So Much Going On @ Good 'Ol MVRCS!

We're not sure whether we should start off with the McCleary issue or the nightmare incoming Kindergartner parents are going to be dealing with....decisions, decisions, decisions!

The entire fiasco regarding Dr. McCleary has us simultaneously befuddled and outraged. We are befuddled as we KNOW that there is more to this story than Dr. McCleary deciding to take a PAID sabbatical with such short notice and then not returning. Isn't a sabbatical usually granted to individuals with the expectation that the individual will return to their position??? In any event, we've included the wiki definition of a sabbatical below.  Even as we speculate as to the terminology that Dr. McCleary and MVRCS have agreed to use, we all know that this is just yet ANOTHER person to fall under the ax of Dictator Kinnon. We have to imagine that either: 1. McCleary tired of being used for his credentials (without the authority or responsibility that accompanies it); 2. FINALLY took issue with having to sign his name to the numerous shenanigans, statements (lies), documents, etc. that he was constantly having to do; or 3. McCleary did something that so angered Kinnon that he wasn't given a choice in the matter. Unfortunately, we're more inclined to believe that it is option number 3 and that while he wasn't given a choice in the matter, he IS being paid for the 'sabbatical' as hush money (again, at the expense of the students as not only are those funds not being effectively used but the school will be without ANY individual who is qualified to run the school). We're sure that McCleary could destroy Kinnon and the school with all that he has been privy to during his time there. It has always been surprising to us that McCleary allowed some of the things that have occurred to occur under his name as he is obviously a very moral, ethical, and righteous individual. While Dr. McCleary was not the strong presence within the school that one would expect of a Director, it never appeared as though he had much say in the matter. Even though the Charter School Laws and Regulations are very clear that the Board NOT have control or oversight into the day to day operations of the school, Kinnon has managed to wrangle almost complete control. Unfortunately for the students and MVRCS community, Dr. McCleary (the only individual on the Board or Administrative Team that has the experience, background, and credentials in education) was not permitted nor encouraged to make decisions or run the school in the manner he saw fit but was instead forced to follow the directions, demands, and practices of Neil Kinnon. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

In recent times, "sabbatical" has come to mean any extended absence in the career of an individual in order to achieve something. In the modern sense, one takes sabbatical typically to fulfill some goal, e.g., writing a book or traveling extensively for research.

In the United States, academic sabbaticals are typically granted by an academic dean only if the faculty member who applies is qualified in terms of consistently high job performance, has demonstrated success in previous research, and possesses a well-conceived, well-planned, and promising research proposal that requires sustained effort. Sabbaticals are not granted automatically and usually are not even scheduled automatically. Provided the faculty applicant is first granted academic tenure (this may not hold true at all institutions), the opportunity to qualify for one's first sabbatical usually comes only after an initial waiting period the length of which may vary. Thereafter, the opportunity to qualify for sabbatical typically follows at seven-year intervals of full-time employment. The most common arrangement is for a half-year at full pay, or a full year at half pay.

Ok, the other typical of MVRCS fiasco is that of the situation that our incoming kindergarten students and family face. They are going to be at the new Athletic center (named of course after Sir Dictator Kinnon), no, no, no, THAT building isn't going to be done in time. SO, let's add a little more stress to the lives of these poor, scared, anxious students - they'll start at the main campus and then, when the other building is done (even if it isn't COMPLETELY done but close enough), they'll be shipped over to the Athletic center. The timing should be PERFECT - they should JUST be adjusting to their new school and routine and now BOOM, yet another change! Oh, and did anyone mention that now instead of 5 Kindergarden classes and 4 1st grade classes, the school has (apparently) decided to add an additional class to each grade level. Yeah, remember that obnoxious ad the school took out last year against Malden schools and the possibility of them increasing their enrollment size, they apparently did it. We'll be VERY curious to see how crowded the first few months of school are at good 'ol MVRCS, as if they weren't packed in there like packed sardines already! Oh, don't we all LOVE the way MVRCS handles things....just another example of their inability to effectively and soundly manage the operations of the school. 
In closing, we can't WAIT to see how the transportation plays out for all of this. After the fiasco last year with first charging and then refunding transportation costs, it is no wonder they are no longer charging for transportation. BTW, per the DESEMVRCS!