walpole school committee members

1.1K likes. The name triggered decades of fans singing “Dixie” in the stands and waving Confederate flags. In a startling moment during the meeting, 2014 graduate James Lombardi, a former Walpole football player and wrestler, described the hazing carried out in his sophomore year by older teammates. Earlier in June, dueling petitions were in circulation to change and keep the Rebel name, coming in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the ensuing weeks of nationwide protests demanding reform. Friday, December 13, 2019 Agenda Minutes “It is time, time for a change,” said Walpole School Superintendent Bridget Gough.”Time for this name to be laid to rest. School Committee Meeting -3- February 27, 2020 NEW BUSINESS: 1. School Committee Members. Lombardi said he was “ashamed” of his actions in high school. But you’ll also be telling them, you want them to stay there.”. 2012 graduate Bill Cullinane, also a former Rebels football player, recalled a summer job after his senior year when black coworkers confronted him about the name. The Walpole School Committee voted to set up a committee to determine a new name for the athletic teams. Become a Walpole Member. Stream GBH's Award-Winning Content For Parents And Children. A Confederate flag was raised by a private resident whose property abutted the Walpole High School football field until the resident’s death in 2015, A Confederate flag was raised by a private resident, What’s on the Warrant? Langdon 1 member elected every three years. The students will continue to make the connection and celebrate the Confederacy as they still do to that day.”. “I remember several of them mentioning that they hated Walpole because we were a racist town,” Cullinane said. Walpole's school system, the Walpole Public Schools, is run by a school committee made up of seven members. A private fundraising initiative has raised over $7,600. The vote came after hearing from more than 1,000 residents, including a nearly three hour community forum on June 16. Walpole’s head football coach Chris Sullivan and two current students were among the handful of those who had pleaded with the committee to keep the "Rebel" name on Tuesday. Crenshaw explains her theory of intersectionality, and how has it evolved and grown outside of the scholastic world. "I want to move away from that and find something we can all be proud of, and start our own new legacy that represents our town in a positive way," Gallivan said. In Walpole, A Decades-Long Split Over Team Name 'Rebels' Reopens. Before the vote all School Committee members, along with Superintendent Bridget Gough and Assistant Superintendent Bill Hahn, voiced support for removing the Rebel name because of its links to the Confederacy and racism. The final School Committee vote on the matter is currently scheduled for Thursday, June 18th. Searching For Students Gone AWOL In A Pandemic. Walpole School Committee member Kari Denitzio called for “anti-racist content” to be added to the school curriculum and for “recruiting and retaining teachers of color, particularly African-American teachers, of which Walpole has none.” It took the tide of anger and calls for racial justice after the police killing of George Floyd to remove the name, which is linked to the Confederate flag and the Confederacy's fight to keep slavery during the Civil War. The public may also email comments to the School Committee at schoolcommittee@walpole.k12.ma.us. WALPOLE, Mass. Despite supporters' insistence that the team name was not intended to be racist, several speakers said Tuesday that people outside Walpole didn’t feel safe visiting or working in Walpole because of the “Rebels” name. Walpole United PAC is a municipal political action committee regulated by the Massachusetts Office of Campaign & Political Finance. Said group works to establish a collective vision and preferred future for the District by identifying strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. “The ritualistic hazing shocks me as I think back on it now.”. Wellness Committee The Walpole Public Schools shall establish a Wellness Committee that consists of at least one (1): parent, student, nurse, school nutrition representative, School Committee member, school administrator, teacher, member of the public, and other community members as appropriate. The town of Walpole is predominantly white and less than 2% black. “A Rebel simply works harder than the opposition.”. A public forum is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16 at 6:00pm. Andrew Davies' multi-award winning adaptation of Jane Austen's classic Regency romance. On Thursday, the school committee voted to drop the longtime Rebels nickname. Correction: This article has been updated to correct the day of the school committee's vote. The Walpole School Committee will review the process for the public to provide input during its Thursday, June 11th meeting. Tonight at 7:30 PM, the Walpole School Committee will vote on whether to move forward with changing the town's Rebel mascot. Access Walpole's new event portal for up-coming invites and register for Watch On Demand. This composition would result in a 5 member School Board, with a member from each town and one at-large member. Tel: 781-352-5700 Email Us Discover the 250+ British luxury brands who are members of Walpole, and find out how to join them. Brendan reported that: Last Tuesday, Governor Charlie Baker announced that all schools will continue the remote learning for the rest of the school year. The name was given to Walpole’s teams in the late 1960s by Coach John Lee — known as “General Lee” — who was brought to the school from Memphis to reshape the then-struggling athletic teams. The first thing the committee did was note the results of a survey Continue … Walpole School Committtee Vice-Chair Nancy Gallivan said that she previously supported the “Rebel” name, but those voices, and the perception of the town as racist, swayed her decision. Out of State Field Trips – (a) Walpole High School Robotics Team to Woodstock, Connecticut from February 29, 2020 through March 1, 2020. How do Black fathers raise their children in a world that assumes who they are based on the color of their skin? UPDATE (June 29, 2020) All seven members of the Walpole School Committee voted to change the “Rebel” name on Thursday, June 18. Mr. But in recent weeks, several petitions to change the Walpole team name swiftly gained support. Student representatives from the Walpole High School Green Team gave an informational presentation to the Walpole School Committee at the Walpole Police Station on Feb. 5 on how to improve the school’s recycling habits. Fax: 978-436-9595. The Walpole Public School Leadership is guided by a Strategic Plan. A petition in favor of changing the Walpole schools’ sports team name, the “Rebels,” has gotten over 4,800 signatures through June 10. Earl i er this year, a group of over 150 School Committee members, City Councilors, Superintendents and educator union presidents from across the 26 Gateway Cities sent a letter asking lawmakers to fully fund our schools for FY21. 141 Mansion Drive, East Walpole Ma All Board Meetings are from 8:15am - 9:30am TEC Board Of Directors 2019-2020 Meetings: Agendas & Minutes. Before the vote all School Committee members, along with Superintendent Bridget Gough and Assistant Superintendent Bill Hahn, voiced support for removing the Rebel name because of its links to the Confederacy and racism. If you are in line before 8 pm, you must be allowed to vote. Members. Tuesday’s meeting also gave lie to the idea that getting rid of the flag at the school laid to rest any racist meaning in the “Rebel” name. Chairperson - Mr. Mark Efstratiou - [email protected] Elected June 2020 The School Committee plans to meet with student groups with the aim of redefining the Walpole “Rebel.” Board members and several audience members expressed a need for a rebrand to the colonial rebels of the American Revolution. 2008 Walpole grad and current Special Education teacher James Connolly said on Tuesday that students have been “desensitized to what the Confederate flag represents because they are using it to show school pride.” Connolly said they attach it to the back of their trucks and that he even had a student who had a Confederate flag “tattooed to his bicep.”, “By not changing the name at such a vulnerable time,” Connolly said, “we’re sending the wrong message to our students.”, Walpole resident Laura Fitzgibbons said, “It shouldn’t take very much hand wringing or soul searching to fully distance ourselves from Southern white supremacy in a Massachusetts town.”. Walpole United, Walpole, Massachusetts. By James KinneenHometown Weekly Reporter On August 6, the Walpole School Committee unanimously voted to attempt the hybrid model of school reopening in the fall. After hearing from more than a 1,000 residents, the Walpole School Committee voted unanimously, 7-0, to stop using the name Rebels because of … Officials are reviewing hours of newly released video from that night when many Boston businesses were vandalized. Produced in Boston, shared with the world. Walpole 1 member elected every three years. The town held a meeting for public comment on Tuesday, when many who spoke referenced fear that the name instilled in students of color at Walpole and in schools of visiting athletes. Friday, October 18, 2019 Agenda Minutes. This decision was not taken lightly and the School Committee understands that this is the first step of many to be undertaken. Walpole's Rebel Mascot became firmly rooted with its much heralded football coach, John Lee (photo above, from WHS 1969 yearbook), who, before he came to Walpole to coach its football team, was an assistant coach at Overton High School, Memphis Tennessee, a racist/segregated high school whose mascot was "The Rebels". The vote was held Thursday, while the public comment meeting was held Tuesday. An online portal has being created for the public to submit comments and to indicate if they would like to speak during the forum. Stay in line. While the committee emphasized fluidity and adaptability, they thoroughly outlined the model and tried to respond to possible issues that could arise. Their families didn’t feel comfortable sitting in the bleachers. The current school superintendent is Bridget Gough. After hearing from more than a 1,000 residents, the Walpole School Committee voted unanimously, 7-0, to stop using the name Rebels because of its Confederate ties and to establish a commission of diverse members to come up with alternatives. several petitions to change the Walpole team name swiftly gained support. A view of the Walpole Rebels football uniform from 1997 during the Division 2 Super Bowl. The Education Cooperative 141 Mansion Dr., Suite 200 East Walpole, MA 02032. The team used to be called the Rebels, and flew the Confederate flag at games. As leaders, we know better, and therefore we must do better.”, Several school committee members said that removing the “Rebel” name should be an educational opportunity for students. WGBH News coverage is a resource provided by member-supported public radio. The Walpole Local Emergency Planning committee consists of town and school officials including Fire and Police personnel. The “Rebels” nickname has been in place since 1965, when students voted on it to replace the previous name, the “Hilltoppers.” In subsequent years, imagery connected to the Confederacy, including the Confederate flag, was present on campus during athletic events and in some cases part of athletic team uniforms. In the wake of national protests pertaining to issues of racial injustice, the Walpole Public Schools’ athletic team name is receiving renewed scrutiny. “There is more work to be done to make sure that every student feels safe and represented in the town of Walpole,” Jackson said. In response, Walpole School Committee Chairperson William J. Buckley, Jr. and Superintendent Dr. Bridget Gough  released a statement on June 9 explaining that the School Committee will host a public forum on the issue, and later schedule a vote on whether to change the “Rebels” name. Early Voting Times: All seven members of the Walpole School Committee voted to change the “Rebel” name on Thursday, June 18. “They didn’t feel safe coming to Walpole to play games. The Walpole School Committee voted in 1988 to remove the Confederate flag from all athletic uniforms, and in 1993, voted to reaffirm a ban on the Confederate flag as a symbol for its athletic teams. That the School Committee resolve and affirm that this place called Walpole is filled with truly good and decent community-minded people, and encourage the town to come together around its new mascot and moniker. Chair William J. Buckley, Jr. called for the committee to be made up of minority students, varsity coaches, the METCO director, a representative of the alumni association, among other members. School Committee Member : Mark Breen School Committee Member : Jen Geotsis … At Large 1 member elected every three years . 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