"Let's Get Out There and Be Mediocre!"

Julie DeLillo’s February 15th post reminds me of a cartoon I had hanging on my refrigerator when my kids were young. It was a drawing of a pilot addressing his passengers right before take off. The text bubble above his head had him saying, “I will try my best!” The passengers were rightly horrified.
The cartoon is a humorous take on an often used phrase. I kept it on my refrigerator to remind myself that “just doing your best” is never good enough. Ms. DeLillo’s letter is an example of someone who suggests we settle for mediocre. Her teacher salary analysis is cherry picking numbers at best and, at worst, misrepresenting the current state of Melrose’s financial health. For a complete picture of how Melrose educators measure up to our contemporaries, I recommend you review the January 28 School Committee agenda packet (melrosecityma.iqm2.com/citizens), which, on page 111, includes this graphic:

Regardless of Ms. DeLillo's skewed view of the facts, it is the intent behind her numbers that concerns me the most. Ms. DeLillo’s letter states that our teachers really aren’t paid all that poorly. Look, she points out, we’re right in line with other municipalities. The fact, however, remains: the average salary of a teacher in Melrose is $65,368. The average salary of a teacher in Massachusetts is $78,100. Melrose’s average teacher salary ranks in the bottom 12% of the state. But let’s assume that Ms. DeLillo is right and this 12% statistic is a bit low. What’s OK for us? To be in the bottom 15%? Maybe the bottom 25%?

For some time now, I’ve listened to vocal opponents like Ms. DeLillo get lost in analysis paralysis, running the numbers over and over again until the outcome is one in which increasing school funding is not necessary. Her argument just doesn’t hold up. We’ve got more students than we can handle. We’ve got more mandates than we have tools to address. Anyone who has ever stepped into a Melrose Public School knows that we are doing too much with too little. No number of charts or graphs can disprove that fact.
Imagine, for a moment, an MHS athletic coach giving a pep talk to his players before they take the field. “Listen, guys, we’re somewhere between Woburn and Arlington. Get out there and be mediocre!” I honestly do not believe any of us would accept average in athletic pursuits. Why is it OK for our teachers?
I happen to know a student at Melrose High School who plans to pursue a career as a pilot. When I think of her future success, I picture that cartoon on my fridge. However, instead of alluding to doing her best, I like to imagine her text bubble saying, “I was raised in a community that values education. I went to school in a city where teachers are rightly compensated. I was given the tools and the know-how to succeed and to thrive. Fasten those tray table, move your seat backs to the upright position, because I’m a Melrose High graduate and you are about to experience one amazing flight.”
Buckle up, Melrose. It’s time to do the right thing. Yes on April 2nd.

Maribeth Darwin