Since October of 2019, Mr. Barry has taught AP United States History I and World History II in the Social Studies Department at Melrose High School. Unfortunately, as a result of budget cuts, the student body has been informed that Mr. Barry will not be returning to his position in the fall. As members of the Melrose community, Melrose High School community, and as students of Mr. Barry, we believe that Mr. Barry should be reinstated as a teacher due to his dedication and passion as a history teacher.

In order to understand the profound impact Mr. Barry had on his students, we encourage you to read the following messages from his students:

“It is incredibly rare to find a high school class where everyone truly belongs. If such a place exists, that class was Mr. Barry's. Mr. Barry's class is the only class that I have been a part of in my entire high school/middle school career that people were able to have civil, honest discussions about history and politics without fear of judgment or discrimination. My class contained moderates, socialists, conservatives, libertarians, and many other ideologies across the spectrum, yet we were able to get along and learn about U.S. history. I could talk about Mr. Barry's character, but because I assume many others will, I'll just leave you with this: I find it unlikely that so many students, least of all me, would take action to try to preserve the job of a teacher if that teacher hadn't truly stuck out to them and made a positive difference in their lives (he's certainly had one in mine).”

“Mr Barry is a hard working individual that cares about making sure the students get taught what they are supposed to do and caring about the students themselves. I have never had a teacher as caring as Mr Barry. Whenever I needed help or simply just needed someone to talk to, Mr Barry would always be in his room and willing to talk, before or after school. Mr Barry is the once in a lifetime teacher that you will remember when you think about your high school days due to his kindness, teaching style, and overall amazing personality.”

"A man who would stay with his students on non official work days after school to help his students grasp even the most touchiest or difficult of subjects when he had no official obligation to, you could count on Mr. Barry to be there early every morning and until even after the LC closed. He worked the longest of hours to make sure our dreams of passing the AP test would become a reality."

“Mr. Barry is one of the only teachers I've ever had that cares about his students' interests outside of the classroom. For example, Mr. Barry would ask me for music suggestions, as he wanted to expand his music taste. I gave him a list of some of my favorite artists and songs, and he listened to them all, and even gave feedback on which ones he liked the most. I doubt there will be another time where one of my teachers takes time out of their day to listen to my favorite music.”

“Mr. Barry is one of the only teachers I’ve ever had who I knew genuinely cared about me as a person rather than just me as a student. I can confidently say he is the only teacher who has ever voluntarily expressed that to me. Mr. Barry more clearly cares about his students than any other teacher I’ve ever had.”

“Everyday, Mr. Barry showed that he deeply cared for every single one of his students. For example, during one of the hardest times that I've ever had to go through, Mr. Barry was the only teacher of mine that had reached out to me to make sure that I was doing okay. I doubt that I will have another teacher like Mr. Barry ever again.”

“Not only did Mr Barry make an AP History course engaging he taught us the importance of working hard, not just for the AP credit but anytime in and outside of class too.  He was a teacher dedicated to the genuine well being of his students and I really appreciated that.”

“In the short time that Mr. Barry has been a teacher at MHS, he has positively contributed to the well being of the students both academically and socially. When we wrote essays during class time, Mr. Barry always asked if anyone required assistance or tips on writing. Mr. Barry not only used his time efficiently during class, but after class, he would begin working on inspirational emails, which oftentimes consisted of a quote by a famous author, and a humorous story from his childhood. He does this not only because he feels a social connection with his students, but also because he cares so deeply about the well being of his students that he wants them to feel less anxious about a topic that can be incredibly hard for most kids to master. I truly believe that if Mr. Barry left Melrose High School, the community would lose a committed, kind, generous, and humorous teacher that always ensured his students were well and prepared for success.”

“Mr. Barry is a rare gem of a teacher that actually cares about his students and is passionate about teaching and the interests of history. He took the time to help you out whenever, and would not have you stress over everything. Even though he was a Yankees fan (Although he made up for it being a fan of Stevie Wonder) he made the most of the short, unexpected time we had him as an awesome teacher.”

“Mr. Barry truly loves to teach and he cares about us. He puts in so much time for us to really learn and be better students. Also, he wants to get to know us on a personal level so we feel more comfortable with him.”

“Mr. Barry has been one of the best teachers I have ever had. Yes, he was great at teaching, but what made this year and his class so special was the dedication he had to his students. I’ve never had a teacher who was more interested in each individual student than Mr. Barry. He truly cares about the education and well-being of every one of his students, and was one of the only teachers I have ever had that took the time to get to know everyone because he wanted to, not because someone told him to. He has a special connection to his students and even though I don’t usually like the subject of history, I actually enjoyed going to his class everyday. To deprive other students of the amazing experience myself and others had this year with Mr. Barry would be a huge mistake.”

“Mr. Barry is one of the only teachers that I have connected with in the classroom and on things not relating to school. Not only was he concerned about my performance on my schoolwork, he was also very invested in the hobbies I enjoyed outside of school. For example, we both enjoyed watching a certain documentary on Michael Jordan and the Bulls. This documentary was on television five consecutive Sunday's and each Sunday I was sure to find an email in my inbox from Mr. Barry regarding the episode that was currently streaming. We would send many emails back and forth discussing the show and it was amazing to see that this was his designated personal time, but he was still conversing with students. In the classroom, Mr. Barry always kept his students engaged and had a unique sense of humor that made each class interesting. One thing that made him so impactful in the classroom was the amount of feedback he gave. I remember doing poorly on an assignment and Mr. Barry shared a doc with me that consisted of a page of things I can do to improve. He also included that he believes in me, not to get down on myself, and that I have plenty of talent to ace this assignment. There will never be another teacher that is as relatable as Mr. Barry and cares as much for his students like Mr. Barry.”

“One day I was really stressed out and I came to Mr. Barry for some help. I ended up getting really upset and even cried. He spoke to me very calmly and nicely and helped me with what I needed to get done. After that, he continued to ask how I was doing, even months after. That was the most I’ve seen a teacher care about my well being.”

“Mr. Barry always has a way of making class not boring. Even if it was just group assignments or mini presentations, the work was never unbearable. This would include the Jeopardy sessions we would have as a class, we didn’t make it easy and the first time we played Mr. Barry was forced to end the game early because of the noise level etc. He gave us a second chance anyway, and even though it ended very similar to the first game I still respect the effort to try and make class enjoyable.”

“Mr Barry was never afraid to talk politics in class. Politics is central to APUSH, so Mr Barry put a big focus on it in class. We had discussions not only on historical topics, but some on the current presidential race as well. He'd allow students to voice their opinions on current politics, and he'd have stuff to say as well, often disagreeing with students but still respecting their positions. Mr Barry is the reason I know Stacey Abrams exists. Because he knew I was a vocal Bernie supporter, he even emailed me with his condolences when the former dropped out. What I'm trying to get at is that Mr Barry really cared. Both about his job and his students. His heart was in his work. If a plan didn't work out, he'd be back with another in no time. To see  him leave after less than one school year with us is devastating. We were joking that it would be funny if Mr Barry taught APUSH 2 next year, thus teaching this group again. But it wasn't really a joke, it was a serious hope that we would see him again in the classroom. And I have the tiniest sliver of hope that we still can.”

“Despite being an MHS teacher for only about half the year, in my humble opinion, Mr. Barry has had a far more profound impact on my (and I assume others') education than any other teacher I have had thus far. I feel my writing has improved because of his consistent personal feedback (which for every student must demand a lot of time and effort). His methods of teaching stimulate class discussion like no class I have been a part of and motivate me to deepen my knowledge of history. It would be tragic for Melrose to lose such a dedicated, nice, and caring teacher.”

“Mr. Barry is one of the most thoughtful teachers I have had. He always wanted to learn from his students on their interests inside and outside of school. He supported every decision we made and was willing to change how he taught based on our feedback.  I have never had a teacher willing to do this who really wanted his students to learn and become the most successful they could be.”

“Mr. Barry is one of the only teachers I have had that has made such a substantial effort to not only ensure the continuation of our learning throughout remote learning, but to ensure our success beyond this class and in the future. For example he created a study guide for the whole entire year that we can use to study for our APUSH exam, so we wouldn’t have to worry about forgetting the material. It was a lot of work for him to do this, and he was not obligated to, but he did it because he truly cares about our success and is willing to dedicate his time to ensure it.”

“Mr. Barry is one of the most caring teachers I have ever met. He goes out of his way everyday to help his students with literally anything they need. He spends time helping each student in the classroom exceed in every possible way and puts in a lot of thought into his words. When I needed help revising one of my pieces of work, Mr. Barry spent multiple hours after school with me, then continued to help me beyond school, which was more than most teachers have ever spent on my work. He showed how much he really cared about his students every day and took a great interest in them.”

“Mr. Barry was a teacher that always went above and beyond for his students. He would make sure each student was understanding the material and would take time out of his stay to stay after school with you if you were having trouble. Especially when revising DBQ’s, Mr. Barry would let you know what you did wrong and how to fix it. During quarantine Mr. Barry was one of the only teachers who would actually do a Google Hangout so we could have a live chat with him. Overall, Mr. Barry is a teacher who really cares about his students and wants to help them learn.”

“Mr. Barry was an important member of the Melrose High School Community. Especially since he was able to fully embody the Melrose High School mission statement: the Melrose Public Schools will provide and sustain a thriving and dynamic teaching and learning environment, preparing every student to excel in their authentic life and global citizenship as supported by an engaged community.
Mr. Barry was a unique teacher that took extra measures to ensure a thriving and dynamic teaching and learning environment for students. Indeed, there were various rotations of activities to negate repetition and boredom. For example, schedules consisted of lectures, round table discussions, analysis of documents, student-led slideshow presentations, along with tests and quizzes. This cumbersome schedule would be difficult to sustain for most teachers, between various rubrics and grading processes. However, Mr. Barry was successfully able to maintain this diverse learning environment, while verifying comprehension from students. 

His assessment process was one that ensured comprehension. Not only would he hold review sessions about the necessary content, but he would also post a question section on google classroom that allowed students to ask any last-minute questions. After tests and quizzes, he would analyze questions that most students had gotten wrong. Depending on the importance or frequency of the mishap, he would either explain the mistake in class, or he would post a document clarifying the misconception in his own words, in addition to sources that would further describe the content needed to understand the concept. For any teacher, it can be understood that the process of reading essays can be a taxing one. However, Mr. Barry endured this process with grace and would even leave in-depth comments on each student’s DBQ, detailing what was needed to do to achieve a higher score. Also, if a student needed further clarification, he would always be happy to help after school, even on days that were not his office hours.

Indeed, his door was always open. One of his strongest traits as a teacher was his ability to connect with students. In the past, he has said, “What brings joy as a teacher, isn’t when a student memorizes dates and gets a 5 on an AP exam; but simply seeing them, teaching them, learning from them, interacting with them, and appreciating them.” One example of him partaking in such a dedication toward students to understand them both inside and outside of the classroom is when he had students rank a top 3 favorite thing of anything. This optional assignment was strategically used as an ice breaker when transitioning from in-class learning to virtual learning. 

Besides, due to his intrinsically friendly personality, and genuine interest in students’ lives outside of the classroom, he has the unique ability to relate to students. For me, he noticed that I was reading a book, “A Man Called Ove” and told me after class that it was one of his favorite books. Then, he went to recommend another book by the same author and was eager to hear my opinions after that book. For me, this helped me snap out of the endless monotony of school, and remember that school can be fun.

The ability that these types of personal connections emphasize the long-lasting impact that he has on students well into the future. His dedication toward students outside of the classroom is a type of sincerity that is difficult to match from other teachers. To our class, he said, “My ultimate hope for all of you going forward is that you can find something in college and beyond that, you truly enjoy doing, that gives you purpose, and that makes you happy.” This type of authenticity and aspiration toward his students not only highlights his dedication as a teacher but also of his overall character as a person.

When students asked him why he wanted to become a history teacher, he explained, “I believe that understanding history and thinking critically are two characteristics that all students must possess if they are to affect change.” This ideal set up students for the importance of global citizenship. Throughout his time as a teacher, he provided students with relevant resources to what was being learned in history and current events. These included links of articles about the history of the recession, Obama’s Speech about the marathon bombing, and countless other examples. He even encouraged students to read up on the primary elections and try to rank the order of candidates. 

However, what set him apart from other teachers, were the motivational emails that he would send to students to help them preserve through assignments. My favorite quotes include, “In spite of challenges, in spite of failure, and in spite of disappointments, that you keep going and keep doing your best. That’s what you all have done, even though the challenges you’ve confronted go far beyond simply academics,” and “However, what’s most important is being a person of compassion, of empathy: a person who thinks of others, and who stands up for those who need it most.  So most of all, be good to each other.” This type of encouragement and altruistic ideology, emphasizes the importance of global citizenship in students. Through doing this, he was able to create a community around him.

Mr. Barry has created an engaged student community that is unmatched to any other teacher I have had at Melrose High School. He did this through his transparency to students, ranging from when the grading of tests are going to be completed, and even vulnerability of struggles in his life. In one of his inspirational emails, he opened up to students saying, “...there is a different shoebox that I keep.  In this shoebox I keep literally every single thing any student has ever given me, all the way back to my elementary teaching days: every single note, thank you card, random object, confiscated fidget spinners.  When I would have an especially tough day teaching, I would return to this box, to remind myself why I teach, and to remind myself of what’s important.” This level of personal transparency and honesty toward students is such a valuable and admirable trait that motivates students to not only participate in learning but also to go the extra mile. Indeed, throughout the at-home-learning process, he has had multiple review sessions of chapters that were well in attendance. He also held an across block trivia game contest called, “APUSH Contest of Champions,” which was highly participated in by students. This type of engaged community can be highlighted by the fact that he won the “Staff Member Award” from the Sophomore class.

In conclusion, Mr. Barry is an important member of the Melrose High School community. Not only is he a great teacher, but he also goes above incomplete dedication toward his students. By doing this, he was able to create a fully engaged community of students that were inspired to learn and grow both inside and outside of the classroom. I wholeheartedly believe that it would be a disservice to the Melrose High School community if he does not return in the fall.”