Today's Gazette (almost keeping up)
This morning's hometown newspaper front page says it all: The catastrophic implosion of Maria Geryk's 5.5 year reign as Superintendent of the venerable Amherst Regional Public Schools dominating above-and-below the fold with two dirty laundry stories on the right side, while the historic Olympic silver medal win of hometown boy and recent ARHS graduate Micheal Hixon shares the left side.
Maria Geryk before the fall
Click to enlarge/read
Click to enlarge/read
No mention of the $309K buyout coming out of the schools budget
221 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 221 of 221My first contract, in 2016 dollars, was for only $25,200 -- and that was for six prep classes as well as "garbage patrol" (lunchroom supervisory duty).
Larry, how much did those nuns get paid? Even if you add the housing, food, & clothing to their stipends, they weren't getting much -- and definitely not what they were worth.
Contrast that to now, where, as Greedy Geryk so aptly demonstrated, it's really only about the money. Education is largely about what is good for a corrupt cadre of public sector hacks who could never survive in a competitive marketplace.
Contrast that to those of us who aren't in it for the money -- and I include you Larry in this group. We want good, effective, efficient schools, we want them to be well run, and we want them staffed by caring and competent teachers. Not by abusive schmucks who scream at sick children.
Hopefully Trump will win, hopefully he will give birth to another Jacksonian Democracy because otherwise, I fear, we are inexorably heading to some sort of a revolution.
Liberalism is a failure. Just look at the last 8 years. Great economy eh? Great racial harmony! Great job lowering the sea levels. Great job pulling out of the middle east. It's to laugh that you want more of this. Why any working stiff would vote Democrat is beyond comprehension. And establishment puppet Hillary in bed with Wall Street. Beautiful. The thought of a liberal SCOTUS . Ugh.
Mlk jr., we forget believed in God. Dems today? Not so much.
So why post here if you're not a fan? You're more than welcome to stay away.
Please Larry. ..make this a safe zone for me! Stop people from triggering me! Stop the bullies attacking me!
"Apparently all I need to do is post one paragraph articles and the floodgates open wide.
And just for the record, over the past 10 years July/August has always been the slowest months for readership. This month has now become the second highest of all time."
That's because it's all about you big boy. You are such a powerful, investigative journalist. And what an audience. Pat yourself on the back, again. No go ahead, nobody's looking.
Atta boy!
Here's an idea: hire a conservative super.
When do the various school committee members come up for re-election?
3:08, the only way to respond is with a ballot.
Everyone on any school committee other than the three who voted against this needs to be replaced, even if someone like Vince O'Connor. Every town meeting, in all four towns, needs to defeat every allocation to the schools. Just vote NO -- if you couldn't do it, you wouldn't be voting.
Sure the children will suffer -- but children not that much older DIED to defend this country.
JUST VOTE NO!
Including on theMegaSkool override this fall.
Here's an idea: hire a conservative super.
There aren't any.
A few more comments and it will only be $1000 per comment to move on with life, which is apparently focusing on the kids so much that they become useless adults like those who have come of age over the last 20 years.
It think it is worth noting that these kids are not special to anyone but their parents. The rest of us are far from impressed, even more so when the kids come from this type of self absorbed atmosphere.
All this for kids that will for the most part simply leave, along with our investment in them. Then after they leave, 1 out of 20 will be put behind bars.
The system needs to change, not get a new head.
Nina, we don't always agree, but i respect that you post your positions under your name. And for those who think I don't take other sides or views into account, well, You really don't know me then.
Sorry anon 7:42 but Huh?...I don't know what the hell you are saying!
Neanderthal scribblings like the Constitution? Or did you mean the Declaration of Independence?
Diversity=NWO=deprive you of your money=Democrats
First of all, Congratulations Mike Hixon, whose amazing, uplifting performance puts Amherst on the map again. And this time Amherst's notoriety is for dedicated, superhuman accomplishment - something of which we can all be proud.
I have four kids who all went through school here: two at ARHS, one at Deerfield and one at the Chinese Immersion school. All thrived and are achieving at full potential. The ARHS experience was far and away the third-place experience, and it pains me to admit it because I graduated ARHS in the golden age when we could say with a straight face that it was indeed one of the very best school systems in the Commonwealth, but my kids obtained a great education and emerged unscathed. When they were force-fed nonsense at school, we talked about it and encouraged them to seek corroborative and contradicting perspectives and develop their own views. When important learning was withheld (the Constitution, great works of literature) we provided these at home and said "Explore, and see what you make of this." When they noticed social engineering inequities, we encouraged them to probe and understand the psychology behind these impulses. They studied hard, stayed out of trouble, and did fine. And once away from Amherst, their belief in diversity of opinion was confirmed. They will always love Amherst - and as this blog affirms, There'll Always Be An Amherst.
I hope Amherst chooses much more wisely with its next SI hire, although there are reasons to bet against that. But there are also reasons to be hopeful: Anon 10:37am (Saturday), you put it so beautifully in valuing all of the stakeholders whose cooperation is needed to right the ship. I am grateful that this blog exists to cover civic and community matters that are not deeply or honestly covered elsewhere. I am grateful for the comments section, awful as it can sometimes get. Grateful too for what I learn in the posts of people like Rick Hood and Nine Koch with whom I typically disagree - thank you for speaking up! Larry, I appreciate your work, dedication, courage, and fortitude - enjoy your 'working vacation.'
Chamber of Commerce, and others who support this unique forum - thank you especially. We have an essential, unique, meeting place here that makes our boisterous community a better place.
Geryk have a conscience?
The woman is a psychopath in all the charming-but-pathological sense. It always has been all about Maria, and as to conscience......
Thank you, Tom Porter! So articulate and beautifully written. I, too, am an ARHS grad...from back in the days when we were proud to say we attended that school. I appreciate Larry's efforts and I am not afraid of what I read here. It doesn't make me feel a need to crouch in a "safe space" even though I consider myself a conservative thinker! I believe some people's comments are mean and somewhat crude in their language, but I can see beyond that. Problems can't be solved unless all ideas are considered.
Let's hope they can, as you say, "Right the ship." It is worth saving.
ANON 10:37 AM (Sat.)
Please be to remind Nina that it is neither her education -or her tax money - that is really being wasted here , the region is what's being trashed with her cliques blind faith ...Amen. !!$$&@
The reason why the town would pay over $300k for this is simple.
“There are four ways in which you can spend money. You can spend your own money on yourself. When you do that, why then you really watch out what you’re doing, and you try to get the most for your money. Then you can spend your own money on somebody else. For example, I buy a birthday present for someone. Well, then I’m not so careful about the content of the present, but I’m very careful about the cost. Then, I can spend somebody else’s money on myself. And if I spend somebody else’s money on myself, then I’m sure going to have a good lunch! Finally, I can spend somebody else’s money on somebody else. And if I spend somebody else’s money on somebody else, I’m not concerned about how much it is, and I’m not concerned about what I get. And that’s government. And that’s close to 40% of our national income.”
Milton Friedman, in a Fox News interview in May 2004
$300,000 = 10 para professional salaries- a position more important and more difficult than that of a Superintendent
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