State of the Schools Speech by Melrose Superintendent [VIDEO]

Check out the State of the Schools speech given by Melrose Public Schools Superintendent Cyndy Taymore Jan. 24 at Memorial Hall.

[Editor's note: The following is the State of the Schools speech given by Superintendent Cyndy Taymore Jan. 24 at Memorial Hall.] Mayor Dolan…. Thank you for this opportunity to address the citizens of Melrose regarding the state of our schools in 2013. Since being appointed last spring, I have been engaged in an entry process during which I have had the opportunity to speak with many members of the community including city officials, members of the business community, and leaders of nonprofit organizations, parents, staff, students, and everyday citizens. If there has been one constant in these conversations, it is the citizens of Melrose love this city and are proud of the quality of life that you have all worked hard to create. Moreover…

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Interim MHS, Winthrop Principals Named

Marianne Farrell, current acting Melrose High School principal, will serve as the interim principal this year, and Robert Arsenault will be the interim Winthrop School principal. Bob Savarino returns to serve as interim assistant principal.

The sudden and late departures in June of former Melrose High School Principal Dan Richards and former Winthrop School Principal Mary Alise Herrera have been addressed for the coming school year with the appointment of two new interim principals, along with interim assistant principals at the high school—one of whom is a familiar face. Superintendent Cyndy Taymore announced in a press release that Marianne Farrell, the assistant principal at Melrose High School previously named acting principal for the summer, will serve as the interim principal for the 2012-2013 school year. At the Winthrop School, Robert Arsenault will serve as the interim principal for the coming year. Arsenault previously worked as the principal of the Woburn Street-…

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Daniel DeMaina

10:56 am on Thursday, August 2, 2012

Thanks for raising this question Dave. I'll try to find out today or tomorrow, and if I don't get to it in time, I'll be sure to pass it along to my successors who are starting next week.   more ›

Superintendent Lays Out 100 Day Plan for Melrose Schools

New Melrose School Superintendent Cyndy Taymore plans to focus in on four areas from now through October with the desire to create immediate change in the district.

Facing a school system still in flux, new Melrose Schools Superintendent Cyndy Taymore is laying out a plan to implement change within the district in four specific areas by the end of October. In a meeting with the press on Tuesday morning, Taymore said that an entry plan is one component of an induction program run in a cooperative effort by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents. However, that entry plan has a longer, drawn out time frame. "Given the amount of change Melrose is experiencing, we decided that I would do a '100 day plan' to immediately address some of the concerns," she said. Taymore's immediate plan will also be rolled into her long …

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Letters to the Editor

Letter: Clark, Brodeur Welcome New Superintendent

The city's state delegation welcomes incoming Melrose School Superintendent Cyndy Taymore and thanks retiring Superintendent Joe Casey.

To the Editor: On April 12, we were pleased to join Mayor Rob Dolan, Superintendent Joe Casey, the Melrose School Committee and members of the community at the contract signing ceremony for incoming Superintendent Cyndy Taymore.  With the selection of Ms. Taymore to lead the Melrose Public Schools, the City begins another exciting chapter in our collective effort to build an excellent, innovative school system that supports and challenges all students. We welcome Ms. Taymore to Melrose, and we look forward to working with her, Mayor Dolan and the community to support our schools and address the challenges we face. We thank the members of the superintendent search committee and the School Committee for their many hours of work and their …

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Letters to the Editor

Letter: Melrose Schools Transition With New Superintendent

School Committee Chairwoman Kristin Thorp reflects on where the school district has been and is going with the hiring of new Superintendent Cyndy Taymore.

Submitted on behalf of the Melrose School Committee by Chairwoman Kristin Thorp. Last week Ms. Cyndy Taymore, the incoming Superintendent of Melrose Public Schools, signed her contract, signifying the end of the Superintendent Search process and the beginning of a new era in Melrose. I would like to take a moment to recognize this transition. The last six years, under the direction of Superintendent Joe Casey, we saw a great deal of change and innovation in our schools. A strong Administrative Team was formed, test results were increased, facilities were updated and all of this was done in the context of a shrinking budget. The district is far ahead of where it was when Joe arrived. We are thankful for the tireless dedication to the …

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VIDEO: Incoming Superintendent Taymore Contract Signing

Melrose school and city officials gathered on Thursday morning at Memorial Hall for a contract signing ceremony with incoming Melrose Schools superintendent Cyndy Taymore.

On Thursday morning, Melrose school and city officials gathered in the GAR Room at Memorial Hall for a contract signing ceremony with Cyndy Taymore, the incoming Melrose Schools superintendent. Watch the video above for highlights from the remarks made at the ceremony.

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Taymore Contract Approved By School Committee

Incoming Superintendent Cyndy Taymore will have a starting salary of $160,000 according to the three-year contract approved Tuesday night.

Incoming Melrose Schools Superintendent Cyndy Taymore will have a starting salary of $160,000, according to the three-year contract approved Tuesday night by the School Committee. The committee approved the contract by a 6-1 vote, with Carrie Kourkoumelis voting no. Taymore will start on July 1, replacing the retiring Joe Casey. A signing ceremony will be held on Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. in the GAR Room at Memorial Hall. Other details of the contract include: 25 paid vacation days; 18 sick days; no tuition reimbursements or travel allowance; and nine months advance written notice of termination. After the vote, committee Chairwoman Kristin Thorp said that Taymore will be working Casey to begin finding her way around the district. "She…

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Dave Gray

3:07 pm on Friday, April 13, 2012

Thanks, Dann, for clearing that up. As far as buybacks go, that doesn't trouble me at all, in fact $7500 for 75 sick days is a bargain, and I don't believe you're allowed to carry over vacation days. It sounds like a fair deal to me. Whether she is worth it or not will depend on performance, and that will make itself clear down the road. She's obviously not going to solve all the problems her …   more ›

Taymore Selected As Next Melrose Superintendent

Pending contract negotiations, Cyndy Taymore will become the next superintendent of Melrose Public Schools after a School Committee vote Thursday night.

Editor's note: This article was updated on Friday at 11:08 a.m. Cyndy Taymore will be the next superintendent of Melrose Public Schools, pending contract negotiations, after a School Committee vote on Thursday night. Taymore is currently the assistant superintendent with Bedford Public Schools, retaining oversight of special education. She holds a bachelor's degree from American University, a master's degree from Emerson, graduate work at Salem State, and certificate for post graduate work at UMass Boston. Out of the five finalists, Taymore was one of three who consistently came up as the School Committee discussed who should become the next leader of the city's schools, along with Dr. James Kelleher and Dr. Kristan Rodriguez. The …

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