Bother to show up

"In it to win it"

"Takes two to tango"

"fill the void"

There are other phrasings that also apply here. Why?

Just reflecting on the ramifications of the decision of the School Committee to be a 'no show' for the Town Council meeting on Wednesday night.

The Town Council were allowed to say whatever they wanted. They knew before the meeting that the School Committee was not going to show up. They had time to prepare. They could talk all they want without a counter point.

Had anyone from the School Committee been there, the conversation would have been different.

Trust starts with respect.

The School Committee for my 2 cents has made a poor choice by not showing up. Their choice has now colored the conversation. Instead of focusing on the good work that has been done, or the good work that could be done (with interest based bargaining), the School Committee has put themselves in a defensive posture explaining why they didn't bother to show up.

Not a good thing to do anytime.

Oh, and should I mention that there is an election scheduled for Nov 8th!


Note: additional details on the Town Council meeting and the School Committee's 'no show' can be found on Franklin Matters  http://www.franklinmatters.org/

The cost of now

More than ever, there's a clear relationship between how new something is and how much it costs to discover that news.

Seth Godin, always a thought stirrer in my book, has an interesting post today. You can read the full posting here.

There is also a cost to deliver the news. Some of you may be aware that I do "live blogging" for Franklin Matters. I do this for as many School Committee, Town Council and other town meetings of events as I can. Oh and this is when I don't forget to bring my power cord with me. The combination of the live network connection and taking notes drains the battery in less than an hour. Simply taking notes without connection to the internet extends the battery life closer to the two hours it should be.

The live notes while they are real time, generally are a straight capture of the transactions, conversations, whatever is going on. Very little editing or commentary is added. I am too busy keeping track of what is being said by whom, etc.

The post meeting notes are better written, there is a definite flow or line of thought to them as I have had time to sort things out no matter how the meeting went or who said what when.

This is not a new discussion for me. I have been thinking about this quick a bit. I want to make a decision based upon the readership. Do I get more activity from live blogging or from the post meeting notes?

The jury is still out on that one.


If you would like to share your thoughts, please let me know via comment or email (shersteve at gmail dot com).

How about this for a smart pen?

Image by shersteve via FlickrWhen I do my live reporting for the Town Council, School Committee and other Franklin meetings, I have my laptop and MP3 recorder ready and operational. There are times when this would be inconvenient and reverting to simple pen and pad would be easier. This pen, the Pulse from Lightscribe would provide almost the same technology in a smaller form factor.

How does it do it?

Check out this customer testimonial video:


For more information, visit the Lightscribe page here. The 1GB pen lists for $149 and the 2GB pen lists for $199.


This just might be an item to make it to my wish list! The one draw back for me is you do need to use special paper. However, you are not limited to just their stock. You can download and print additional pages on your own.

Thanks to Jeff R for the pointer!

Dandelion hunting

It was a late night at the School Committee meeting Tuesday. The Town Council scheduled their special meeting Wednesday at 6:00 PM (normally 7:00 PM) for the override vote. I needed to hustle off the train to make it to the Town Council chambers in time.

The meeting lasted all of 35 minutes. There was NO discussion on the amount of the override. There was some discussion on Tuesday versus Saturday and the decision ended up remaining with the "standard don't rock the boat" Tuesday election day.

Meeting adjourned, I headed home. First, the garbage barrels needed to be collected, then the mail retrieved. I noticed some dandelions popping up here and there. I had already gone hunting on Sunday morning but clearly some were hiding then waiting to show up now.

Garden poker in hand, small bucket in another, I went a hunting.

Have you ever hunted dandelions?

Better to catch them early before they bloom and change to their white puffs which catch the wind and spread to create a cycle of more dandelions.

Dandelion hunting is good for leaving the day behind. You slip the poker into the ground at the center of the dandelion, gently work the poker below ground until you feel the root reaching deep, then using the lever power of the poker, break the root below ground and remove the dandelion whole, depositing it into the bucket and move on.

If I had taken time to get out of my work clothes this would have been good to do on my knees. Crouching and moving around from dandelion to dandelion. As I was still dressed, I simply bent over and plucked them one by one.

This helped to ground me, to leave work, the commute, and the amazingly short Town Council meeting behind as I entered the house, confident that another dandelion battle has been won!

June 10th - $2.8 million - Yes/No for Franklin Schools

The choice is now in the hands of the voters.

Make it an informed vote:

• Visit Franklin Matters often for informational updates
• Read the news papers
• Talk with your neighbors

If you are not registered to vote, visit the Town Clerk's office and register.

If you will be out of town on the 10th, apply for an absentee ballot.

There is no reason why you should not vote.

How you vote is up to you!

How to make a choice

I wrote a sherku about the school choice we have.

How do you pick just one from the four good candidates?

The School Committee is using a rubric. A set of predefined criteria by which each member can score each candidate. How well did each candidate make the grade in the areas of

• interpersonal skills/leadership
• professional knowledge of Accounting/Finance
• budget development and management
• business office administration

You can review the interview for each of the candidates, review their background, and then consider: how would you rate the candidates?

Which one stands out for you?

I'll share my choice and reasoning later this week.

Busy week ahead

A short work week but a busy one. School Committee meeting tonight, Town Council meeting Wednesday, Spirit of the Marathon movie on Thursday, and we meet Brad's parents on Saturday.

Brad?
Who's Brad?
Recall this

Franklin: Forensic Report

It will take me some time to complete making sections of the recording from the joint Town Council and School Committee meeting held this past Wednesday. As the sections are completed they will be posted to Franklin Matters.

The full 138 page report is available on the Franklin home page with a note that after a couple of days it will move to a page within the School section. I recommend reading this to all Franklin residents. It is not easy to understand but the audio sections to listen to, that should help you make sense of what is covered in the report.

As a Franklin resident and tax payer, I am approaching this with three questions in mind:

1 - Does the explanation of the deficit make sense?

2 - Do the recommendations address each of the issues raised in the report in an appropriate and sustaining manner? (Will these steps prevent future issues?)

3 - Are there any questions that were not answered by the report?

I suggest that as you review the report, you answer these three questions for yourself. I will share my answers as soon as I complete the audio sections.

I look forward to the discussion around these questions and answers.


Updated: The full audit report is available on the Franklin Schools page (left menu item) or via this link (PDF). Note, the PDF file is quite large, it may be slow opening depending upon your connection.

Franklin Matters - Busy Week

The School Committee and the Town Council have meetings this week. The School Committee meets on Tuesday (1/8/08) and Town Council meets on Wednesday (1/9/08).

Amongst other items on their agenda, the School Committee receives the Brick Task Force report on Tuesday.

As I recall, the two groups meet together to receive the budget shortfall audit report on Wednesday.

This will be a busy week for Franklin Matters!

Franklin: School Committee results

As announced by Town Clerk Deborah L. Pellegri at the high school field house Tuesday evening:

Candidate	Votes
Kelly	2141
Roy	2021
Trahan	1976
Cafasso	1899
Mullen	1871
Armenio	1823
Rohrbach	1761

All seven candidates were elected.

Franklin candidates for Planning Board, Board of Health, School Committee

Michael Morton provides the profiles of the candidates for the Planning Board, Board of Health and School Committee in the Milford Daily News.

Be aware of the election Tuesday, November 6th.

You will be able to cast your vote for what Franklin's future will look like.

Make it an informed vote!

Franklin: Two Chances Remain

Candidates Debate

Two chances this week

1 -----------------------------------------
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
at Dean College, 7 PM
Science Hall, basement, Classroom 11


2 -----------------------------------------
Friday, October 26, 2007
at Franklin Senior Center, 8:30 AM


The town election is scheduled for November 6th.

Who are you going to vote for?
Do you have enough information to cast your vote with confidence?

Franklin: Special Education Costs

School Committee Chairman, Jeffrey Roy, wrote on the School Committee blog:

The question on special education is not whether we should provide the services. We have a moral obligation to do so, and it is the right thing to do for these children and their families. The question is, however, who should pay. Currently, the burden is left to municipalities like Franklin, and that taxes our limited resources. The only way to meet these budget needs is through property tax overrides — an unpopular choice.

There are potential solutions, however. First, we can demand that Congress increase the funding as promised back in 1975. Second, we can request that the state fund special education transportation. Currently, the state provides no help in that area. And third, we can attempt to keep more special education students in district by expanding program offerings. Franklin has been successful in this third area, but we need more support from the federal and state government.

Read the full posting here.

All in favor!

Franklin, listen up

Your local school board makes the decisions that determine how your community's children are educated and how your tax dollars are spent. Voting for school board members is a simple but powerful way to support student success and strengthen your community.

Every child enrolled in your school district is a reason for you to vote in school board elections. The overall quality of your local schools, both now and in the future, rests with decisions made by the board of education. You want the best and the brightest of your fellow citizens in charge.

The Center for Public Education has a nice flyer with information on how to prepare yourself to vote. Since we are facing an election this November with all the School Committee and Town Council spots up for grabs, the time to get informed is now.

Click through to take a copy of the flyer for yourself. It is PDF file, virus free and equally important FREE for the taking.

You Have Everything to Gain—or Lose
Everyone—not just parents—has a stake in the success of public schools. When schools are strong and students succeed, everyone benefits.
• Good schools are good business—they attract employers, strengthen the local economy, and enhance property values.
• Good schools ensure our students will be prepared to keep our nation competitive in a global economy.
• Good schools keep the American Dream alive with an opportunity for every child to receive a world-class education.
• Good schools keep the quality of life in a community high by producing citizens who pay taxes and obey the law.
• Good schools teach students from all backgrounds how to live and participate in our democracy.

Franklin: Teacher Contract Press Release

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

Franklin School Committee Meeting Recap

I missed the school committee meeting last night due to a family committment so you'll need to catch what you can from Michael Morton's recap in the Milford Daily News.

School Committee Short of Candidates

Michael Morton's article in the Milford Daily News today has details on which 6 current School Committee members are running for re-election. The seventh is not running again for election leaving a spot open.

Could that open spot be filled by you?

Pick up the proper papers from the Town Clerk by Friday at noon time.

Franklin School: High School emergency generator died

An emergency generator at the high school died during the summer. It was a 40 year old unit and has seen its useful life. There currently is a rental in place providing emergency coverage.

The replacement would cost about $50,000-100,000. This was not budgeted for. There is no plan for this just yet. This is one of many items that could fail as the high school continues to age.

Franklin School: Transportation

Transportation totals increased over 400 students (over last year). More parents have gone with the bus and "pay to ride" than using the walk or drop off option.

They will adding a new bus to cover an elementary route and a middle/high school run. Notices are being sent out to announce the new bus route/schedule.

The increased cost to add the bus to these routes would be about $45,000 and is funded entirely within the increased fees that came with the increased ridership.

Ed Cafasso calls it the "Shreve Crump & Low effect" (after the Superintendent Ogden coined "Family Circle effect" to account for the school enrollment increase of 100 students).

The 20% increase in ridership may be due to saving time from sitting and waiting, avoiding the waiting lines in the school, saving on the additional gas prices...

Franklin School: Keller Kindergarten Class Size

Keller has five kindergartens and the enrollment still exceeds the School Committee guidelines (some classes with 24 when the recommendation is 21).

The considered adding a six class but there are only five rooms currently sized for kindergarten. The recommended action is to add an ESP to assist in managing the kindergarten classrooms.

The proposal is to add the ESP now, and consider adding a sixth 1st grade next year to reduce the class size.

The additional funding for the ESP would come from the extra revenue that was received with the increase in school choice students accepted. Some of the money has already been re-allocated for an additional fourth grade teacher to address class size issues at Keller also.

Bottomline: as Odgen just mentioned, this is really an effect of the $2 million dollars missing from this years budget. It is an acceptable solution but Odgen avoided saying a "good" solution.

Result: Motion to increase one ESP using the revenue mentioned was approved.