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Schools

School Committee Takes Up Superintendent Goals

Superintendent's performance to be evaluated based on achievement of goals; School Committee also setting its own goals.

The Melrose School Committee has been working for several weeks to craft a goals document to evaluate the performance of Superintendent Joe Casey over the coming school year.

The committee, in a public draft document, has laid out five goals so far for measuring Casey.

The primary objectives are improving student performance in math, science and language arts; improve technology in the schools to support teaching and learning; improving services for special education students; and providing high quality education for all students.

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Casey said Tuesday that he is looking to tie the goals to the district strategic plan, focusing on measuring the "success of the district."

The school committee's goals, a separate document, include a structure for evaluating achievement of goals. Among the committee's top goals are implementing a communications plan and relations with the public. 

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Casey said he is communicating with the public all the time, in meetings with school site review committees, and at public events like the Melrose Victorian Fair, where he met people at the Melrose Chamber of Commerce booth.

"People want to know, do you care, are you there, will you answer my question," Casey said. "They also want to feel like the community is moving forward at all levels."

Committee Chairwoman Margaret Driscoll said setting the superintendent's goals is one of the main objectives of the committee.

"We have a pretty clear planning process and we all want to be on the same page and working toward the same thing," Driscoll said. "We work in partnership with the superintendent."

Committee member J.D. LaRock said the school district needs to perform better at all levels.

"My hope is the goals take us to the next level," LaRock said. "We have good achievement, but it's about what you would expect for a community of our demographics."

Casey said demographics are only part of the picture.

"[One student] might be a data point, but you can't look at children and families as demographics," Casey said. "They may be distracted and need help to get back on track."

He said setting out the superintendent's goals needs to be tied back to performance at the schools, and in line with the district's strategic goals for improving performance.

"We do the same thing in education as in business; businesses make a business plan," Casey said. 

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