We need a better school system now!

While our beloved Mayor hires and fires teachers, superintendents, and principals like they were candy at a childs party she sends the wrong message. Salem has never been know for its public education. Nobody has ever said let's move to Salem and raise our kids there, they have great schools, and thats our biggest problem. Nobody homesteads in Salem anymore. We have a transient housing economy.

Much has been written about the housing crisis. Maybe if people saw Salem as a place to raise kids and not just a place to stop over before moving to a house in Beverly or Danvers or Metrowest we would not be in this mess. Think about it, families are a longer tax benefit and yet the schools are so messed up they fire the teachers at year so they don't need to pay their benefits over the summer. This sends a horrible message.

As I walked up Lafayette as this year fireworks seemed to go on for hours on the fourth, all I could think was about could we not get a bigger bang for our buck longterm if we had better schools.

Last year a Principal was hired at Salem High School that wasn't accredited to do so. She quit or was fired and then the superintendent quit or was fired then another interim superintendent quit along with the interim principal. Mean while across town Bentley Academy proliferates as a shiny reminder of where all the state money for good Salem schools gets siphons to. I'm sure they do a great job, Its just a model that adds to the unattractive education options in Salem and families look elsewhere.

We need better schools and families moving to Salem to Homestead. Our beloved mayor has been in office for quite awhile and wasn't she the education mayor at one point?