HAVERHILL — The School Committee met for over three hours last night, but never directly mentioned an e-mail sent to school officials and the media this week accusing high school administrators of altering students' grades, violating special education laws and failing to discipline teenagers who are repeatedly unruly.
Various School Committee members and administrators alluded to the e-mail during lengthy discussions about the high school curriculum and special education program. But that was it — inside the room during the public meeting anyway.
Outside the meeting in the hallway of City Hall, Mayor James Fiorentini said he intended to visit the high school soon to speak with teachers about the allegations in the e-mail. The e-mail said it is from "a consortium of high school teachers" who are frustrated that their concerns have been ignored by Principal Bernard Nangle.
The mayor said he is most concerned about allegations that students and teachers are fearful of violent and unruly students who are not being disciplined.
"The e-mail contains very serious charges that need to be looked into and they will be," said Fiorentini, also the School Committee chairman. "I plan on going to the high school myself and I've encouraged the superintendent also to go."
Also outside the meeting, Nangle said he is not worried about the allegations and that the situation would "work itself out." He declined further comment.
On Wednesday, Superintendent Raleigh Buchanan said officials were trying to trace the e-mail to identify who sent it.
In its first order of business last night, the committee voted to pay Futures Education, a consultant, $20,000 to perform an audit of certain parts of the district's special education program.
Buchanan said the company will analyze how the district provides occupational and speech therapy services and teacher aides for students with physical and learning disabilities. The superintendent said he did not have the exact number but that the district pays "millions of dollars" annually for those services.
Futures Education must identify at least $20,000 worth of savings to get its fee its chief operation officer, Brian Edwards, said. It is then up to the district to implement the changes, or it can hire the company to come into the school and take over those programs — essentially privatizing those aspects of special education. Under such an arrangement, the district's therapists would become employees of the company.
Before approving a contract with the company, Fiorentini asked Edwards to develop a proposal to review the entire special education department. In an interview later, the mayor said the request had nothing to do with the new allegations of wrongdoing. He said he wants the full review to find ways to cut costs.
"I've wanted an audit of special education for several years because it's one of the most expensive programs in the schools," the mayor said. "I know there are a lot of special education teachers and aides, but I have no idea if we have too many, not enough or the right number."
Edwards said his company has the ability to take over an entire special education department, if asked. He said he also can review a program to make sure it is following state law.
Later in the evening, the committee heard a presentation by Nangle and two high school curriculum directors on a plan to offer freshman more instruction in core courses such as mathematics and English next year. At one point, committee member Paul Magliocchetti commented about the morale of high school teachers. Nangle responded that he understood there may be "a problem with morale at the high school lately." Magliocchetti then said he was "not going down that road."
The e-mail purportedly from the teachers' group said teacher morale is at an all-time low. It was sent Tuesday to Buchanan, Fiorentini, School Committee President Shaun Toohey, The Eagle-Tribune and other media outlets.
The letter claims that individual education plans, which are required by law for special education students, are not being followed. It also claims a special education supervisor "has been intimidating staff and students for years by way of rumors spread, belittling them in meetings, and blaming indiscretions on teachers, rather than take responsibility."
The letter claims "it is a well documented fact" that students' grades have been altered and that students have been given answers to questions on the state's MCAS test.
The e-mail also said absenteeism and truancy at the high school is rampant, especially among special education students.
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