Search for Superintendent Stirs Conflict on Committee-July 24, 1991

Norwood School Committee Sparks Controversy Over Superintendent Search Committee Composition

On July 24, 1991, the Norwood School Committee became embroiled in a heated debate regarding the composition of the search committee tasked with finding a successor to outgoing Superintendent James Savage.

Meeting within the town’s administrative complex, committee members clashed over how to structure the 9-member panel, which currently included three school committee representatives and one past member.

School committee member Joseph Pentowski criticized the current setup as a “farce,” warning that public trust would suffer without broader community backing. He proposed expanding the search committee to 11 members by adding two representatives from the PTA while designating Chairwoman Marilyn Saltzberg as a non-voting member to offset school committee dominance. “I’m not complaining about the individuals, I’m concerned about the numbers. I don’t think the public will support this,” Joseph Pentowski argued. However, search committee chairman Timothy McDonough pushed back against the proposal, asserting that his authority should remain respected and that he would not be undermined. The power struggle was further complicated by the recent departure of search committee member Alan Uliss, leaving a vacancy that Timothy McDonough planned to temporarily fill until gathering final school committee recommendations. Meanwhile, search committee member Susan W. McQuid emphasized the necessity of incorporating fresh perspectives representing parents-at-large to ensure a well-rounded and objective hiring process for the district.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger

More…

Students to Face Stiffer Standards-July 18, 1990

In 1990 the town of Norwood was on the cusp of a significant change in its educational system. The school administration, led by Superintendent Louis J. Taris, had been studying ways to improve academic standards for over a year and a half. The result of this study was a proposal to double the number of…
Prescott School Security Roadway Proposal Sparks Opposition from Residents &PTA-September 14, 1979

Prescott School neighbors and the PTA oppose a security committee proposal to pave a perimeter roadway for police patrols, citing student safety and vandalism concerns.
School Enrollment Shows Drop of 382 from Last Year-September 6, 1979

Norwood public school enrollment drops by 382 students to 5,078, while administrators outline major scheduling and open-campus policy changes at the senior high school.
Aaron Guild School Leased to Norwood CETA Consortium and EdCo for One Year-August 1, 1979

Norwood selectmen voted unanimously to lease the closed Aaron Guild School for one year to the Norwood CETA Consortium and the Educational Collaborative of Greater Boston (EdCo) for $148,000.
Norwood School Bus Billing Questioned-July 31, 1979

The Patriot Ledger’s July 31, 1979 edition brought to light a controversy surrounding the billing practices of Kiessling School Transportation of Dedham, which had been contracted by the town of Norwood to transport special needs children. The issue at hand was whether the company had overcharged the town for mileage on certain routes. According to…
School Supplies Budget Maintained at Prior Year Level Amid Spending Pressures and Utility Shortfall Concerns-September 14, 1978

Superintendent Louis J. Taris reports that Norwood’s school instructional supplies budget maintains prior-year per-pupil rates despite tight spending constraints.
School Department Releases Bus Routes and Eligibility Rules-August 30, 1978

As the late-summer excitement of a new academic year approached in 1978, the Norwood School Department officially released its comprehensive student transportation schedules, route mappings, and eligibility guidelines for the upcoming school term. Designed to ensure safe and orderly transit for thousands of local students, the announcement established clear boundaries and behavioral expectations for families…
Norwood School Committee Considers Staggered School Closing Plan-July 14, 1978

The school housing needs committee last night recommended a second school closing plan that would close the doors of the Callahan School in September, shut down the Balch School in 1981 and close a third, unnamed elementary school in 1983. The plan was backed by seven of the nine members voting and was billed as…
Norwood High School Accessibility Concerns-July 10, 1978

On July 10, 1978, parents of handicapped students in Norwood voiced serious concerns regarding the lack of physical accessibility at the local high school. Mrs. Charlotte Haskell, president of the Norwood Special Needs Parents Group, recently sent a formal letter to School Superintendent Philip O. Coakley. In the communication, she urged the district to take…
School Board Recall Urged-July 8, 1978

Discover the 1978 budget battle in Norwood, where deep cuts to the school district’s $11.3 million budget led to a controversial recall effort and a lawsuit involving the Massachusetts Teachers Association.