Residents and educators criticize committee members' podcast comments about school 'pecking order'

Michelle Carter, principal of Garvin Memorial Elementary School, and a stream of teachers, principals and residents used the Cumberland School Committee's public-comment period Thursday to condemn remarks by two committee members on a local podcast that described a perceived “pecking order” among the district's elementary schools.

Carter told the committee she considered Cumberland her community and said remarks on the Cumberland Unfiltered podcast were “damaging” to educators and families. “Use your position to unite us and empower us to grow,” she said.

The public outcry focused on comments by committee member Jason Dean, which several speakers said publicly disparaged B.F. Norton School. Sandy La Riviere, principal of B.F. Norton, said calling the school “bottom of the pecking order” was “disrespectful” and asked committee members to “focus on lifting all schools up.”

Teachers and staff made similar points. Renee LaRue, a 19-year Cumberland educator and B.F. Norton building representative for the teachers' association, said the podcast remarks “undermine the efforts of the dedicated educators” and “demoralize teachers.” Jessica Macedo, a reading specialist, cited demographic and economic differences between schools and criticized the podcast for lacking context: she said B.F. Norton has higher percentages of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch and more multilingual learners, factors she said were not discussed on the show.

Jason Dean addressed the committee during public comment and said the podcast comments were his words. “I apologize that I offended you. Honestly, I really do,” he said, then explained he had been referring to how parents react to school rankings when redistricting occurs. He also said his intent includes “reuniting Cumberland” and raising performance across schools.

Several residents criticized Dean's response as insufficient. Mark Vieralo called Dean's remarks “ignorant” and said the podcast showed little factual backing. David Caruso told Dean, “You don't get it,” in a brief public rebuttal.

Committee members and speakers emphasized the districtwide consequences of public statements by elected officials. Carrie Feather, a committee member who spoke during public comment, said she believes in “all of our schools and all of our students.”

The committee did not take any formal disciplinary or procedural action on the remarks during the meeting. The public-comment period concluded before the committee recessed for a scheduled five-minute break.

Ending

Speakers asked committee members who host or appear on public programs to consider the impact of their words on staff, families and enrollment. No new policies or formal censure were proposed or adopted during the public-comment portion of the meeting.