ICYMI: Kourkoumelis Resigns, Calls for Superintendent Resignation

MELROSE, MA—A Melrose School Committee member has resigned her post, and also called for the immediate resignation of the Superintendent of Schools in Melrose.

In a statement to the community and School Committee, Kourkoumelis cited a lack of action in response to a civil rights incident in April 2014. She later called for the immediate resignation of Superintendent Cyndy Taymore, calling it a "necessary first step for Melrose."

"I consider the responses of this School Committee to be inadequate and inconsistent with an ethical course of action,"Kourkoumelis wrote in her statement."The self- congratulatory culture of this School Committee perpetuates harm, shields those responsible, and impedes necessary change."

In 2014, the US Department of Education's Office for Civil rights determined that a teacher at Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School made derogatory remarks to one of her students, directed at their race. The office also cited the district's lack of response, which they say continued to create a racially hostile environment.

"The self- congratulatory culture of this School Committee perpetuates harm, shields those responsible, and impedes necessary change," Kourkoumelis wrote."Even as recently as February 23, 2016, during Superintendent Taymore's Mid-Year Evaluation, my colleagues did not address what I see as critical failures and continue to offer praise—even commending the Superintendent for planning remedial actions mandated by OCR."

According to a report by the Melrose Free Press, Tayamore thanked Kourkoumelis for her service.

“I want to thank Carrie Kourkoumelis for her service to the Melrose Public Schools and the entire community,” Taymore wrote to the Free Press. “While we did not see eye to eye on every issue, I respect her intelligence and skills, and I believe that she had the best interests of our students in mind.

The Free Press also reported that according to the Melrose City Charter, the open seat would go to Jaime McAllister-Grande, who was the runner-up in the runner-up in last November's. However, James Kraunelis is also in the mix for the position, who was the runner-up when Kourkoumelis last ran for office in 2013.

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