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Sky’s the limit for Laboy

Jan 5th, 2008 by Nelson Benton

Imagine what Lawrence school Superintendent Wilfredo Laboy’s compensation package might look like if the city’s schools were among the top performers in the state.
While others in the city are facing the loss of their jobs, the Lawrence School Committee recently granted Laboy a raise bringing his annual salary close to the $200,000 mark. And it was recently revealed that in addition to providing him with an SUV, the city also pays someone to act as Laboy’s chauffeur.
This, despite the fact the Arlington Middle School is being threatened with state takeover due to students’ dismal performance on the MCAS exams.
Laboy is scheduled to appear before the state Board of Education later this month to dispute Arlington’s classification as “chronically underperforming.”
Better he explain to city and state taxpayers why he’s not being grossly overpaid.

Posted in Municipal meltdown, Nelson Benton, Uncategorized | Comments

  • michael cook
    And people have the nerve to say teachers are overpaid?
    A chauffeur?
    Mr. Laboy shouldn't be just questioned by the state Board of Eduaction, he ought to be fired for such arrogance and selfishness.
  • TENNIS LILLY
    Wilfrdo Laboy is NOT a teacher, he is the superintendant of schools. His compensation package is not representative of what teachers make. If you don't like how he's paid or how educational funds are being spent in Lawrence you should address your comments to the Lawrence School committee.
  • Allen
    Superintendant Laboy is an arrogant man who is not capable of leading the Lawrence schools to succes. Although I am not a fan of teachers unions in general, the consistently strained relationship between Mr. Laboy and the union is a clear indicator of his lack of leadership. Clearly a superintendent needs to lead not only the teachers but the children as well. With that established, if he were at odds with the teachers while test scores were improving that would be one thing. Unfortunately for him the teachers took a clear vote of no confidence in him and a large segment the students are not succeeding. This means that he is not working with or for the only 2 groups that he is responsible for leading. Add to the current situation his curious personnel decisions, his accepting (or requesting) a chauffeur and the arrogance that he often displays in public and you realize that he is a much too politically polarizing figure to lead a very troubled school district. The next leader needs to arrive soon and needs to be a humble, committed, selfless person who understands how to consensus build, inspire and lead.
  • michael cook
    Thank you, Allen.
    I don't live in Lawrence, I haven't in more than four decades.
    But my Irish family's roots run deep in the immigrant city and I've grown tired of people bad mouthing Lawrence, at times for nothing more than racist reasons as the ethnic mix of the city changed thru the years.,I'm equally tired of incompetent, arrogant civil servants, whether it's LaBoy or Jim Sculley, exploiting a struggling city to enrich themselves and feed their egos.
  • Tennis Lilly
    Allen

    The last thing Lawrence schools need now is another change in leadership. I'm not a fan of Mr Laboy either but he's done a lot of things right and the Lawrence public schools are in far better shape than they were 5 years ago.
  • Tom Delaney
    The following is a retype of a letter sent to the Honorable Patricia A. Dowling, Mayor, City of Lawrence dated April 18, 2000 in reference to a search for Superintendent of Schools.

    "Attached is one great candidate for the open position.

    Anyone who is called a 'Nazi' and a 'Racist' by the liberal elite can not be all bad.*

    Formerly, this writer was born and raised in the 'Queen City of the Merrimack Valley.' Educated at St. Rita's Grammar School and Central Catholic High School.

    My parents were working class blue collar workers at both the Arlington Mills and later at Western Electric and Raytheon.
    In order to get my education at CCHS, I had to go to work at Hardy's Drug Store (Corner of Essex and Hampshire) as a 'soda jerk' to get my high school diploma.

    That was in the days of rugged individualism and self-reliance and not the days of government dependency.

    Multiculturalism, as practiced in the home works. Practiced in American society...NO! American corporations are interested in people with intellectual acumen. They are not bean counters and could care less about your race, gender, religion, et. al. Only what resides between the left and right ear.

    This gentleman, Mr. James Cody, is not a bureaucrat, but an honest educator. You probably can't get him, but give it an honest try. He's already politically incorrect, being male and white, but the best interests of education will be served and isn't that what we, as Americans, truly aspire too?

    Sincerely,

    Thomas A. Delaney
    Former Lawrencian
    AND PROUD OF IT!"

    *Mr. James Coady, at that time, changed the cirriculum from "outcome" based to "core" based and was vilified for making these changes; therefore, the smearing of the terms "racist" and "Nazi."

    It is indeed a travesty when school boards adopt political correctness of the value of our childrens education.
  • Tom Delaney
    Reply from Mayor Dowling dated 5/2/00.
    "Dear Mr. Delaney
    Thank you for your input on our Superintendent search. I will forward it to the committee. It is always great to hear from a former Laurencian(sic)!
    Mayor Dowling"
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