Statement from School Committee on Fleishman graduation speech:
July 24, 2014
The Newton School Committee has discussed the recent issue regarding Superintendent Fleishman’s high school graduation speeches. We have accepted the Superintendent’s acknowledgment to us and have determined that the appropriate action is that he be fined one week of salary.
We first became aware of the issue on June 27. The School Committee and its Chair had several calls and meetings with the Superintendent and met in Executive Session in June and July. We agreed with Superintendent Fleishman’s acknowledgment as to what, in retrospect, he should have done, and we determined an appropriate action.
David Fleishman has had a strong career as an educational leader, and we have seen exceptional growth and progress in our schools during his four years as Newtonís superintendent. We are eager to move forward with David as the superintendent of the Newton Public Schools, and we look forward to many more years of working together. We have many important opportunities and serious challenges ahead, and we are confident that David is the right leader to continue moving our system forward.
Newton School Committee
Matt Hills, Chair
Margie Ross Decter, Vice-Chair
Ellen Gibson
Margaret Albright
Angela Pitter Wright
Diana Fisher Gomberg
Steve Siegel
Ruth Goldman
Well that’s a pretty disgusting outcome.
This guy should have put in the time to write his own speech. Instead, he decided to take a short-cut and steal somebody else’s speech without attributing it.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to sit down and write something and not been able to come up with anything, and had the whole composition experience take many more hours than I would have liked. But, thanks to the Needham public school system having drilled into my head the evils of plagiarism from the time I was in third grade, I’ve never even considered stealing someone else’s words and ideas.
Kudos, superintendent, for having saved yourself the trouble of a few hours coming up your own speech, and even bigger kudos for having apparently gotten away with it. Is this the first time you’ve ever done such a thing, or just the first time you’ve been caught?
The SC probably watches too much baseball… Someone signed a contract that says he can be “fined” if he’s a bad boy? Really?? Anyway, glad it’s over with.
So why did the Mansfield Superintendent have to resign? How was her “mistake” different than Fleischmans? Really – one weeks pay?
I think some context and perspective are needed here.
Deval Patrick is hardly the first person to talk about the lack of personal engagement these days and the impact of social media. Fleishman heard clips of Patrick’s speech on the radio, but Patrick probably heard clips or read newspaper articles about things other people have said. And certain phrases might have stuck in his mind. And he might have used them.
I think it’s admirable and brave that Jordan wrote what he did. I also think it would have been better if Fleishman had said something like, “Gov. Patrick was right when he said that..” But it was a high school graduation speech. It takes a David McCullough speech in order to get people to listen to anyone but the graduates. I don’t think it’s that big a deal.
What happened in Mansfield is irrelevant. When I read that story, I wondered why the SC members didn’t stand up for their superintendent. People are allowed to make mistakes. And when they acknowledge their mistakes, we move on. I concluded that either the Mansfield School Committee is made up of a bunch of wimps or they must not be happy with their superintendent. Otherwise, she would have stayed. Or at least they would have commented positively to the press.
Um, not to be the skunk at the garden party, but I certainly hope the School Committee observed the Open Meeting Law and provided adequate notice prior to holding these meetings in executive session. Because I cannot find the agendas posted on the School Committee website.
@Ted – Ouch! That’s a “gotcha,” if ever there was one.
Isn’t there any exception for personnel issues, though?
Here’s the TAB’s story posted just after 4 p.m. today.
And here’s the updated Globe story.
Ted – actually there is an Open Meetings exception –
To discuss the reputation, character, physical condition or mental health, rather than professional competence, of an individual, or to discuss the discipline or dismissal of, or complaints or charges brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member or individual;
There’s an exception for “Emergency” executive session (like if the fire dept was going to strike on Monday…). But as a basic, Massachusetts doesn’t allow an enterprise to dock an executive’s pay (unless the person has ownership interest…), I don’t think. The exception being if there’s a contract defining where a sanction can be made
Michael — That’s a basic executive session — requires 48 hours notice
I’m reading the law correctly, they can go into executive session “To discuss the reputation, character, physical condition or mental health, rather than professional competence, of an individual, or to discuss the discipline or dismissal of, or complaints or charges brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member or individual. ”
But to go into executive session they have to meet the following requirements:
b) A public body may meet in closed session for 1 or more of the purposes enumerated in subsection (a) provided that:
(1) the body has first convened in an open session pursuant to section 21;
(2) a majority of members of the body have voted to go into executive session and the vote of each member is recorded by roll call and entered into the minutes;
(3) before the executive session, the chair shall state the purpose for the executive session, stating all subjects that may be revealed without compromising the purpose for which the executive session was called;
(4) the chair shall publicly announce whether the open session will reconvene at the conclusion of the executive session; and
(5) accurate records of the executive session shall be maintained pursuant to section 23.
http://www.mass.gov/ago/government-resources/open-meeting-law/open-meeting-law-mgl-c-30a-18-25.html
Did the school committee satisfy all that?
Steven Feinstein — You left out the public notice part — 48 hours. We need a period to object.
There was a great example this week of how these rules work. In Brockton individual members of the City Council and the City itself are named as part of a $70 million lawsuit. Time sensitive legal material arrived this week and the City Solicitor wanted an Executive Session to hand out the materials and supply information. Without going into the reason for the lawsuit, a very vocal group opposed the Exec Session, and used the notice requirement to stop it. So instead of a formal meeting, the City used a courier to deliver the docs to members.
So D.F. made a mistake. A fine, what is that about? Not necessary at all.
Steve F, you are correct. I do not know if the notice requirements were satisfied. If not, I suppose the School Committee could dock themselves a week’s pay.
Anyone who is interested can look up recent Open Meeting Law determinations on the Attorney General’s website. There is a recent OML determination involving the Montague Board of Selectmen, in which the AG’s office determined that the board had violated the Open Meeting Law by failing to provide adequate notice before going into executive session. The decision is OML 2014-83, dated July 22, 2014.
@Gail – And of course not only were the ideas expressed by Deval Patrick nothing new, but they were actually put into words by one of his aides or interns.
I also agree that this all comes down to whether people are happy with the guy, or not. Obviously in Mansfield, they weren’t happy with the superintendent. In Newton, they apparently are.
Yes, it was only a silly graduation speech that nobody listens to. I’m sure that the superintendent was sitting there at his desk on a hot day, with a million more important things to do and desperate to get home to his family, and decided that stealing a few sentences from the governor’s speech was the best way to go. If he had a speechwriter like everyone else, then he wouldn’t have had a problem.
But at the end of the day, it’s safe to say that our superintendent cheated. If I were a Newton public school student, I think my takeaway would be that everyone cheats and lies. The best way to succeed is to either a) not get caught, or b) make sure you’ve got friends in high places and people like you.
This month, I would much rather have been a parent in Mansfield than in Newton. But at the end of the day, the show of decency in Mansfield was apparently an anachronism. The morality play on show for the kids of Newton was good preparation for high-power jobs on Wall St. and corporate America. If you break the rules or do something wrong, it’s only going to cost you five grand. And you can make up for it with your end-of-year bonus!
Anyway, we’re all just a bunch of cheating hypocrites so what’s the big stink? You’ll excuse me, I need to download some pirated movies now.
If the SC had been aware of this since June 27, maybe the executive session meetings weren’t in the past 24 hours? Then again, maybe they were. If I was a reporter (and I’m not….any more) that’s something I’d want to ask. Here’s a few other things:
Gail — It would have been better if he used up part of the Winter or Spring vacation to put his thoughts in order and give something special to the fine graduates of Newton South. They got leftovers. But I’m very glad this is over. In reading the Tab article, it suggests the SC got word in June. Not sure why they would wait until the day after the student (graduate) article to make a statement. That makes it look like damage control instead of careful review. Oh, well. Life goes on.
As is often the case, the coverup is worse than the crime. What Fleishman did was just stupid. What the School Committee has done is despicable. One more indication of how out of touch they are with reality.
(@Mike. Based on your comments elsewhere, I think the School Committee could solve world hunger and you’d disapprove. Sorry, I digress. Carry on folks.)
@Mike Striar, Greg has just invoked Rufus T. Firefly’s Law, which is explained here.
So what was the most uncomfortable misstep at South this year…, DeGroot or Fleishman?
@Greg– The SC has known about this since June 27th and didn’t say a word. Maybe I’m old fashioned, but it troubles me when public officials engage in coverups.
Hoss, I sincerely hope that what parents, students and faculty will remember most about this year’s graduation ceremonies were the heartfelt expressions of compassion from the Superintendent, the Mayor and others for the families and friends of the three young people we lost at both high schools.
Ted — Actually, that expression was not in the Superintendents message to grads. (Not sure why he didn’t have more than 3 minutes to says it…)
Been awhile since I’ve posted here, but I feel compelled to after reading Gail’s comments … I went through NPS, and I was always told that if you came across something that really ‘stuck with you’ and you wanted to quote from it, you cited it.
I’m disappointed and more than a little surprised that someone who is/was in the newspaper business would consider any act of plagiarism ‘no big deal’. If he was a student, he’d be expelled. This sends a message to students across the City that it’s okay to cheat if you don’t get caught — but if you DO get caught, you better hope you have good friends who will protect you, people who will tell people it’s ‘no big deal’.
I’m trying not to use hyperbole here, but considering your defense of plagiarism, I’m going to be sure to take everything you write henceforth with a BIG grain of salt. Someone with the time on their hands might even want to check through some of your old stories to see if you have some ‘no-big-deal’s.
You should be ashamed of yourself. So should Fleishman.
@Greg: I told you so.
What Paul Jones Said – “This sends a message to students across the City that it’s okay to cheat if you don’t get caught — but if you DO get caught, you better hope you have good friends who will protect you, people who will tell people it’s ‘no big deal’”
My kids and their friends are already talking about if the Superintendent can copy and commit plagiarism then so can they. And if they get caught – well the SC has set the precedent – essentially NOTHING will happen. A weeks pay is pocket change to the Superintendent.
I think that Greg Reibman’s questions are extremely germane and need to be answered. I am extremely disappointed about the conduct and decision of the School Committee, especially about hearing that they have known about this situation since June 27, met and deliberated about it, but still obviously waited to be publicly “caught” before doing anything about it.
Given the time frame, there was definitely a well thought out and deliberative executive decision on the part of SC leadership to not acknowledge this situation, not proactively address it, and to wait to see if someone would “catch” Dr. Fleishman. If this had happened days after the speech with the Superintendent expressing real regret over something that he knew was wrong vs. reacting defensively to an expose by students, he would have been a tolerable example for our children. It would have been about doing what was right, not doing something because you got caught. Everything that happened today was because he got caught. And I simply don’t know how to explain this to my children.
Was the SC waiting for everyone to be away for the summer?
Like how business people or politicians wait for a sleepy summer Friday to release a bad earnings projection or the negative findings of some investigation?
I know that the Leader of our School Committee ran on the promise of running our SC more like an effective corporate board. Great for finding efficiencies, demanding competitiveness and focusing on key strategies. However, when it comes to the ethical behavior of the people who have the PRIVILEGE of being role models for our children, there is no comparable corporate standard. I, for one, don’t want my children in a school system that demands highly ethical standards of them, but sets a lower bar – for this purpose, let’s call them WALL STREET VALUES AND STANDARDS– for the educators that we want our children to look up to. In the business world, a high performing CEO isn’t seen as a role model for children. A superintendent, however, is.
I am so proud of the student journalists who obviously pursued this since at least June 27. To me, the ethics they expressed and the questions that it caused them to raise reflect the best values of the Newton Public Schools.
These journalists saw hypocrisy in the anti-plagiarism standards that they are held accountable to as students in comparison to the behavior of the leader of their school system. They called him on it. Obviously, these admirable Newton kids have a higher standard of ethics and values than either David Fleishman or the School Committee.
In his reactive statement, David Fleishman writes: “As someone who writes a range of pieces that are distributed to the broader public on a regular basis….”
No, you are not just someone. You are the person who, with the presumption of moral authority, will have to decide how to penalize a student or staff member that violates ethical standards. On plagiarism in particular, you will have to be the person that ultimately upholds a decision on plagiarism that could impact a student’s record so much that they don’t get into the college that they had their heart set on. We live in a world where a few points in a grade point average can be the factor that helps a kid make a cut. Students who plagiarize get a zero on the project, a project that could be a big part of their grade. That’s an awful lot more than a week’s pay for someone making at least a quarter million dollar a year salary. Going forward, how will we respond when kids that plagiarize say, “Why can’t I just be docked a week’s allowance like Dr. Fleishman?”
What is the moral decision-making process we want for a 16 year old writing a paper at 2 a.m.? Do we want it to be the highly ethical standard that our system says it aspires to —or the immoral corporate calculations of a GM executive?
No, David Fleishman, you are not just someone who writes a range of pieces that are distributed to the broader public… A commencement address is not a memo on snow days or a personnel announcement or a carefully worded policy statement or whatever written output a superintendent has. What’s the last thing I got from David Fleishman? Possibly a dry email about PARC testing? Nobody cares if you sent the same email on PARC testing as the superintendent in Waltham. A commencement address is a totally different matter. It is the most public honor a superintendent can have. It should be thoughtfully pursued and subjected to the highest possible scrutiny. You know what those standards are because you received a PhD from a university with a zero tolerance policy on plagiarism.
So, you should be held at a higher standard. And your “statement” should have other key words such as “regret” or “apologize”. Notably absent.
I don’t think that the people of Mansfield were unwarranted. I think they just held their Educator in Chief to a higher standard than they would a CEO.
I’ve heard that the Globe was seeking comments from PTO leaders. I think that they, and others should be seeking comments from Newton students subjected to rigorous plagiarism standards. To me, how they view this is more important than how anyone views this.
I, too, agree with what Paul Jones said. I was dismayed to see Gail, a journalist, brush off plagiarism as a minor infraction. Especially when the accused is an educator who is holding students to a higher standard and should be leading by example. I like David Fleishman, but this is a huge deal.
As a rule I never comment on ongoing NPS issues, but want to make an exception in this case, as I know David Fleishman in a professional capacity.
The good news: He has a memory like no one I’ve ever encountered. He knows the names of each faculty member in the entire system and often recalls specific information about the work of individual teachers. He knows and understands what I do each day and has taken the time to visit my small program of ELL students who arrive in the U.S. with inadequate or interrupted formal education. As a staff, we appreciate his acknowledgement of our efforts and his ongoing interest in our work.
The bad news: He has a memory like no one I’ve ever encountered. It comes as no surprise to me that he would hear a speech with inspiring words and remember it, and incorporate it into his thinking, with greater specificity than any of us here could ever imagine.
David Fleishman is an excellent superintendent who has moved Newton’s curriculum and instruction into the 21st century and has been instrumental in addressing the serious infrastructure issues that many of our elementary students and faculty deal with on a daily basis. And those are just my pet issues – others can speak to David’s work on behalf of other initiatives and issues in the NPS.
So basically, Dr. Fleishman most likely remembered PRECISELY where all his words came from and just didn’t think to acknowledge the source?
I find no problem with him repeating words that he found to be so articulate. I just find a problem with him not giving credit where credit was do. And then not showing any remorse upon getting caught.
*due
Wow Jane, I’ve read your comments for the last five years in reading these local blogs. Your comments of the past have been predictable to champion fellow teachers as it seemed apparent that you had a leadership position w them. Here you champion administration, which is fine, I guess, but how about championing the two graduate students that thought so much about graduation to have direct recall statements from our Governor and their school administrator and connect the two? This great recall and appreciation for the spoken word is in part the product of your fellow teachers. Aside from schooling aspects, those students alerted us to abuse of local authority — point blank. Let’s wish them a level of affection too
Greer – I said something quite different from what you inferred and I’m sorry my words were misinterpreted. Perhaps an offline conversation would clear up the confusion.
@Greg, several of your questions are answered in Jenna’s updated story:
http://newton.wickedlocal.com/article/20140724/NEWS/140727921/?Start=2
Matt Hills claims these meetings were posted. We are still digging for some evidence to back that up. He also called an “emergency” meeting today — apparently after Greg’s post went up and calls started rolling in.
Hoss – So pleased that someone reads my comments that I don’t know what to say! I always read your comments as well.
My comment was in support of the superintendent because he’s been a great supporter of teachers. In fact, he’s changed the relationship between teachers and administrators so that we now work much more collaboratively than we have in my 25 years as an NPS employee. You cannot imagine the relief it is for the faculty to feel the support of the central administration after years of being treated like The Help.
KarenN’s comment is one of the most thoughtful I’ve read on this blog.
It boggles the mind that there are so many people who think that this is not a big deal. Did nobody have the same primary and secondary educational school experience as I did? From the age of 10, it was drilled into our heads, year after year, that plagiarism is a BIG DEAL.
And as KarenN points out, it can be such a big deal that it can ultimately determine whether you get into a good college or a bad college. So now we’ve got an avowed plagiarist who will oversee such determinations. I’d say that with Superintendent Fleishman at the helm, the school system has lost any moral authority to dole out any serious punishment for plagiarism, ever.
This makes me wonder about the professional suitability of Superintendent Fleishman. It would have been so easy for him to express the ideas that he wanted to express, by using his own words. Instead he just substituted a couple of synonyms and was so bold as to keep the sentence structure the same. Is he so incompetent that he cannot take an idea that he hears, and then come up with a new sentence that adapts it to his own words and style? Or is he just excessively lazy?
I tend to think that plagiarizing a speech is not something that happens as a one-off occasion. It has to be in the person’s character to actually do it. Not to incite a witch-hunt, but it would be absolutely reasonable for Lion’s Roar go back and check the superintendent’s thesis and whatever other available writings of his may be out there. (Lion’s Roar seems to be the only trustworthy party in this whole mess.)
Oh and please spare us the comments about what an amazing photographic memory he has, as if it was his superior mind that got him into this fiasco.
This is not easy.
It’s a significant conundrum for our community.
I disagree with those who say it is no big deal.
I disagree with those who say, “It’s only a graduation speech.” A graduation speech is a big deal.
The fact that our elected school officials — and presumably others — have known about this for a month is troubling.
Meanwhile, one week of suspended pay feels, well, like a cheap public relations ploy, although I don’t know what the proper response should be. I’m glad I’m not a member of the School Committee.
I do know that I have great respect and admiration for David Fleishman. (Although his statement was kind of lame.) I want him to continue as our superintendent.
There are lessons we can all learn from this. About carelessness, forgiveness, integrity, transparency, empathy, humility, double-standards and about why we need journalists.
But, it is not easy.
Well Greg you go to the heart of the issue. When you know someone, respect them on many levels, see the good work they do, and are working together side by side on challenging and critical projects, you’re probably the last person that should be making the judgement call on whether they should be allowed to get away with a serious violation of ethical standards.
It is indeed difficult to separate yourself from the person you work with, admire and rely on. This is why if you get caught robbing a bank, we don’t have a jury of your family members and work buddies to decide what should happen. We have dispassionate citizens that are least biased to make the call.
In this case, the School Committee has a self-interest to keep this superintendent in his job. Short of public pressure on our elected officials to act otherwise, this is the result we will get.
One week’s pay is nothing to DF; that was money his children would never get around to spending in their lifetimes. Since the SC gave him an unprecedented 4th year in his contract extension, he is still 51 weeks ahead in the game; 51 more opportunities to take the easy route.
Jane has the solution. Since DF has moved Newton’s curriculum and instruction into the 21st century, all we need to do is drop the penalty for plagiarism and we are good to go. (Jane, maybe I can get an offline conversation too since I understood your comment exactly like Greer.)
Steve-
At an Administrative Meeting, 2005/6:
Central Administration: “We’d like one of this year’s goals to be encouraging elementary teams to work in collaboration with one another.”
Principal: Well, first we’d have to teach them how to spell “collaboration”.
(Laughter amongst the principals)
Not one principal speaks up in defense of teachers.
True story.
That kind of talk doesn’t happen in 2014. If that means nothing to you, then fine. It means a lot to me.
Patrick – I’d actually love to talk with you offline, as I’ve followed your posts as well. Wondering how to make that happen. Any thoughts since we’re both kind of anonymous posters? Maybe Greg as V14 Guru can help us out if we both agree to it.
I’ve just re-read Dr. Fleishman’s statement. It bothered me when I first read it, and it bothers me more now.
The news outlets are saying that Dr. Fleishman apologized. In his statement, he did not.
He said that he’s well aware of the importance of citing sources, but he did not explain why he did not cite sources when he knew it was important to do so. Either it’s important or it isn’t.
He said he’s appreciative of the Lion’s Roar’s work in highlighting this issue. He ignored their work in bringing to light this incident and his responsibility for it.
He said he should have cited the Governor. He did not say that he is sorry. He said nothing about regretting — or even acknowledging — the impact that his speech (and the actions and events that ensued) may have on Newton students, faculty, and the broader Newton community.
He said he believes in accountability and transparency, but he did not explain why this did not come out into the open for many weeks — until the students reported on it.
@Jane – I can certainly appreciate that David has done many good things for NPS. I’m not denying that at all.
Thanks, Steven. I really appreciate that.
I hope everyone remembers how the Newton School Committee members acted on this matter when election time comes around in November 2015. As for the 2014 graduates of NSHS, they won’t likely remember the graduation speeches made at this ceremony, but will undoubtedly recall the swift and shady moves made by the leader of the academic institution where they drank in their public education. Condoned unethical conduct by our leadership (elected and appointed) in any institution sends a bigger message than the behavior itself. Congratulations kids! It’s a new world! Tweet and text to your hearts content. Despite what the curmudgeonly status quo says, you define your generation and generations to come. I hope that most will do it differently than displayed by the indiscreet actions of Newtons Superintendent of Schools and make honest choices.
$272,666.43 a year and he can’t even write his own commencement speeches?
http://www.newtonma.gov/civicax/filebank/documents/57061
David Fleishman is overpaid for what he does and the Newton Public Schools system is continuing its proud tradition of underachieving that it began under Jeff Young. Here are some of the lowlights of the Fleishman era:
Plagiarizing his commencement speech
His inability to institute a 21st century digital educational program
His inability to institute full-day kindergarten
School buildings that are rotting and in need of replacement
His inability to institute foreign language programs in the elementary schools
His lack of interest in reforming SPED pursuant to the SPED Review Report
Boosting the school budget by $30M/year in order to fund lavish pay raises for the unions and increased staffing levels
His push for that wretched “Common Core” curriculum and
Enthusiastically promoting three extravagantly expensive override property tax increases instead of having Boston and other communities send us an $8 Million/year check for educating 583 of their kids in our school system
Jane – I read your statement as saying that, given Superintendent Fleishman’s memory, it’s no surprise he remember the specific wording and incorporated it into his thinking – but not necessarily having noticed where he’d heard them or that he’d heard specific wording. Is that a correct reading of what you were saying?
To everyone calling for Fleishman’s resignation and saying that kids are expelled for this, is it really true that a first offender who’d shown no previous misdeeds would be automatically expelled? Because in most of the schools I’ve known, they’d get a zero on the assignment, possibly flunk the course, possibly even be suspended if the case were considered severe, and warned that the next offense could lead to expulsion.
Please note that I don’t know the superintendent, don’t have any kids in the NPS, and did not have any strong feelings about him (positive or negative) prior to this. I am very impressed by Jane’s passionate defense of him. I’m appalled by the level of vitriol in some of the posts here. I do not condone plagiarism (and I have experienced of having my words plagiarized); I don’t consider a few words in a graduation speech to be a hanging offense.
I don’t know the superintendent either. My wife and I just moved to Newton last year and we don’t have any kids in the school system. But putting aside his accomplishments or lack thereof, the facts of the case seem to indicate to me (as a relative outsider) that there’s no way he can logically continue in his present position.
I don’t think anybody actually gets expelled for plagiarism, but in a best case they would get a zero on the paper. If we’re talking about a paper that’s a third of your grade, even if you were a genius and got 100s on all your other work, you would still end up with a ‘D’ for the course: (0+100+100)/3 = 67. And if you get a D in any course, you can pretty much cross the 25 most competitive universities in the country off your wish-list. That’s a big deal.
I’m sure that plenty of good, smart kids have had their futures irreparably altered in such a way. And those kids must be justifiably furious to see the superintendent get away with a slap on the wrist. Where’s the fairness?
If people want to debate whether plagiarism is morally wrong, fine – that’s a legitimate debate and I’m probably just biased after having had “plagiarism is the ultimate evil” drilled into my head year after year by the school system. (Did nobody else experience this, or has everyone just forgotten it? Or maybe it was something that only took place from the 1980s onward? I’m really baffled by the blasé responses here.)
But if you’re going to let the superintendent get off with a slap on the wrist, and let him get away with not even apologizing or admitting wrongdoing after he’s gotten caught, then you have to do away with the current disciplinary regime punishing plagiarists.
For example, a plagiarist in high school who gets caught should now be able to rewrite his or her paper at no penalty, and have only to pick up garbage for a week during the summer as punishment.
And I for one would have no problem with that…so long as the punishment is being meted our fairly and evenly.
@Joshua
You left out Dr. Fleishman’s repeated denial that Newton’s Schools are teaching anti-Jewish and anti-Israel doctrine in its curricula… (and when admitting it, saying that the texts were ‘outdated’).
This discussion is problematic because 95 percent of the responses are based on whether people either like the guy or have some long-simmering resentment against him.
Hmmm … perhaps what you’re hearing is a bit of anger upon feeling disappointed in someone with a very prominent academic position in our community.
Many people that I’ve spoken with did not have an opinion about Dr. Fleischman one way or another … but as this incident has rolled out and the responses and details seem to be coming out … the delay in reaction, the lack of information, the timid punishment, it is making people angry.
Greg Reibman expresses my thoughts exactly.
Plagiarism is a big deal. That this issue has been known for at least a month but had to be outted by a student paper … is a big deal. A fine of 1 week’s salary is not a big deal. This is not in balance.
Isn’t Setti Warren part of the School Committee? Why is he not a signatory on the School Committee statement?
Has he stated an opinion on the record? Does he think its appropriate for Fleishman to be held to a lower standard for plagiarism than the students?
@Paul: I asked Matt Hills — who drafted the statement — about the mayor’s signature yesterday. His answer: Because he forgot.
First off, congrats to the student newspaper writers and editors for making this public. This is a huge story to break, and the first to break it were student journalists. Way to go!
Second, the punishment of one week’s pay seems too small. Anyone that earns over $200K per year, a week’s pay is NOTHING. A little pain.
Third, if a Newton Public School student plagerized, the student would receive a zero for that paper, and I am sure the group of teachers/administrators would talk about how to monitor that student in the future. And, I am sure that there was a lesson in class about NOT giving credit where credit is due.
Now, as a parent, I try to make the punishment fit the crime. . . . I would love for DF to sit in a Newton South English class on the first or second day of school, and listen to how a teacher discusses plagerism. Have the adult (DF) squirm in his seat, and listen to how his teachers teach the students about this important aspect. It is no longer copying from the encyclopedia. . . . . our world is made of of sound bites on the internet (facebook, twitter, CNN), radio, music, TV, newspapers. . . . words and information are all around us, and it is up to the adults to teach the students that it is okay to use someones words (if you find them meaningful), but to give credit where credit is due.
This was not the right “punishment.” DF will receive a zero for a week, but he won’t feel the pain in front of the students. . . . because he isn’t in the classroom. Actions speak louder than words, and lets see if he takes a Newton South English class this fall.
Thanks Paul – I was wondering the same thing? Why is the Mayors name not on the statement and was he at these Executive Meetings?
I am sorry – the more I think about what the LEADER of the NPS did – the more I think parents and students need to call for his resignation.
We would not tolerate this in a teacher or principal or a Student Then why the Superintendent? And his letter – should have started as I MADE A BIG MISTAKE. Or I am sorry for MY MISTAKE.
And maybe his punishment should have included going to each school in September and speaking to the Faculty and Students about WHY IT IS WRONG to Copy and Commit Plagiarism. Maybe that would have been a better punishment than Pocket Change. Although my child told me – he would probably look online and copy that speech too.
The SC should look at the Message they sent to the over 11,000 students and Faculty enrolled in the NPS. Unless you are a Child Pornographer – you can do anything as your job is safe in the NPS.
If we want to teach our kids to say “I am sorry for my mistake” then DF needs to utter those words! He admitted he was wrong, but where is the “I am sorry.”
@NewtonMom, maybe this is what you are looking for. It never worked on me but….
Thanks Ted, there’s 14 1/2 minutes of my life that I will not get back. But it was worth it.
@NewtonMom: I don’t know what the right action is but treating an adult like a child is not it.
The corporate response would be quite different. First, there’s no such thing as a fine in private business. You can’t by law take an executive aside and say – well, you missed a very important corporate meeting this week and we know you were golfing, so we’ll do like baseball does and fine you a week’s pay. That’s not allowed. If they do it, the exec will more than certainly get it back when (s)he leaves…
The corporate response would reach out to the customer. In this case, I would had preferred a letter to each graduate of both South and North where the superintendent introduced himself as being in charge of all academic, professional and student standards throughout Newton schools. He can describe that that’s a busy job, but he should have spent more time on giving something special to graduates, instead they got leftovers.
End of crisis.
I’ve got a ton of other stuff I should be doing, and school issues are not my normal ‘thing’ or area of expertise, but accountability is one of my things (and OML) so after finally reading the article with Matt Hills’ comments that Emily posted the link to, wow, I really have to comment.
1) Matt Hills says that because it’s a personnel issue, the SC can meet in executive session. I believe he’s correct, but that doesn’t mean it has to be. If the superintendent really believed in accountability and transparency, he would have waived executive session and done this as an open meeting. And either way, as noted in an earlier comment, you still have to start in open session before going into executive session.
2) It sounds like this was a series of meetings. What were the dates? What were these phone calls, and did they constitute serial discussions under OML? Multiple meetings, and the Tab can find no evidence that any of them were posted? We just postponed an Urban Tree Commission meeting because we forgot to post it the required 48 hours ahead. The procedure’s pretty clear.
3) Matt Hills says “The loss of a week’s pay is a serious issue for most people.” Right, especially for people living paycheck to paycheck. But if DF is living paycheck to paycheck on $270,000+ per year, or feels any noticeable impact on his lifestyle from this fine, he’s not as smart as everyone says he is.
4) Matt Hills also says “The decision is done. It’s behind us now, and everyone – including the superintendent – is moving forward.” I dunno, that seems like wishful thinking, or a bit presumptuous, to me. “Everyone” hasn’t moved on; most of “everyone” has just learned about this.
5) I thought the days of the SC acting like synchronized swimmers were over. But apparently they all went along with how this was handled, or if any were not happy, they’re not saying so publicly. Or saying anything at all. Unless explainer-in-chief Steve Siegal is being held nound and gagged somewhere.
If you go to the Newton home page and type “executive session” in the search bar, the second listing that appears is for a School Committee executive session on July 2, 2014. The link to the posting, however, is broken. I suspect a quick call to David Olson, city clerk, would clear this up for anyone who questions Matt Hills’ honesty.
Setti Warren is not a member of the SC. He attends the meetins most of the time but is not a voting member.
The Mayor is a voting member of the SC.
“As instruments of the Massachusetts Legislature, local School Committees derive their authority from the Constitution of Massachusetts, from statutes, and from the regulations of the State Board of Education.
The Newton School Committee consists of NINE voting members: one person is elected (citywide) from each of Newton’s eight wards, and the Mayor serves as an ex-officio member. The School Committee operates in accordance with the MGL Ch. 71 and 41, which delegate its authority. The Education Reform Act of 1993, Ch. 71. S. 37, specifies this authority as follows:
“The School Committee in each city and town and each regional school district shall have the power to select and to terminate the Superintendent; shall review and approve budgets for public education in the district, and shall establish educational goals and policies for the schools in the district, consistent with the requirements of law and state-wide goals and standards established by the Board of Education.”
I’ve removed a few comments from here that have strayed off topic.
If anyone is interested in the timing, one might consult with Brian Barron who acted as an intermediary between Kylie and Jordie on the one hand, and David on the other, while they were working on the story.
Let me be the first to say this… Matt Hills should resign his leadership position on the School Committee. This community deserves more from a SC chair than poor judgement, lack of character, and political coverup.
@Gail Spector, for your information, the document you refer to entitled “Posting – Executive Session Meeting, is dated 9:30 a.m., July 02, 2014, and states as follows: “The School Committee will hold an executive session on Thursday, July 3, 2014, at 8:00 a.m., at the Education Center, Room #218, for the purpose of discussing strategy related to collective bargaining.” (BTW, that was less than 48 hours before the meeting, but I’ll let that go for now.) I wasn’t able to find any other notices using the City website search engine, or by going back through the electronic Friday packet archives from the Clerk’s office.
I contacted Matt Hills and City Clerk David Olson yesterday to request the notices for the executive sessions regarding this issue, and I am still waiting for a response to my request. Mr. Olson did explain to me that meeting notices are posted on the city website’s “Electronic Posting Board,” where they remain until until the meeting has passed and then are taken down from the posting board and deleted. The Clerk’s office does retain copies of all postings, and includes them in the electronic Friday packet fit they are received early enough. I would note, however, that yesterday’s “emergency meeting” is still posted on the electronic posting board if you would like to see it. It was submitted at 11:27 a.m., for the meeting which was scheduled for 12:15 p.m. at the Ed Center.
While I am not doubting Matt Hills’ sincerity, I find it curious that these meeting notices are not readily available or easily retrievable on the websites for the city and the school committee.
I don’t have any children in the NPS so I neither like or dislike the superintendent. I will say that my neighbor’s kid who is a junior at Newton South got a zero on a paper for using an online version of Cliff’s Notes for two quotes, the rest of the paper was original (Mom showed it to me). My math shows that the superintendent only received a 1.9 % reduction in salary as a punishment, much less severe than getting a zero on a paper. Doesn’t seem fair that he can plagiarize and come out unscathed while a kid who does it gets her entire score brought down for the quarter and year.
Ted — This could explain it> http://5secondfilms.com/watch/missing
OK, Hoss, You got me. I literally laughed out loud.
Gail, the response Matt Hills provided you regarding the lack of the mayor’s signature is unacceptable and an insult to the community’s intelligence. MH knows the mayor is part of the SC. He knows this is an issue involving the superintendent’s actions as the superintendent (this is not a personal issue external to the school environment). He knows this is a highly visible news event with an unacceptable solution offered. I would say he is trying, or was instructed, to shield (or at least minimize) the mayor from any bad publicity.
Since the mayor remains silent on this issue, we do not know the actual answer. I am not buying that an intelligent person such as MH simply forgot to do his job.
The TAB has posted a new story about School Committee Open Meetings. It includes the following quote from Mayor Setti Warren:
This should clear up any confusion about where he stands on the issue.
What Mike Striar said – Actually Mike Hill should resign – right after he accepts David Fleischmans Resignation.
Do we need to be reminded how Mike Hill handled the Letter regarding the History Curriculum?
http://village14.com/newton-ma/2013/10/state-reviewed-complaints-about-history-curriculum-found-no-problems/#axzz38W9NaWoS
I guess Fleischman saved him then and now Hill is returning the favor.
Pretty Sad day in the NPS.
Yes, one of the bloggers is correct. I looked up the Carter rules and the Mayor is a voting member. It is the Superintendent that does not have voting status. My mistake.
Yes, the Mayor is a voting member of the School Committee. And if he chooses to, he could add his name to the School Committee’s letter at any time — regardless whether he forgot yesterday. I’m sure that today’s news coverage has brought the letter back to his attention. And a call or email from him to Matt would take care of getting his name added.
I don’t see any problem with his name not being there. People often complain about the School Committee operating in lock-step. It’s refreshing to see a member acting independently.
So is the Mayors name not there because he doesn’t agree or did they forget to add it on the letter?
@Ted: My bad. Thanks for the correction.
@Patrick: Perhaps you’ve never met intelligent people who make mistakes. Incredible as it may seem, it happens.
Gail, I have already acknowledged that I understand people, everyone, make mistakes during their life. We now know as reported by the TAB and your post here, that not only does the mayor support the actions of the SC , he was actually in attendance at all three quasi-properly conducted executive sessions of the SC that addressed this issue. I will assume that the mayor was present and actively listening when the content of the SC’s statement was discussed. Also having watched MH conduct SC sessions on the TV feed, I would say he is an intelligent, organized and detailed-oriented person. Correct me if either of my assumptions are wrong.
Given this is an issue regarding the #1 person in the largest city department (both by budget and headcount metrics), I find it unacceptable that the chair of the SC forgot to include the signature of the mayor. You call it a mistake. Some people will call it incompetence or following instructions from a higher authority; neither is a favorable scenario. If this is my time to make a mistake, I will accept responsibility and actually apologize (not just give an explanation) to those who have been offended.
@Patrick:
As soon as I read the statement from the School Committee, I emailed Matt Hills the following:
This is the reply I received:
The chair of the School Committee doesn’t answer to the mayor.There is no higher authority here. It was a mistake. The mayor has said that he is in agreement with the SC. If anyone should be offended, it’s the mayor. But he probably understands that even under the best of circumstances, people make mistakes. Trying to prepare a statement for the press is not the best of circumstances.
I don’t know why I’m spending time debating this point. I’m done. You may have the last word if you’d like.
Gail,
Do you think its OK for children to receive an F for plagiarism, while Fleishman’s punishment is a week’s lost pay? I can understand a perspective that more tolerance of mistakes is needed– but its the fact that Fleishman’s presides over a system with a no-tolerance policy for plagiarism that is the larger issue.
NSHS graduation was on June 9th. The Lions Roar authors knew about this since June 9th. I am assuming that since the SC has been meeting that they have know since probably mid or end of June.
So why did Matt Hills make a mistakes in rushing the letter?
My gut is that they thought they would get a valid apology from the Superintendent and when that did not materialize they went public.
The only reason we got a response was because of the Lions Roar Article.
Patrick – As one with a no tolerance policy in my class, let me clarify what that means, at least to me. It means that the student is confronted with evidence, we discuss the issue, I explain the consequence (an F for the assignment) and offer help in the future to avoid repeating the transgression, and then explain that we will we move on. The moving on is an important part of the process. A no tolerance policy refers to a specific incident, not ever to a whole child.
Jane, I think you meant to direct your no tolerance policy comment towards Paul. I am the offline meeting guy.
Patrick – You are right! My apologies. Not only do I get all the Newton blogger names mixed up, but the Mikes/Michaels and everyone with a name beginning with P are on my list of confusion as well. While I’m a long time
And yes, an offline meeting is in order. Looking forward to it.
One way people with similar user names (Newton Mom/Newton Gal, for example) could help the rest of us would be to attach a photo with your comments. You don’t have to use your actual head shot if you don’t want to, any image would be helpful.
Gail, I accept your offer to have the last word since I do not want people thinking your explanations have swayed me in any manner.
It is now being reported in the TAB that Matt Hills is admitting to two more mistakes, the verbiage in the first two executive meeting notifications.
As reported in the TAB: “Both of these notices listed the purpose of the meeting as “discussing strategy related to collective bargaining” – but did not mention the superintendent or a personnel matter. Hills said the language used in the notices was a mistake.”
So now we have 3 self-admitted “mistakes” by MH within a single issue that pertains to the public actions (both in the original event and the follow up behavior) and questionable ethics of the top person in the school department. Or has the TAB misquoted MH? Am I to believe that the MH’s persona displayed on NewTV is not the real MH, and that he is actually one continuous mistake making incompetent individual?
As far has there being no higher authority here, let me quote from the NPS website “About School Committee – Statement of Purpose” webpage:
“As instruments of the Massachusetts Legislature, local School Committees derive their authority from the Constitution of Massachusetts, from statutes, and from the regulations of the State Board of Education.”
I would consider that traditional authority over the SC.
I also believe the BOA has a say in the school department’s budget; I would interpret that as bureaucratic authority.
And I would say that since the mayor is the highest elected official in the city to which the school department belongs, I would say he has an implied authority, or even a charismatic authority based on the mayor’s extraordinary personal abilities that inspire devotion and obedience. (I wish to thank Wikipedia for helping me with the various types of authority.)
Wow! All of a sudden I have a deeper appreciation for the position in which MH finds himself. There are potentially so many different sources of authority telling him what to do when all he wants to do is what is best for Newton and its schools.
Lastly, since according to you it is so hard for MH to generate a public statement, maybe he can get some guidance from the top person in our educational system. Oh wait, that is how this all started.
Jane, I am glad we are all set. Remember, Gail says even intelligent people make mistakes. And I believe you are an intelligent person based on 1) your ability to express your thoughts clearly and 2) your experience as a teacher in the NPS.
BTW, I believe you have been given my email address by a respected person, so you can contact me directly.
Janet, regarding your post “You left out Dr. Fleishman’s repeated denial that Newton’s Schools are teaching anti-Jewish and anti-Israel doctrine in its curricula… (and when admitting it, saying that the texts were ‘outdated’).”
Thank you for the reminder. I can’t believe I forgot about that.
Will this Newton plagiarism never end?
Greg Reibman – “… any image would be helpful”
Sears Parts Direct – “… any image would be helpful”
As someone who writes a range of blog comments that are distributed to the broader public on a regular basis, I am well aware of the importance of citing appropriate sources. So please dock me one week of my Village 14 salary.
Actually, upon review of the first sentence above, make that two weeks.
@Gail, evidently it wasn’t YOUR bad.
The prolonged process and the apparent failure to comply with the Open Meeting Laws together with the Chairman’s characterization of this matter as a “private issue” all create the appearance that the School Committee and the Superintendent wanted to keep this on the down low until they were compelled to make it public. That is not good. Speaking “antidotally” (tip o’ the pin to Greg Reibman), there is a simple remedy for this. The Open Meeting Law requires that accurate records be kept, including all votes taken, of the topics discussed in executive session. Since this matter is no longer a “private issue” — indeed the Superitendent indicated he wanted it made public — the School Committee should make the records of the meetings held in executive session public. This ensures transparency and openness, and could well explain the reason it took almost a month to resolve these accusations of plagiarism.
As for the appropriateness of the punishment in this case, as someone pointed out to me (did you see what I did there?), a public admission of having committed plagiarism, particularly in academia, is a permanent and alsting mark upon one’s professional reputation and career that, in my view, is the most proportional consequence here. Like some others on Village 14, however, I do think a formal letter of apology directed to parents, students and faculty is in order. Like the student who was required to deliver a written apology for disparaging comments about China to the principal of the school that participated in the foreign exchange program, it is the adult thing and the right thing to do.
Greg, I do not know about others, however I am using a descriptive image alongside my comments: a bald, overweight, white guy. And the fact that the picture is black and white (OK, gray and white) could reflect that I am old. Also, according to http://www.greyorgray.com, that I use “gray” indicates I am probably from the USA instead of England. Wow! this icon is more descriptive than I originally thought.
I wish it would stop raining so I could go outside.
@Patrick: From your description, I’m picturing you like this.
@Patrick LOL!
Patrick – Thanks for the description!
Greg, I typically do not look that happy.
@Patrick: You realize that I was urging folks to actually go to this site and upload an image, not just describe themselves?
@THM- if the Open Meetings Law was broken in this case – are the decisions that the SC made during those closed door meetings also not valid?
And if the Open meeting law was broken in this case then would the SC be required to meet again about this issue in the appropriate manner or is releasing the meeting minutes sufficient?
As a NNHS grad ’13, I’m dismayed by how quickly students voices and student concerns have been drowned out. Fleishman’s plagiarism is an offense many students are ‘convicted’ of every year, and they all face harsher and more punitive punishment than Fleishman (typically beginning with an “this could be the end of your world” lecture from an authority figure and ending with a failing grade). The School Committee’s statement and Fleishman’s non-apology are basically offensive to me, because they demonstrate clearly that the administrators of NPS are treated differently than its students. When a student is caught plagiarizing, rarely if ever do adults pause and take note of how good a student they typically are, and how difficult it is just to be a student. Here, however, the superintendent – who should be held to higher standards than high school students, not lower – got caught plagiarizing and it feels like everyone was very quick to provide as much context as possible to mitigate the punishment as much as possible. I’m fine treating Fleishman like this, but shouldn’t we apply the same nuance to the judgements we pass on our students?
This is probably the part of this scandal that troubles students most. It’s worth discussing.
Jordan, thank you for your comment! It’s funny you say that student’s voices have been drowned out because I have been hoping to hear more of what they have to say. After all, the most important consideration of the superintendent’s mistake, as well as the response to it by the School Committee, is the impact on students.
I would love to see many more student comments here. Or if there is already a public site with comments, please share a link.
Jordan, very well said, and welcome to the real world of adult behavior.
Greg, I encourage others to take advantage of the image tool you recommend so there might be more diversity at V14. Just in this thread alone so far Julia, mgwa and Jo-Louise have selected images that show their personalities and/or interests. I may even guess that some of the head shots offered on V14 are edited to reinforce a personal fantasy.
It is just that the image your system assigned to me seems to be quite adequate. In fact I will add the descriptor of anonymity to my current image.
@Jordan, great to hear you chime in! Hope all is well with you!
Yes … to me, that is PRECISELY the point. It is no longer JUST about the speech and it’s lack of proper proper acknowledgements … but also about the way this whole incident has been handled.
How much cleaner this all would have been if the Administration and SC had taken the high road and simply nipped it in the bud at the beginning with a quick, swift apology and reparation and sincere contrition from the Superintendent. To have tried to keep it under wraps and then to respond in a way that is so wrought with errors, omissions and unsatisfying results after the students finally persisted and escalated the issue, is a real disappoint.
I hope both the SC and the Superintendent will take a step back and reconsider their actions. It doesn’t help anyone for people to simply dig into their positions and not budge.
Remember, this happened during an important event within the academic world where, for the sake of education, we do enforce rules in a more black and white manner for the purposes of making lessons clear.
It would be great to see the Administration be the grownups and come up with some sort of resolution that isn’t simply repeating “we’ve moved on” when clearly, this incident and episode has only newly come to light for many given the lack of exposure it has had until recently.
Congratulations, Newton, this affair has made the Daily Mail.
I’m a parent of one of the graduating seniors from South. I attended the graduation. My daughter is close friends with the authors of the Lion’s Roar piece. I spoke with one of them well back in June, just after the graduation and he said that he’d reached out to the Superintendent, with little response. One has to wonder what we might know now, had they not published the piece.
With three children who have gone through NPS, this isn’t the greatest going-away present one could imagine.
However, I have to say how proud I am of Kylie, Jordie, and Brian Baron. They handled an ethical dilemma in a thoughtful and straightforward manner. It took some soul-searching on their part and they did the right thing.