LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Parent Revisits School History From Kiley to McCarthy

[The following letter was submitted to Peabody Patch.]

Dear Mayor Bettencourt, Interim Superintendent Dr. Levine and School Committee Members,

I am a parent of three children; two presently attending the . I am writing to express my sadness and my concerns regarding the recent news that Ray Smoyer, the Principal of the McCarthy School, is to be transferred to the and the Burke School Principal, Judith McNiff, is to become the Principal of the McCarthy.

In the midst of the last several years of uncertainty regarding the McCarthy’s future; I’m asking myself how this could be possible! We, the McCarthy families, wrote letters, made phone calls, and attending meetings with the children holding signs to keep the McCarthy open. Should yet another blow be dealt to our school? NO!

Let me think back just a few years. My oldest daughter started kindergarten in 2000 at the . I was amazed at the welcome we received as a new family. The entire staff was wonderful. All had high admiration for each other including the Principal Jack Murtagh. They were a completely dedicated team of professionals that would sculpt our children’s educational foundation.

These warm feelings continued through my daughter's fourth grade year, 2004. At that time the city of Peabody decided to redistrict the elementary schools. The Kiley School was closed. Its family divided between multiple schools. The bonds that my child and the other children had formed since kindergarten were now severed. Most of my daughter’s friends went to other schools. The McCarthy Brothers Memorial School was re-dedicated and now housed the broken family of the former Kiley School. The only silver lining to this experience was that most of the faculty moved to the McCarthy with us. In 2005, my daughter and 29 others were the first fifth grade class to graduate from the McCarthy.

Then, a new principal; Jack Murtagh retired and Amy Sullivan was chosen to become the next principal of the McCarthy. She transitioned into the role, but over the next five years the McCarthy community struggled to bond and become family. The staff never quite reached the morale and enthusiasm of the Kiley years. Unexpectedly, Amy Sullivan resigned as principal in 2010. Now the search for a new principal began. During this time there was an interim acting principal. Eventually a new principal was named, Raymond Smoyer.

Principal Smoyer came to us two years ago. Almost instantly with his hands on “Let’s try that”, “I think the kids would love that,” principal style; the McCarthy family began to bond. Recently the McCarthy School had been teetering on the edge of closure, families dreading the possibility of the teachers and students being once again divided and sent to three different schools. These students have been through SO MUCH.

Amazingly, the McCarthy family has grown and strengthened during this time due to the immeasurable support that Ray Smoyer provides our school. He gives strength and encouragement to each and every one of the teachers, staff members, students and families he comes in contact with. From a parent’s point of view, he is very approachable and open to suggestions. I personally have had the opportunity to work with him directly through my volunteering in the library. He has always supported any suggestions or ideas that would help enrich the children’s education. If there is a discipline issue he is extremely fair and finds a way to create a positive learning experience from it so that the children realize what went wrong, helping them avoid making the same mistake.

Ray, having been a teacher prior to becoming a principal, understands the amount of stress that his staff deals with on a daily basis. This allows him to work effectively with staff and students to create a positive atmosphere. You will never hear the words “Oh no. Here comes the Principal” uttered in McCarthy hallways. The children are always excited to interact with him. His being an officer in the Coast Guard for over 20 years and being a father of two children gives him the ability to run the school with a strong disciplinary fairness that commands and receives unspoken respect. The teachers are happier with the way that the school is governed, which positively impacts the student’s ability to learn and grow as individuals. There are so many positive ways that he has influenced the McCarthy family, these are just a few.

Now having read one family’s point of view of the McCarthy School history, I hope you now understand why we feel that the McCarthy is being targeted. It may not be that the McCarthy School is being singled out, but we feel as if we are always on the chopping block. We feel this transfer is yet another attack on us, threatening to destroy what we have worked so hard for. Together with Principal Ray Smoyer as the Commander in Chief, the current staff and our children now have a positive environment in which to learn and develop their academic and social skills. Our children need THIS nurturing positive leader and a STABLE learning environment to continue to thrive. This is Ray's second year and the positive influence he brings to the teachers and students can already been seen with benchmarks grade assessments, such as the MCAS. The McCarthy third grade is the best in the state, one of the top in the country. I can only imagine what a couple more years will bring.

How can he be taken from the children now that he is a part of our family? We need him. He is not just our principal he is our friend. Ray can often be seen outside playing with the children during recess. He is their coach, cheerleader, mentor and someone that they depend on. The children love him; they have become so attached to him.

There are seven other elementary schools in the city. Unfortunately the McCarthy seems to have a target on it and is always on the front line to be destroyed. Now the McCarthy family is forced once again to defend its rights. We will not go down without a fight! We will be heard! We have a voice! We do matter! We are important! Our children’s future is at stake!

In this fairy tale that is the McCarthy School, Ray Smoyer is our glass slipper! Please don't take him from the McCarthy! We love him!

Sincerely,

Karen McGonigle and family