Local News

Everett students walk out over decision not to renew superintendent’s contract

About 100 high school students held signs and chanted in support of Priya Tahiliani, the district’s first superintendent of color.

March 12, 2023

2 minutes to read

Everett public school students walked out of class on Thursday in protest of a recent decision not to renew the contract of a popular superintendent.

About 100 Everett High students walked out of class to demand the school committee change its decision not to renew the contract of Superintendent Priya Tahiliani, according to a GBH report.

The protest came after the Everett School Committee on Monday night voted 6-4 not to renew Tahiliani’s contract. The committee came to the decision despite multiple positive performance reviews for Tahiliani, a woman of Indian origin. Supporters of Tahiliani say racism is to blame for her ousting.

During Thursday’s demonstration, student protesters held signs and chanted in support of Tahiliani.

“It’s just upsetting to see that they kicked out the one woman of color who has actually been putting in a lot of help for the community,” Everett High alumni Ezra Rosario told GBH. “She’s been very proactive. But our own mayor is only proactive when it looks good on his own.”

Before the committee’s vote Monday night, Everett High junior Tiana Allen spoke out in support of Tahiliani, saying she’s the most engaged superintendent Allen’s ever witnessed in her time as a student.

“I feel that Priya is an excellent representation of the students,” said Allen. “What I feel is very important is diversity. Priya is one of the most familiar faces I see when I look around this room. … In my time of knowing Priya, I have felt nothing but represented, nothing but kindness, nothing but genuine respect back and forth.”

Tahiliani has accused Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria of racism and sexism, saying he discriminated and retaliated against her after she hired non-white administrative leaders.

“The institutional racism championed by Everett’s Mayor, Carlo DeMaria, and his cronies on the now reformed School Committee is palpable,” Tahiliani wrote in the 2022 complaint filed with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination.

The Everett School District is comprised of more than 80 percent non-white students, though nearly 90 percent of teachers are white.

Tahiliani, the first person of color to serve as Everett superintendent, took the helm in March 2020.

A post on the Everett Public Schools Facebook page linking to the school committee live stream accumulated over 160 comments, many criticizing committee members’ votes to let Tahiliani go.

“It’s interesting that virtually all of the ones who will probably vote ‘no’ had nothing to say when given the chance. The public and the voters deserve explanations for their votes,” wrote Ryan McGowan, an English Language Arts Department Chair at Everett Public Schools.

A parent of a special needs student, Joanna Schiff Garren, wrote, “The special ed program has been wonderful for [her child] so far. I worry what will happen if the superintendent is tossed aside.”

Tahiliani’s current contract will run until March 2024.