Differences among School Committee members about renewing the superintendent's contract are reflected in the community at large, and exchanges on school-related e-mail lists mirror some of the passion residents feel about this issue. Responses began soon after School Committee member Denise Burns, who has offered relatively low grades in her evaluation of Superintendent Nate Levenson, wrote a letter posted to various lists Sept. 18.

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Under the subject line "Time to act: Arlington Public Schools faces the biggest decision of the year" and sent to e-mail lists at Bishop, Ottoson, ACE Parents, Dallin PTO, Stratton PTO and Thompson PTO, the letter says, in part:

"I urge you to email, write, or call me and the other members of the committee over the next few days to let us know where you stand. When composing your emails, please keep in mind that where you stand on the renewal of the Superintendent may or may not be the same as where you stand on the middle school email issue.

 

"Try to focus on your observations the Superintendent's performance over the past 2+ years and ask yourself if the schools are in better or worse shape than they were 3 years ago. Please forward this to your friends and ask them to do the same" (full text)."

One response was blunt: Cindy Starks, replying to school lists as well as the Think of Our Kids list, wrote Sept. 18:

"The problem with the Arlington Public Schools is this: THE ADULTS IN THIS COMMUNITY ARE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THEMSELVES THAN THE STUDENTS!

"I want the bickering, name calling, finger pointing, and rumor mongering to STOP! I want us all to step back and take a look at the mess we are in and figure out how we can start to dig ourselves out. We need to stop all of this petty bickering and fix the situation, for the sake of the children.

"Whether Mr. Levenson is kept on as the Superintendent of our schools is almost irrelevant to me. What I want to know is when are we going to start working together instead of being so divided? When are we going to realize that school committee members, teachers, parents, and administrators need to be spending every ounce of their energy ensuring that our students are getting the best education that they can?" [Full text]

An Ottoson teacher who asked YourArlington that she not be quoted by name responded that she knows many in town who think the middle school is now a great place to learn and that atmosphere there has not been negative for some time. She wrote that she was offended by implications to the contrary. 

   

Starks and the teacher later exchanged list e-mails. Starks apologized for any perceived offense, and the teacher acknowledged.