Press Release
For immediate release
Comments presented at the school committee meeting by Chandler Creedon, Jr.
School Committee October 9, 2007
Tonight your are being asked to authorize a Memoranda of Understanding concerning a new three year collective bargaining agreement between the Franklin Teachers and you, the school committee. Please know this was by no means an easy sell. As teachers, we have lost 20 of our colleagues to budget cuts. Your records show we have already gained approximately 100 additional students over last year’s population. Class size is not optimal nor is it uniform across the district. The Franklin teachers took a huge hit given the budget problems facing The Town.
Please know there is much discontent and disillusionment in the ranks of The Franklin Education Association Membership. Teacher frustration is at an all time high. Each day there seems to be some new task that must be completed. Each day there is a new form to be completed or additional paperwork to be carried out. Daily there are new responsibilities added to analyze this new math program or analyze that new writing program, on top of all the normal duties such as directing traffic, and acting as crossing guards for our students. There are also many numerous and lengthy meetings with building principals that consume so much precious time. All these activities are in addition to the day to day running of classrooms.
This agreement that you will be authorizing meets only minimum standards. The FEA calls on the school Committee to be extremely cautious with each and every budget decision made. The Family Circle Magazine has invited many families to come and live in Franklin, pointing out the excellent school system and exceptionally low tax rate, a combination that presents major difficulties. We are again on the brink of more budget problems. As the student population continues to grow, the school department will need to add additional teachers next year. The demands and responsibilities placed on teachers continue to grow. We are in a very precarious situation. We look for your leadership and direction to address these issues. Thank you.
Chandler P, Creedon, Jr.
School Psychologist
and
Franklin Education Association
President 2006-2008
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