Melrose Racial Justice Organization Reflects On Superintendent Search

MELROSE, MA – The Melrose Racial Justice Community Coalition (RJCC), an anti-racism organization, has expressed frustrations over the Melrose superintendent search process and the way the City handles equity and inclusion.

Patch reached out to the Melrose RJCC, but they declined to comment directly.

In a newsletter posted to Facebook, the RJCC Steering Committee – made up of Jenn Griffith Richter, Diana Rocha, Alex Bennett, Nunotte Zama, Alastair Moock and Manjula Karamcheti – called attention to the frustrations many RJCC members of color felt after Melrose Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (METCO) Director Nyra Hall was not included in the superintendent search committee or search process.

METCO is a state-funded grant program that promotes diversity and educational opportunities, according to their website.

“Though there was some ethnic representation on the selection committee from the school side, there was none from the community side,” the Steering Committee said in the newsletter, “and the METCO Director position is unique among school leadership positions for the way it creates a bridge to a large segment of school families of color.”

Other RJCC members have expressed frustration at the rules for participation in searches like the superintendent search that require in-person meetings and inflexible meeting dates, said the Steering Committee.

“The in-person condition, especially, essentially disqualifies Boston families from participating –hence the focus on including the METCO Director as a representative,” they added in the Facebook post.

In response to these complaints, the Steering Committee said some city leaders told them they are unable to reach out to individuals about the search committee because it would be unfair to others in the town.

“While all people deserve equal access to levers of power, not everyone has equal connections or knowledge of systems,” the Steering Committee said in the newsletter. “Black and Latino/Hispanic members of our community are the least represented of all minority groups in town leadership and often the least socially connected to those with power –– most especially our immigrant members and those who live in Boston.”

The Steering Committee said they would like Melrose Mayor Paul Brodeur – a member of the Melrose School Committee – to be more proactive in reaching out to constituents of color and informing them of important civic opportunities like the superintendent search.

“For many in our town, not only our members of color, the end result of this recent search committee is disappointing,” said the RJCC Steering Committee over Facebook.

“The three white male finalists chosen for school superintendent may well all be wonderful candidates, and they might be exactly the same three final candidates chosen if the search committee itself was more racially diverse, but our town could feel better about its options if we knew that the process to select them was equitable, rather than just equal,” they added.

Superintendent finalist Tim Piwowar will be interviewed by the Melrose School Committee Tuesday evening, followed by Garth McKinney Wednesday evening, and David Ryan Thursday evening.

A previous version of this article misnamed the RJCC Steering Committee.