigorous but unsuccessful campaigns. It was discouraging to see exciting candidates with dynamic new ideas to transform our district identity get left off the committee in favor of Mr. Fleming and Ms. Manning.

However, the voters have spoken. I wish the returning incumbents good luck. I sincerely hope that their upcoming terms bring more success and better results. I fear that repeating their past performances will exacerbate the exodus of Salem Public School families (including, possibly mine) from our district.

Thomas Cahill