A former Andover School Committee chair and current Andover High School building committee member is under fire after posting a photo on the Andover Education Association’s Facebook page that likened the teachers’ strike to the January 6 insurrection.
Shannon Scully posted a photo of rioters in the Capitol Hill rotunda as a comment on an Andover Education Association Facebook post that included video of a press conference and rally earlier on Monday.
“Really classy, Shannon Hembrough Scully, as always,” AEA wrote. “There were children and parents alongside us that you’re also degrading. Of course, facts don’t matter to you, and they never have.”
Scully said she posted the photo after reports of school committee members delaying a meeting for 90 minutes because of safety concerns.
“I understand the AEA believes they are simply advocating for a cause, but it has turned to increasingly personal attacks against members of our School Committee,” Scully said in an email when asked for comment, “and it has gone too far when people have concerns for their personal safety and the safety of their families.”
After the photo was removed from the thread, the union shared a screenshot of the post and demanded an apology.
“Apologies, but the internet is forever,” the union said. “We’ll gladly help you try to erase it if YOU publicly apologize to all the educators, parents, and students you insulted today.”
How illuminating! Let’s compare and contrast how a violent attempt to overthrow the elected leadership of our country is like a teacher’s contract negotiation. Ms. Scully may be a disgrace to Andover, but she has done us a service by showing us the mindset of school committee members. With an attitude like that, it is no wonder the school committee has failed for months at negotiating a teachers contract, meanwhile it can’t retain school principals, and can’t even hire enough instructional assistants at current wages. The school committee reminds you that it wants a $500 million building – and the cheapest labor it can find to go in it. Our best educators are getting poached by other school districts. The real damage is a school committee that is so fixated on monuments and petty vendettas that it has lost sight of what matters to education. They need to step aside and resign for the good of education in Andover.