School Superintendent James F. Scully.
Haverhill Public Schools Superintendent James F. Scully’s job performance is being called, overall, “very good,” even as he received mixed grades from the school committee.
All six committee members Scully ranked “proficient” on “standard school committee criteria” while the mayor said the superintendent “needs improvement.” Mayor James J. Fiorentini, committee chairman, told Scully he would like to see improvements in three areas
Haverhill Mayor James J. Fiorentini.
“The high school, which remains a level three school, has been and remains that way. The Tilton School, where the performance is simply unsatisfactory, and where I would like to see a turnaround plan submitted to us. And if that requires additional funding that will be something for us to take a look at. And finally, mister Superintendent, I’d like to see you be a little bit more open to suggestions and criticism,” Fiorentini said. “Overall I think you’ve done an excellent job and you’re leading the city (schools) in the right direction. You’re a strong and forceful leader. The Hunking School would not have happened without you and I thank you for that.”
The findings came in a “composite” report presented by School Committee President Scott W. Wood Jr. last week.
Noting progress in the schools, Scully said he has “done what you have directed me to do” and added a majority of the committee and others helped bring improvements at Haverhill High and other schools.
“Over the past couple of years, Haverhill High School accreditation was reinstated. Five schools are now at level one, three schools are at level two, two schools are at level three. The graduation rate in 2010 was 67.4 percent; 2014, the graduation rate is 75.5 percent. The out-of-district (special education) students numbers continue to decrease and the number of enrollments has gone up,” Scully said.
“Our security systems across the school system have been improved for protection of our students. We have raised over three quarters of a million dollars in private donations, we’ve added a high school weight room, we have the contracts settled and—more importantly—the attitude, for the public, of the school system has improved dramatically. That hasn’t been done by me, but it’s been done by a group of very caring teachers, custodians, nurses, secretaries, and it’s been done because a majority of this school committee has been very supportive,” Scully said.
The committee’s evaluation was, according to Wood, based on 23 standards, including instructional leadership, professional culture and standard criteria. For individual categories, Scully received no more than three votes under the “needs improvement” or “unsatisfactory” grades combined.
2015 Report Card
| Criteria | Rank | No. Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Instructional leadership | Need improvement | 2 |
| Proficient | 4 | |
| Exemplary | 1 | |
| Management and Operations | Need improvement | 1 |
| Proficient | ||
| 6 | ||
| Family and Community Engagement | Unsatisfactory | 1 |
| Needs improvement | 1 | |
| Proficient | 3 | |
| Exemplary | 2 | |
| Professional Culture | Needs improvement | 1 |
| Proficient | 6 | |
| Cooperation with committee/mayor/council | Needs improvent | 1 |
| Proficient | 4 | |
| Exemplary | 2 | |
| Positive impact on community view of education | Unsatisfactory | 1 |
| Needs improvement | 2 | |
| Proficient | 2 | |
| Exemplary | 2 | |
| Leading schools in right direction | Needs improvement | 1 |
| Proficient | 6 | |
| Exemplary | 1 | |
| Overall | Needs improvement | 1 |
| Proficient | 6 | |
| Exemplary | 1 | |
Jim Scully: I don’t know how you do it !
Dealing with the lying, conniving, corrupt, deceitful, incompetent fraud in the corner office every day has to be difficult.
For that alone you get an A+ !!!
You’ve got to be kidding! The schools are the worst I’ve seen in 10 years! Overcrowding, understaffed, not enough materials and dilapidated buildings. Saving money on the backs of the kids all while padding the pockets of upper management. There are more problems this year than I have ever seen. Clearly the people completing this report card are detached from reality.
You are spot on Jenn. The loss of talented teachers, aides and principals over his tenure will take his replacement many years to correct. Luckily we have two new school committee members who seem unwilling to just go along to get along. Thank goodness. Now we need two or three more new school committee members after the next election.