We’d caught wind of this developing story in recent weeks: The parent of a student in the Wellesley Public Schools music program trying to get to the bottom of controversial personnel changes related to the Wellesley High and Middle School orchestras. On Thursday, this story wound up in Dedham District Court, with Wellesley Performing Arts Director Beth Perry squaring off vs. the parent, who she claims intimidated her via emails regarding the changes before he took his case to other school administrators, including the School Committee (the Townsman attended the court session and wrote this account). Wellesley attorney David Himmelberger is representing the parent.
In the meantime, the band plays on, literally. The Wellesley Middle School band and orchestra performed at the State House on Friday morning.
This is a very important issue to the students and parents of student of the WHS orchestra, and the WPS at large. There is a back story which should be told as the WPS are the big losers. The school department did the wrong thing in not thoroughly reviewing this issue when it was brought to the School Committee at the end of last year as requested at that time. The facts should be reviewed, brought to light and the decision reversed, if a mistake was in fact made in the demotion of Mary Alice McCann.