SOUTH BOSTON — The principal of the Perry School in South Boston is facing a 90% vote of no confidence from his own staff — as staff trust scores collapsed from 100% to 58% in a matter of months under his leadership.

It turns out, they weren't done.

On February 5, the Perry School Faculty Senate held a formal vote. Twenty-eight of thirty-one educators participated. The result: a 90% consensus across "multiple grade levels, disciplines, and professional roles" — a near-unanimous rejection of McGrath's leadership.

The faculty senate issued a formal written statement outlining their case. It isn't vague. It isn't political. It reads like a bill of indictment from the people who work inside that building every day.

The faculty senate statement cites the BPS 2025-2026 Midyear Teacher Climate Survey, and the numbers are devastating.

Under the previous principal, 100% of staff responded favorably when asked whether teachers are trusted to teach the way they think is best. Under McGrath, that number dropped 42 percentage points. Overall perception of the working environment — which was also at 100% favorable before McGrath arrived — plummeted by 63 points. The school's overall climate score declined by 24 points. Professional learning dropped by 30.

These aren't gradual shifts. This happened in months.

Meanwhile, the school McGrath inherited was on the rise. DESE accountability data shows the Perry climbed from the 67th percentile in 2023 to the 82nd in 2024 to the 85th in 2025 — a trajectory built by experienced teachers and stable leadership. The faculty retention rate is 86.4%, above both the district and state averages. Eighty percent of Perry teachers have three or more years of experience, compared to 69.4% districtwide.

The statement describes a principal who responded to this track record by "destabilizing instructional practice" — micromanaging instructional decisions, dismantling long-standing systems and routines, and shutting down collaboration. Teachers say the trust question going from 100% to 58% tells the whole story.

The faculty senate statement alleges a pattern of retaliation against teachers who raise concerns. Educators who have "attempted to contest their evaluations or raise concerns through professional channels" report feeling unsafe doing so.

The statement describes a "lack of communication and transparency" where "scheduled meetings have been routinely missed" and "relevant stakeholders have been excluded from important communication regarding school-wide decisions." Teachers say evaluation practices are inconsistent, lack transparency, and have "diminished trust" in the process.

The climate survey data tells the story in numbers no one can argue with: trust in leadership collapsed by 42 points, the working environment score dropped 63 points, and every single "overall climate" indicator declined — all in less than a year.

Separately, a concerned parent who contacted Mass Daily News on condition of anonymity alleged that McGrath told all teachers that in the event of an emergency, they should not call 911 — but rather find him so he could "make a determination."

"This is clearly against Boston Public School policy, but when you're king you can do what you want," the parent said.

The parent described McGrath as "acting like a dictator" and said he is "attacking qualified, well-liked teachers and not addressing safety issues at the school."

BPS policy requires staff to contact emergency services immediately when students or staff are in danger. Mass Daily News has not been able to independently verify the 911 directive but the allegation is consistent with the faculty senate's documented concerns about safety issues being met with inadequate urgency.

The Perry School was not a failing school when McGrath arrived. Under previous principal Andrew Rollins, the school ranked in the 85th percentile statewide on DESE accountability measures. Reading proficiency was at 60% — well above the state average of 42%. Math was at 55%. Science was at 73%. DESE classified the school as "meeting or exceeding targets."

In December 2024, Perry special education teacher Luisa Sparrow was named the 2025 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year — only the eighth BPS teacher to receive the award in more than 60 years.

This was a school that worked. The faculty senate statement describes what's happened since.

This isn't the first time McGrath's judgment has been questioned. The Castro and Che Guevara poster incident last September drew citywide attention and national coverage. At the time, parents described a principal who didn't listen to the community and made unilateral decisions that prioritized his own ideology over the wellbeing of students.

The faculty senate's statement echoes the same language — nearly word for word.

"We remain fully committed to our students and to maintaining a safe, inclusive, and academically rigorous environment," the statement reads. "We believe that addressing this leadership crisis directly is necessary to restore trust, stability, and excellence within our beloved school community."

Ninety percent of the building just said they've had enough. The question is whether BPS is listening.