Residents in Rochester are growing concerned that the Rochester School Board hired former Superintendent Tom Ambrose. Ambrose just resigned from the Sanborn school district after parents and residents demanded his resignation.
Ambrose resigned after a student abuse scandal that involved a special education teacher. The former teacher was accused of abusing kindergarten through 2nd grade students. This scandal brought out other parents who showed up at a couple of school board meetings reporting more problems that happened in the school, under Ambrose’s leadership.
Sanborn superintendent resigning amid investigation of abuse allegations against teacher
Superintendent Thomas Ambrose has been criticized for the abuse that allegedly happened at Bakie Elementary School under his watch. Aimee Ragonese, a former special education teacher, pleaded not guilty to charges related to allegations that she abused students.
Ambrose walked away from Sanborn with a $500,000 payout, and seems to have landed a new job in Rochester.
Read more about the investigation here:
One parent videotaped Ambrose coming into the Rochester district for an interview and, now it appears as if Ambrose has now been hired. While one set of parents and residents cheered his departure from Sanborn, another set of parents and residents are growing concerned that he’s landed in Rochester.
Why is the school board hiring the former Superintendent from Sanborn when they currently have a Superintendent on leave after undergoing an independent investigation? And to make matters worse, this investigation turned up nothing.
What is going on in Rochester?
Not only are taxpayers on the hook for paying a Superintendent to stay home, now they will have to pay a former Superintendent that was just driven out of the Sanborn school district. Talk about an ugly mess.
But this is what happens in New Hampshire. When Superintendents are driven out after a scandal, the next school board ignores the problems, and hires them. This happens so frequently that it’s been dubbed “passing the trash.”
Many Rochester residents are still trying to figure out why Superintendent Annie Azarloza is still being paid to stay home. She was cleared after an independent investigation but she hasn’t been reinstated.
What has Azarloza done that warrants this kind of treatment? How much money will Rochester residents have to pay for all of this? Is the school board trying to drive her out of her job? If so, why?
I haven’t heard any reports from parents about problems they’ve had with her leadership. In fact, I’ve heard the opposite. They feel she is a good addition to the school district.
Compare that to the angry parents in Sanborn who gave many examples during recent school board meetings on why they lost trust in Mr. Ambrose. Is it any wonder that Rochester residents are deeply concerned that the problems that plagued Sanborn for years, will now be brought to Rochester?
What is all of this costing the taxpayers in Rochester?
Someone needs to start asking for a 91-a Right To Know Request, to get details on how much they’ve paid the current Superintendent to sit home while under an investigation. How much did the district pay a team to investigate Superintendent Azarloza? Why hasn’t she been reinstated now that she has been cleared of any wrongdoing? How much will taxpayers have to pay for Mr. Ambrose?
It’s time for the School Board to start explaining exactly what is going on in this district.
