Mealey Offers Explanation of Son's Enrollment to Sudbury Education Association Members
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: The following letter was forwarded to Sudbury Patch. Robert Mealey, the Sudbury Education Association President, would not comment to Sudbury Patch on this matter earlier this week.)
Dear Members of the SEA,
Recently there have been assertions that I, as President of the SEA, negotiated the enrollment of my son in the Sudbury Schools and compromised our contract negotiations by looking the other way during a personnel matter. I can tell you that never happened and will never happen as long as I am President.
The School Committee has had a policy that allows employees of the Sudbury Schools to enroll their children in school on a seat available basis since 1990. Many of our staff, including present staff, have taken advantage of this benefit during that 20 year period. For a variety of reasons, middle school was the best time for my family to avail ourselves of this wonderful benefit afforded to us by the School Committee.
I followed the same process as all employees in applying for enrollment for my child and received no extra consideration beyond the fact that there was space available for his placement.
I guarantee that the SEA will continue to be aggressive in advocating anddefending the rights of its membership as it has done throughout recenthistory. The fact of the matter is that the employment of our member is a private personnel matter and I cannot share any details with the membership concerning the issue and its outcome.
It was apparent to the SEA and the MTA lawyer that the town was steadfast in its decision to remove this teacher from our ranks right from the start. I can tell you that the member was advised of all the options available to her, including changing legal council [sic], as we proceeded. She chose the option which she felt most comfortable with at that time. In fact, her personal lawyer sent me a note thanking the SEA and me for defending the member throughout the process.
Thank You,
Bob Mealey
SkimThreePercent
5:37 pm on Friday, August 31, 2012
This guy doesn't just get it.
One man's ability "to take advantage" is another's misfortune at "having been taken advantage of".
This benefit needs to be negotiated out of the Contract. The fact that hundred of others have scammed the system makes those that have to pay feel WORSE!
Residents have been trying for years to bring attention to this problem and others to no avail.
Another problem with being a non-resident is that you don't know how the residents who foot the bill feel.
Kirsten Vandijk
7:15 pm on Friday, August 31, 2012
Good catch, Robert. I was going to ask the very same question.
todd faber
8:59 pm on Friday, August 31, 2012
Those of you who think Bob Mealy is complicit in the problems CAUSED/CREATED by our school committee and superintendent are effectively shifting blame and focus from the fact that the failure lies with the Wilson and her "bosses" aka our elected officials. Don't forget, like Janice Donahue, Bob Mealy has selflessly served our town, specifically our children for over 30 years, it is really necessary to throw him under the bus with the highly overpaid superintendent and the poorly chosen school committee? But for their arrogance and uncooperative behavior, we would be focusing our energies are collectively on improving our schools, rather than on whether a town employee was exercising the opportunity to enroll his child in our schools.
SkimThreePercent
9:13 pm on Friday, August 31, 2012
Agreed. It's a chess game with Mealey and Donahue as disposable pawns.
I want to capture bigger pieces, the rooks, the King and the Queen.(i.e. Gutch, Wilson, Doyle, and O'Brien) .
Mealey is making statement here that are incriminating Wilson. These statement will eventually lead to Wilson's demise.