Salemhigh.net -- cataloging Herb Levine's and Ann Papagiotas' offenses since 2004!

Herb Levine and Ann "Kiki" Papagiotas are a pair of terrible school administrators that represent a dark chapter for Salem's schools. Herb Levine and Ann Papagiotas have now been exposed, so hopefully they will not become a cancer on another school district. Herb Levine and Ann Papagitoas are bad for kids, bad for teachers, bad for parents, and bad for schools. I can look myself in the mirror and say these things, because I worked for Salem's schools during their tenures. I witnessed their bully tactics, their coercion, their greed, their duplicity, and their corruption. They should never have been allowed in front of Salem's students.

Here is a catalog of SOME of the events making salemhigh.net necessary:

2009

RULING IS IN FROM THE DIVISION OF LABOR RELATIONS CONCERNING Herb Levine, Ann Papagiotas, and the Salem School Committee!

Download entire ruling as a pdf file.
Salem News article on the LRC finding Herb Levine and Kiki Papagiotas guilty of violating teachers' rights.

Brief Summary of LRC findings:

WHEREFORE, based upon the foregoing, it is hereby ordered that the Salem School Committee shall:

1. Cease and desist from:
   1. Making statements that would tend to interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in the exercise of their rights under Section 2 of the Law;
   2. imposing rules regarding access to teacher mailboxes that would tend to interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in the exercise of their rights under Section 2 of the Law;
   3. Conducting meetings with employees regarding activities protected under Section 2 of the Law in a manner that would tend to interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in the exercise of their rights under Section 2 of the Law;
   4. Changing the person who conducts evaluations of teachers in a manner that would tend to interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in the exercise of rights under the Law;
   5. Transferring or refusing to renew the appointments of employees in a manner that would tend to interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in the exercise of their rights under Section 2 of the Law;
   6. In any like manner, interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in the exercise of their rights under Section 2 of the Law.

A quick note about "moving on:"

"Moving on" is important, but it's important that the school is "moving on" with the knowledge that it cannot act like this in the future without facing intensifying consequences. In the event that the school DOES act like this in the future, current and future Salem teachers simply have to produce the LRC ruling, remind the school that it has been found guilty of intimidation in the past, and from there it's an easy argument for the teacher to pursue in whatever manner is appropriate. If the school listens to the ruling and changes its ways, great! Everyone's a winner! If the school doesn't mend its regrettable and ILLEGAL practices, it's now significantly easier for current teachers to pursue remedies in a legal way that the school will be forced to address... ie monetary damages. The right thing to do would have been to fire Herb Levine and Kiki Papagiotas, and there were people who certainly wanted to pursue this course, but it would have been prohibitively expensive to fire Levine or Papagiotas, because the city would have then had to pay the remaining contracts AND pay to hire a new superintendent and principal. This ruling, because it lays the groundwork for suing the school committee in the future (if past practices are repeated), makes it ALSO potentially expensive to allow corrupt school officials to abuse their power. That's not whining. That's seeing things through and attempting to leave something better than it was when you found it. Moving on without necessarily learning anything is social promotion, something that also needs to be addressed in public education, but probably a fight for another time.

2008

• Years of mismanagement result in a shortfall of school funds measured in the millions. Teachers and staff from Salem's schools now face the loss of jobs to pay for the city of Salem's mismanagement of its school system.

2007

• After accepting several generous raises as a superintendent, Herb Levine attacks Salem Mayor, Kimberley Driscoll, for suggesting that she would accept a raise if it were presented to her. What's interesting about Herb's letter to the editor is that Herb lives in Peabody, so Herb Levine may be confused when it comes to which city's financial expenditures he should be watching. What's also amazing is that Herb FORGOT to watch Salem's expenditures while ex-Mayor Usovicz ran the city impressively into debt.
• After insisting that charter schools are bad for kids and sending home anti-charter school propaganda with Salem students while Superintendent of Salem schools, Herb Levine switches gears and supports the Northshore Recovery High School in Beverly, Massachusetts. Who is responsible for tuition payment? School districts. Essentially, it looks like the Northshore Recovery High School will be funded in a manner shockingly similar to other charter schools in Massachusetts, so it appears that Herb Levine has come full circle and now supports charter schools in Massachusetts. This is a great turn of events and schools like The Salem Academy should anticipate Herb Levine's staunch support moving forward.

2006

• The Salem News reports that Ann Papagiotas "left with a severance check for nearly $23,000, mostly for unused sick days." The story then says that, "Papagiotas reached a deal with a school administration that was trying to ease her out of the job and avoid a potentially ugly showdown with the School Committee."
• Ex Mayor Stan Usovicz leaves Salem's budget in such shambles that teacher layoffs appear imminent. In addition to lying about his education, Stan seems to also have lied about his ability to balance a budget.
• Essex District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett announces the appointment of Dr. Herbert Levine of Peabody to facilitate the district attorney's "Choose To Refuse" heroin and OxyContin education prevention program. Dr. Levine, who is the former Salem Schools Superintendent, will promote the program's use in the 26 school districts in Essex County through August of 2006. Dr. Levine will earn $10,000 for his "work," which will be paid from a grant obtained by District Attorney Blodgett's Office from the Executive Office of Public Safety. Levine's tireless public promotion of his own son's battle against a designer drug lands Levine even more grant money. One can only hope that Levine's intentions here are for more than the padding of his own bank account with soft funds.

2005

• Herbert Levine resorts to public profanity and threats after testifying at a Labor Relations Hearing. When asked about it by the press, Herb blames his outburst on his upbringing in Revere.
• Principal Papagiotas agrees to resign from Salem's High School as of the end of the 2006 school year.
• Mayor Usovicz loses primary election. Schools factor largely in the decision , particularly Usovicz's refusal to do anything about Papagiotas.
• Probable cause is found for an additional 7 counts against Salem High's leadership. This brings the total counts against Levine, Papagiotas, and others to 11.
• Kiki Papagiotas faces a "no-confidence" vote called by the Salem School Committee. This is brought on by Kiki's refusal to communicate with faculty, students, and others. When pressed for details, a member of the committee cited Papagiotas' poor performance and alienation of faculty, students, and parents.
• Kiki Papagiotas and Herbert Levine pinkslip a Salem High School teacher right after the teacher suggests in an "open" forum that perhaps student-centered learning doesn't work well for all students. This seems to be yet another bully tactic demonstration by Salem's school administration.
• Salem's Teacher Union elects Babcock Union President through write-in votes, but Dave McGrath refuses to acknowledge the outcome of the election and names himself Union President. An investigation into this blatant abuse of power continues.
• Herbert Levine attempts to reassign a Salem elementary school teacher in what appears to be retaliation for the teacher's outspoken and free-thinking nature.
• Unfair labor practice hearing scheduled for June.
• Superintendent Herbert Levine is accused of impacting a Union vote by promising to hire more teachers for Salem's elementary schools if the elementary school teachers vote in favor of block scheduling.
• Salem High faces renewed criticism concerning its Special Education policies.
• Salem High's struggles are noted on several other web sites including: iror.org, the problem with block scheduling, end teacher abuse, and The Boston Phoenix.
• Members of Salem High's Special Education Department begin to denounce actions within their department, and at least two staff members leave the school in disgust.
• Herbert Levine calls a mandatory meeting for all students at Salem High to discuss his son's drug use, but the following week he cannot make time to attend the Honor Society induction ceremony. With all the existing problems at Salem High, Levine counters with a campaign for drug testing at the school. Several individuals suggest that this is a "red herring" to remove attention from other problems at Salem High School. ¹
• Salem High's faculty continues to suffer an intolerable turnover under Kiki Papagiotas, as several teachers leave mid-year to escape the poorly-run school.
• School Committee members question the exceedingly high turnover of teachers at Salem High School.
• Probable cause is found by the state to investigate unfair labor practices at Salem High School.

  2004

• Levine insists that it is his understanding and position that teachers should have no say in the establishment of a block schedule. Lawyers assure him that teachers do have a say.
• Levine calls a mandatory "clear the air" faculty meeting at which he badgers teachers, and at which he insists that "he is smarter." When a teacher asks if he will assure the faculty that outspoken teachers will not be "let-go," Levine abruptly ends the meeting.
• Levine and Papagiotas begin targeting "dissenters" with increased scrutiny. Classroom observations change mid-year, so that Papagiotas and her loyalists have opportunities to begin paper trails against dissenters. For the first time in their careers, several teachers see their performance ratings mysteriously going south. Ultimately, the Union steps into the process and the poor performance ratings are removed from teachers' files.
• The Union representing Salem teachers refuses to help non-professionally statused teachers and a representative suggests that targeted teachers simply keep their mouths shut. When asked why they will not help, Union officials insist that it is not their policy to aid teachers who do not hold tenure (professional status).
• Faculty relations become strained as it becomes apparent that certain faculty members owe allegiance to the administration for an entrenched "you pat my back and I'll pat yours" system. Many teachers wonder about the conflict of interest posed by the Union leadership and their relationship with the current administration.
• A teacher contacts Levine concerning the poor morale at Salem High School. Levine calls a meeting with the teacher and says that if the teacher does not like the school climate, the teacher should leave. Faculty members find it hard to believe that a superintendent would make such a suggestion, instead of working to address the situation.
• Levine sends anti-charter school propaganda home with Salem's elementary school kids. The DOE protests.
• When the school newspaper includes stories concerning school climate, Principal Papagiotas attempts to censor the paper. This results in action from the ACLU, and local papers pick up the story before Papagiotas relents and agrees to publish the paper. The Boston Phoenix awards Papagiotas its "muzzle" award. Papagiotas and Levine badger the faculty newspaper adviser until she retires from her post. ³
• A student publishes his/her opinion of Levine on the salemhigh.net web site and Levine calls in the police. The police refuse to pursue the issue (as they determine the student poses absolutely no threat), yet Levine and Papagiotas call a faculty meeting (after meeting with the police and learning that the police do not consider the student a threat) where the student is portrayed as a danger to himself and others. Levine berates the student's parents and begins the process for expelling the student. A local lawyer comes to the student's aid, and all action against the student is dropped by the school. Despite this, Levine and Papagiotas refuse to expunge the student's suspension.
• Levine calls a meeting with the owner of salemhigh.net and suggests that the site should be discontinued. The owner says that he will remove the site if Levine will open up the faculty mailboxes. Levine refuses to open the mailboxes and suggests that the teacher should be careful lest the teacher face the same retaliation as a "teacher in Beverly." When pressed for more information, Levine refuses to name this "teacher in Beverly," or to explain what he meant by retaliation. Owner of salemhigh.net is pink slipped at the end of the year.
• Principal Papagiotas tells the High School librarian (a librarian who GREATLY improved the offerings of Salem High's library) to pack up her things, and then Papagiotas berates her so loudly that students in the IMC hear the yelling. This entire incident appears to be blatant retaliation by the administrator against a faculty member who Papagiotas viewed as a "dissenter."
• Papagiotas extends pink slips to all non-professionally statused teachers who spoke up to her during the year. She offers no reason for doing so, as is her prerogative, but it is clear that she is retaliating against "dissenting" teachers.
• The number of teachers who resigned or were let go this year nearly equals the number in the last two years combined.
• The City Council suggests the need for a public forum to discuss problems at the High School. Levine suggests that this is beyond the Council's authority, and refuses to attend (or to let anyone on his staff attend) if there is a meeting. One of the reasons the salemhigh.net is STILL up now is that Salem has a terrible time fostering communication. Much of Salem's politics are driven in the wrong direction largely because a few bad leaders are allowed to operate in the dark, away from the accountability of the public.
• Levine attempts to transfer a professionally statused teacher to the Middle School in what appears to be punishment for dissent. The teacher refuses to comply and leaves the school system.
• Levine tries to pull his "I'm retiring without any notice, but you can hire me back as a consultant for more money" shenanigans. A good percentage of the city sees this as a blatant "money grab" by Levine and even some Levine supporters are disgusted by Levine's behavior. When Levine discovers that his plan will not work, he abruptly withdraws his resignation. Several officials call for Levine's dismissal, but Levine manages to hold on to his position.
• A member of the school committee calls for an investigation into the ethics of Levine's behavior. Ultimately, the issue is solved by Levine promising to retire at the end of the next school year.
• A parent attends a School Council meeting asking to talk to Papagiotas, because her daughter and several of her friends, all of whom were with the parent, want to clear up some rumors. As Dr. P wasn't at that particular meeting, a student representative suggests that the parent ask to meet with her in person. The next day the student representative is pulled from class and told that he/she should have cleared up all the rumors the students had heard right there at the meeting, and that Papagiotas was "very disappointed in such a lack of professionalism." When the student mentions to her that the parent would be calling to schedule a meeting, Papagiotas' response is, "well I'll tell you right now that won't be happening."
• The school committee inexplicably refuses to investigate the morale problem at Salem High School.
• The idea is shopped by the Salem administration that Papagiotas' communication problems should be solved by taxpayers paying for an "expert" to work with Papagiotas on her communication skills.
• A city councilman asks at a Salem School Committee meeting for a change to how "business is done at Salem High."
• Papagiotas removes the computer from a "dissident's" classroom, and insists that she does not need a computer. The move is clearly retaliation and a sign that remaining "dissenters" will be targeted.
• Papagiotas begins an inexplicable campaign against a pregnant Varsity Girls Basketball Coach. The coach eventually suggests that she has been forced out of her position for reasons related to pregnancy. A lawsuit seems pending. ²
• Papagiotas and friends begin targeting remaining critical thinkers (potential dissidents?) at the school. Additional teachers call into question the motivations and tactics of Papagiotas and Levine.

  2003

• Superintendent Herbert Levine picks Ann Papagiotas as principal, despite the reservations of several faculty members on the principal selection team. It becomes apparent to many that Papagiotas was picked for her connections that were valuable for securing a $500,000 grant from the Federal Government, rather than for her track record as a High School principal. Past problems at several High Schools, including Newmarket and North Reading, suggest that Papagiotas was a poor candidate for principal at Salem High School.
• Superintendent Herbert Levine secures a generous raise for himself, and he inks a proposal for a generous raise schedule for his administrative staff. Superintendent Herbert Levine insists callously at a faculty meeting that he deserves his generous raise, because his "kids, after all, need money to shop at the mall."
• School Committee rejects Levine's proposed administrative staff raise schedule as unfair when compared to teacher raises. Levine then insists in the Salem Evening News that "administrators deserve higher raises than teachers for the same reasons they deserve higher salaries. 'You can't compare a teacher's job to the responsibility, ultimately, a principal has,' Levine said... They (administrators) work late into the afternoon and evening. They work weekends. There are higher expectations of them, more accountability." These comments strike many teachers at Salem High as not only inaccurate, but also insulting.
• Ann Papagiotas terms a teacher's pregnancy an inconvenience, and berates the teacher. Teacher ultimately leaves the Salem School district in disgust.
• Five teachers are removed from class for an emergency meeting with Ann Papagiotas after the teachers use faculty mailboxes for union-related communications. Ultimately, 4 out of 5 of these teachers leave Salem by the end of the year, and 3 out of the 5 teachers are "pink-slipped" despite positive performance evaluations.
• Levine and Papagiotas shut down the faculty mailboxes, and insist that all future mail must go through them for approval.
• An unfair labor law suit stemming from the "mailbox dispute" is filed on behalf of the faculty at Salem High. We await the findings of this.
• The $500,000 grant includes questionable assurances, and suggests much more buy-in from teachers than is truthful. Much of what is promised in the grant application was never shown to teachers during the process, and teachers had to resort to the "Freedom of Information Act" in order to read the grant application. Many teachers are outraged that the grant touts the inclusion of faculty members in the assurances, as they do not feel that the process was open or inclusive.
• After Salem had laid off several teachers the previous year, the grant endorses a program of hiring more administrators in order to maintain a "house" structure for Salem High School. When asked why they are attempting to begin a house system after a similar house system had been abandoned due to the costs associated with such a system, several administrators appear unaware that such a house system had ever existed at Salem High. Teachers find this less than amusing.
• News breaks that a large percentage of the grant will be used to pay administrators to "facilitate" the spending of the grant. Many view the grant as a nefarious means of funneling money into administrator pockets.
• Levine calls a number of teachers "dissenters" in the Salem Evening News in an apparent attempt to discredit them.
• Levine and Papagiotas mysteriously remove the Varsity Boys Basketball Coach and refuse to offer a reason.
• Parents demand more information on planned changes to the school at a public information meeting.

¹ I don't know all of the details on the drug assembly yet, but when I have the details, I'll comment more on it.

In the meantime... let me throw this out there for discussion. Why are we more worried about Oxycontin and Heroin, "self" medicating drugs that affect a statistically tiny percentage of the population, while at the same time we continue to turn blind eyes to the number of children who are medicated (mostly involuntarily) with Ritalin and Prozac? It's amazing to me to see the statistics of kids these days diagnosed with ADHD and depression, kids who are taught, often at a very young age, that there is a pharmaceutical solution to any problem.

Kids get indoctrinated early to believe:

You're too fat? Take a pill. You can't sit still? Take a pill. You're not happy? Take a pill.

Is it any wonder that "illegal" pills hold great attraction, after kids grow up in an environment where it seems that half the population is doped up on one thing or another?

Here's another sad and often ignored fact: recovering drug addicts are not heroes, and they should not be treated as such. They should be helped. They should be encouraged to get themselves clean. They should be loved by their families. They should NOT be paraded through the news.

Putting Jeff Allison all over the news for anything other than throwing fastballs is misguided. Parading Joel Levine across High School stages is also, in my mind, misguided. Doing so attaches celebrity to what is, at the end of the day, a behavior that should be viewed as disgraceful, a behavior that should carry with it a certain degree of shame. Becoming addicted to recreational drugs is... make no mistake... a dumb thing to do. If anything, we should be giving press coverage to the kids who are smart enough to NOT become addicted to drugs. If you want to have a "drug assembly," put a successful, well-respected celebrity up on stage who can look the audience in the eye and say, "hiya, folks. I'd love to talk to you about being addicted to drugs, but I was never dumb enough to BECOME addicted to drugs. Don't be dumb; be like me."

Kids need to know that it is far better never to become involved with drugs, than it is to recover from drug addiction. In a sick way, it seems like the press is glamorizing drug use by giving so much face time to recovering drug addicts. If I were a kid feeling a little lonely or a little attention-starved, being a recovering drug addict might seem like a pretty good gig with its packed auditoriums, interviews, smiles, and clapping people. That's a pretty dangerous road to take.

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² From the Salem Evening News 1/6/05

Letter: New leadership needed at Salem H.S.

To the Editor:

Again, I am writing to strongly and sincerely condemn the cold, callous and insensitive manner in which we again lost one of the best coaches on the North Shore ' Beth Kapnis Livermore.

Is this a nightmare witch hunt to put cronies and hacks of the controversial principal whose legendary lack of people skills and leadership required her to take a taxpayer-funded course to improve her flawed image? Last year, she led the charge to get rid of one of the most best area boys basketball coaches, Wayne Hanscom. Again, the players and fans are the losers in this shabby and unprofessional leadership. She leaves ashes wherever she goes.

I have watched Beth in high school, college, and coaching her hometown team. She is a member of a popular Salem family whose name is synonymous with excellence and sportsmanship.

As a parent of three sons and as an elementary school basketball coach for 32 years, I deplore the leadership that made this decision. Beth has all the right stuff to help continue the dynasty of girls basketball here. She is a true role model and young profile in courage who personifies Salem pride.

Soon, I believe, there will be a lawsuit over this action. No one should be allowed to be treated so coldly and callously. A clear set of injustices were done and justice needs to be served.

In 1994, after a bitter strike of the teachers, I called for a healing process as a member of the School Committee. I asked for amnesty for all coaches and leaders in the strike. Unfortunately, my call for healing was disregarded.

The former superintendent fired all the football coaches and none are allowed to coach again in Salem. We lost some of the best and brightest coaches then, due to blind arrogance and stupidity.

Now, 10 years later, we see another cycle and purge. This cannot continue for Salem's sake. We deserve better for our student-athletes. It is beyond my imagination why leaders like superintendents, high school principals and athletic directors make such pompous and pathetic decisions. No one would like to be treated like Beth and Wayne have been.

A member of the School Committee called for a report by the superintendent over coaching hirings and firings. This is like asking the car insurance business if we need a rate hike. Does anyone in their right mind expect an honest report of wrongdoing and misjudgment?

I sincerely hope and pray the new superintendent does not copy the poor judgment of his boss in hiring coaches and principals.

Salem has a legendary tradition of strength and success in sports. This is a sad affair and I strongly believe the leaders of this debacle need to resign and retire. Now is a time to heal from the strife and turmoil at the high school and for new leadership with vision, vitality, compassion, and concern and commitment to excellence.

We must make Salem once again the flagship city of sports and academics based on pride, excellence and sportsmanship on and off the court.

Thomas H. Furey - Councilor at large - Salem

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Mass.principal prevents paper from publishing articles critical of her policies

Even after students complied with her request to change the articles, she is still preventing publication

'2003 Student Press Law Center

December 10, 2003

MASSACHUSETTS ' After refusing to publish the student newspaper until changes were made to three articles critical of her policies, the principal of Salem High School is still declining to run the issue.

The three articles, which were planned for the front page, address the school's new bans on wearing hats and eating in class as well as the lowered morale of the students.

Members of the student newspaper, the Witches Brew, said in the Tuesday edition of The Salem News that they reluctantly agreed to the changes requested by Principal Ann Papagiotas. The students said Papagiotas inserted explanations for the new policies, writing in one article that food was banned from classrooms because of a mouse problem.

Nevertheless, the newspaper still has not been published despite protest from students on the staff.

'[The Witches Brew is] the student view,' co-editor Todd Graham told the Salem News. 'It's our voice, and this is what the paper is meant to be.'

Neither Papagiotas nor Superintendent Herb Levine could be reached for comment.

However, in The Salem News article, Levine defended the principal's decision.

'The school newspaper is strictly and only in the authority of the school principal,' Levine said. 'I believe that she's not only doing the right thing, but she's doing it the right way.'

Levine said Papagiotas is not allowing the newspaper to publish because some of the opinions in the articles could be qualified as 'disruption or disorder' that might spark arguments and fights.

In 1969, the Supreme Court ruled in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District that public school authorities are only allowed to regulate student expression that materially disrupts the school environment. School authorities cannot base a regulation on the fear of disturbance.

However, in the 1988 Supreme Court ruling in Hazelwood School District v. Kulhmeier, the court said a school is permitted editorial control over the content of a school-sponsored newspaper if school officials can show that it is 'reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns.'

But in 1988, the Massachusetts Legislature enacted the Massachusetts Student Free Expression Law to provide public high schools in the state with protection against censorship at school, thus undoing the impact the of Hazelwood decision.

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"Board: Teachers' rights violated" By Amanda McGregor of The Salem Evening News May 15, 2009 09:11 am