With an estimated 450 people in the Red Gym at Arlington High School, a parade of speakers came before the School Committee March 27, the majority calling for the reinstatement of Stavroula Bouris as Ottoson Middle School principal. Some called for the resignation of Superintendent Nate Levenson, who has announced he will not renew the principal's contract, because he does not see her as a "good fit" for Arlington public schools. Her contract ends in August.

Many of the speakers disagreed, as did an estimated 275 protesters who lined Mass. Ave. before the meeting and held signs that said "Save Our Schools" and "Save Mrs. Bouris."

Meanwhile, Levenson told The Arlington Advocate on March 28 that he would seek to “heal the wounds” following his decision not to renew Bouris’s contract.

“Over the next few days, I will spend a lot of time talking and thinking as to how to bring the community back together,” he told the newspaper. “I would rule out nothing in that process. Making a hard decision is what a good leader does and listening to people is also what a good leader does.”

Committee Chair Sue Sheffler said the committee will continue to discuss the issue at its next meeting, April 10. 

“I’m ready to listen,” the superintendent said, noting three questions he believes the public wants answered – why has the principal not been renewed, why was there so little warning and what is his vision of education for Arlington?

Levenson said he could not answer the first, because the personnel matter is confidential. He said his decision was made “with much thought and was not made lightly. If I could have avoided it, I would have. I knew the decision would be unpopular.” He noted his style is to work “quietly.”

As to his vision, Levenson said, “I don’t have one for Ottoson, but I do have one for the district. I don’t look for nine separate schools.”

He cited his educational goals – to have students who are healthy, happy, well-rounded and prepared. “We can’t let state mandates and tight budgets take the fun out of schools,” he said.

He outlined what he called a “road map” for Arlington and said, “I’d be lying if I said everybody would like” it. Without saying that Bouris might be among those who did not concur with his road map, he said, “Very sadly, I came to the conclusion we need a change in leadership.”

It was time for the public to speak. First, committee member Marty Thrope, a consistent critic of Levenson, objected to the use of a facilitator, saying the committee had never discussed it.

{mosimage}Sheffler noted that the facilitator, Robert McKersie, professor emeritus of management, MIT Sloan School of Management, was there. He has previously worked with the committee and the Arlington Education Association.

Thrope’s motion to proceed without McKersie was defeated, 5-1. Sean Garballey was absent.

Some of the speakers came with suspicion, some with studied scorn, some with reasoned suggestions. Overall, the word from 31 speakers came down to this: Reinstate Ms. Bouris. Individually, the speakers reflected a variety of personalities and views. Here are some of them.

There were politicians, Joe Daley and Mike Healy.

Daley, a former state rep and longtime Town Meeting member spoke about a variety of issues, not necessarily having to do with Bouris. Then he pointed to a row of women in uniform: "It all started with the traffic supervisors ... please retain the principal" (standing ovation).

Healy, a former School Committee, thanked Thrope, who is leaving the committee next month after 14 years of service (standing ovation).

There were teachers – Anna Collozzo and Julie McDaniel, who teach sixth-graders at Ottoson. The former questioned the accuracy of a column in The Advocate written by School Committee member Jeff Thielman. “Ask us,” she repeated. “We will tell you – the truth” (applause each time). The latter said the staff “felt under attack.” She cited improved Annual Yearly Progress numbers from 2005 to 2006 and took aim at Levenson’s salary increase (more applause).

One speaker was a teacher and a politician. Chuck Coughlin, who teaches tech ed at Ottoson, questioned Levenson’s qualification to be Arlington’s school superintendent. He said that when Levenson worked in Harvard, Mass., he was employed as an “assistant to” the superintendent, then Mihran Keoseian Jr. He said the phrase suggests Levenson never actually worked as an assistant superintendent.

In addition, Coughlin said, at some point after Levenson became Arlington superintendent, he employed Keoseian to be a coach for Ms. Bouris.

Sheffler read from what she said was a copy of Levenson’s Harvard contract and it identified him as an assistant superintendent. Levenson confirmed that and said he was paid $1 a year in that position.

Ed Rogers, a psychologist at Ottoson with more than 30 years of experience in Arlington schools, called Mrs. Bouris “the most intelligent, dynamic, hard-working principal I have seen in my years in Arlington.” To cheers, he cited an adage from Alcoholics Anonymous: “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” He urged Levenson to reconsider his decision and received a standing ovation (standing ovation).

There were concerned mothers. One was Lori Talanian, a Stratton PTO co-president, who has a child due to go to Ottoson next year.

She said she was “nervous” and considering private school. She urged Levenson to take a year and reevaluate the situation.

There were concerned dads. Two of them, Peter Davis and Jeffrey Carver, a science fiction writer, focused on some of the psychological dimensions involved in the controversy. Davis described issues of trust; Carver the human side of education. Both of their statements are provided here>>

Not all comments were critical of Levenson. Janice Bakey, a former School Committee member, said, “He’s made mistakes – who hasn’t?”

Vicki Ford offered a balanced assessment of Levenson’s 15 months – noting his lapses in communication, but saying he needed public support.

Cindy Starks, who has a fourth-grader at Bishop and a seventh-grader at Ottoson, said, “We have come together to find a new principal for Ottoson.” She offered a concrete suggestion – the School Committee should have the New England League of Middle Schools assess Ottoson. Her statement and letter (signed by 16 people) is provided in full here >>

Earlier story: 

The School Committee has moved its meeting of Tuesday, March 27, to the Red Gym at Arlington High School. The board expects to allot as long as two hours for the public to speak and is using facilitator from MIT for public participation. After changing the meeting from the School Committee Room to Town Hall Auditorium, the meeting was switched again March 26 -- to the Red Gym, which is the gym closest to Peirce Field, at AHS.

A lecture sponsored by those celebrating Arlington's bicentennial and the League of Women Voters had been previously scheduled in Town Hall Auditorium.

Directions to the Red Gym: Mass. Ave. to Mill Street. Take left at Holovack & Coughlin, and park in school parking lot. Enter through AHS side gates and go through double doors halfway down the courtyard on your right. The Red Gym is  two turns ahead. Follow the signs/guides.

The facilitator for public participation is Robert McKersie, professor emeritus of management, MIT Sloan School of Management. 

 School Committee Chair Sue Sheffler was asked to comment about the reason for the meeting change and the expected length of time for public participation. She issued a statement March 25 addressing the first meeting change and public participation:

"The School Committee meeting of March 27 will be held at the usual time, 7:30, but with an unusual location and agenda. The location is now Town Hall [since changed to the Red Gym], to accommodate an unusual number of speakers expected for public participation and to allow anyone who needs to converse while others are addressing the group to retire to areas where they will not disturb the meeting.

"The agenda is geared to allow the many and diverse components of the school community to listen to each other, a necessary foundation for moving forward. 

"Anyone interested in speaking should sign up on the 'public participation' sheet prior to 7:30 that evening. In the interest of allowing all those who wish to speak to have a reasonable opportunity to do so, we ask that each individual stay within the three minutes allocated.

"There are a few items scheduled prior to public participation. One is a statement honoring Shirley Vedoe."

 The site was made available to the School Committee after the Historical Commission agreed to move a previously scheduled events from the auditorium.

 "The Historical Commission has our lasting thanks for agreeing to change their long-scheduled meeting for that evening in the Town Hall auditorium," Sheffler wrote.

 The length of public participation is as long as two hours, she wrote. 

 An earlier tentative agenda had started the meeting with public participation and had listed a report from Superintendent Nate Levenson on a conference for at-risk youth. That agenda was updated March 23, deleting the report and positioning public participation third.

 The final agenda (updated again March 26):      

1. In honor of Shirley Vedoe. [She died recently at age 94. She retired in 1977 as principal of the Dallin School.]  

2. CONSENT AGENDA – all items listed with an asterisk (*) are considered to be

routine and will be enacted by one motion.  There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a member of the Committee so requests, in which event the item will be considered in its normal sequence

*Approval of warrant # 07126 in the amount of $678,383.59
*Approval of minutes February 13, 2007, February 27, 2007 and March 13, 2007
*Approval of Executive Minutes February 13, 2007

3. OUTLINE OF MEETING, Sue Sheffler, Chair            

4. SUPERINTENDENT REPORT, Nate Levenson

5. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, Facilitated by Robert McKersie, Professor Emeritus of Mgt., MIT Sloan School

6. DISTRICT VISION, School Committee

5. SECRETARY’S REPORT                                     
     · Correspondence,. Schlichtman
       
6. NEW BUSINESS

7.  ADJOURN