To the editor:
The majority of staff at Rochester Middle School are concerned and seeking answers regarding the principal hiring process from both the school board and district leadership.
We would like to make our cause known to the public, who may have similar concerns and questions. An email requesting a meeting to discuss this was sent to the school board chair, vice chair, and acting superintendent. The email was signed by 50 members of the faculty, including more that 70 percent of the teaching staff, and more later showed interest by adding their name since.
We received a response from the school board denying the request to meet and answer our questions, and saying that the board chose their candidate as suggested by "the district". We received no response from the acting superintendent, but separately a staff member who is also a district parent was able to get a response, and has facilitated a meeting through RMS Principal Ryan Gilpatrick.
As the school board is denying participation in this discussion, we look forward to hearing what the acting superintendent can clarify about the process. There are policies regarding professional staff hiring, including staff input in decision making that were seemingly disregarded. The staff are also seeking clarification about the role of the "cabinet" in this process, a collection of new high-powered, high-paying positions that were created by Superintendent Annie Azarloza prior to her going on paid leave pending investigation. The next principal of Rochester Middle School will be the fourth in a 10-year span, a timeframe in which the school has also had 15 different assistant principals. This high turnover at an administrative level creates instability and difficulty for the loyal staff who remain at RMS year after year. The building staff numbers have dwindled significantly in recent years, leaving us with more responsibility and fewer resources. All of this affects the education that is available to our students, and they are our number one priority. We additionally speak up for our students who were told they had a voice in this process, and yet their consensus was also ignored.
Middle school matters, and the staff of Rochester Middle School are asking for their voices to be heard as we advocate for what we and the adolescents of this community not only need, but deserve. If you think that the middle school matters, we hope that you will join our movement and start asking questions too. Keep an eye out for upcoming committee and full school board meetings, where staff and residents have the opportunity to make public comments.
Al Spader
Alison White
Allyson Smith
Annah Kelley
Ashley Cierri
Brad Ott
Brianne St. Pierre
Caryn Costello
Cori Brown
Curt Lalonde
Danielle Cepetelli
Elizabeth Callahan
Elizabeth MacMillan
Elyse Cookson
Eric Diamond
Eric Maserati
Jackie Therrien
Jay Gallipo
Jen Duprat
Jennifer Verville
Jill Saia
Kate Brown
Katelyn Saia
Katie Grace
Katie Prieto
Kayla Wark
Kelleigh Killingsworth
Kelsey Lloyd
Kim Leake
Korianne Moore
Kristen Sturtevant
Larry Driscoll
Lea Marshall
Lex Buzzell
Marie Bahlert
Mark Sampson
Mary Mojica
Megann Woodman
Melissa Files
Melissa Gamirov
Michelle Shaw
Nicole Dale Hogan
Nicole Fontaine
Rachel Rouillard
Rob Fortier
Sam Fantasia
Sandi McPadden
Sara Keller
Sarah Carri
Scott Prieto
Shannon Baxter
Talyn McGarrity
Tracy Smith
Travis Burnham