Showing posts with label teacher. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teacher. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

2 FHS teachers on the joy of teaching & the hard things about budget issues (audio)

FM #1401 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1401 in the series. 


This session of the radio show shares the audio recording of my conversation with Leah Wahrhaftig-Jeri and Katherine Kellett, both teachers at Franklin High School. We had our conversation at the Franklin TV Studio on Monday, March  3, 2025.  


Katherine Kellett, Teacher - English

Leah Wahrhaftig-Jeri, Teacher - World Language


  • We cover their road to Franklin and FHS

  • We talk about the joy in teaching

  • And the issues faced with continued budget cuts

    • Only one language to be offered at the middle school

    • Reduces the total of language classes High School graduates can carry forward to college

    • Text book & curriculum cuts challenge the appropriate delivery of curriculum

    • Loss of shared intellectual capital with colleagues cut due to budget

    • Language lab is a resource heavily utilized and will no longer available (per budget)

    • Struggle to attract and retain substitute teachers

    • Ripple effects for curriculum coverage that is lost and how that affects students and the next year’s teachers for that subject


The recording runs about 40 minutes, so let’s listen to my conversation with Leah and Katherine on teaching in challenging budget times


Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1401-2-franklin-high-school-teachers-03-03-25/



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Franklin High School page -> https://www.franklinps.net/o/fhs 


Franklin School District budget page -> FY 2026 https://www.franklinps.net/documents/about-us/school-district-budget/fy2026-budget/728831 


Joint budget listening sessions archive -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/02/joint-budget-listening-sessions-fy-2026.html 



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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.  


This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

 

How can you help?

  • If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

  • If you don't like something here, please let me know

  • And if you have interest in reporting on meetings or events, please reach out. We’ll share and show you what and how we do what we do


Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.


For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news/


If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com


The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.


I hope you enjoy!

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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"


A couple of Ben Franklin's gift books to the Town
A couple of Ben Franklin's gift books to the Town

Sunday, February 16, 2025

Voices of Franklin: Asks why we are telling students that "they are far less important than the bottom line?"

I’m Helen Hoffenberg and I have been an educator in Franklin for the last 18 years teaching English at FHS

I’ve worked under 6 different department heads, 5 different principals, 5 different superintendents and with dozens of amazing colleagues that have since left our community. Although the insane turnover rate of highly qualified teachers is an important discussion point, I’m going to use this moment to talk about the Franklin Arts Academy- an amazing program that is currently being phased out due to budget cuts. 

Fifteen years ago I helped create this program that aims to teach core subjects like English, History, and Science to brilliant and creative students. Actually, they are artists, and they have thrived in this program for 15 years. 

Unfortunately, this group of often marginalized students will no longer have a specific space that helps them foster and apply these important critical and creative skills to the content, further putting them at a disadvantage. 

Ironically, my current FAA class sizes fall within the 18-22 students recommended by the School Committee while my English 11 Honors classes have 25 or more students in each class.  The FAA program has been paramount in distinguishing FHS as a progressive school that cares about all students and all learning styles.

In fact, ten years ago we applauded the FAA during a NEASC visit yet here we are phasing out the program and, essentially, those students, telling them that they are far less important than the bottom line. 

Helen Hoffenberg 
FHS English Teacher


Guidelines for your submission

Voices of Franklin:  Asks why we are telling students that "they are far less important than the bottom line?"
Voices of Franklin:  Asks why we are telling students that "they are far less important than the bottom line?"

Friday, February 14, 2025

Voices of Franklin: The impact of school budget cuts

My name is Katherine Kellett, and I am an English Teacher at Franklin High School.


Thank you, Superintendent Giguere and School Committee Chair Callaghan for giving educators the opportunity to share our thoughts and perspectives tonight. We especially appreciate the opportunity to speak early in the evening so that we don’t have to stay up too much past our bedtimes.


We are here tonight to talk to you and to the Franklin community about the impact of the budget cuts on educators and students over the past year. As educators, we come to this profession with a passion for helping students become the best versions of themselves. We want them to reach their potential and become thoughtful, productive, caring citizens of this world. We celebrate their successes with them, and we pick them up when they are in crisis.


However, the strain on resources in this community has affected our ability to educate in the fullest way we can. Over the last two years, we have lost over 50 educators, 20 of whom were given pink slips last week due to the reorganization. Let me give you an example from my experience.


In the English department at the high school, we have lost three teachers over the last two years. Their students have been distributed to the remaining English teachers, creating larger class sizes. I have four AP English Language sections this year, each with 25-26 students. This class size is up from 18-21 students last year. I have had to reduce the number of timed essays I assign because of the physical limitation on how much I can grade (and I am a fast grader!). 


Moreover, we have been told that without a significant reduction of paper usage, teachers may face a white paper freeze in the coming months. I teach a diverse group of students, many of whom struggle with impulse control, so to rely solely on screens and technology to deliver my instruction would mean that I am not meeting the needs of all students, a charge from the state that I take very seriously. 


Educating students is the most important–I would dare say sacred–responsibility that a community has. To do that, educators and students need adequate resources. The Town of Franklin must choose to fund schools adequately in order to maintain the standard of excellence that I and my colleagues hold dear. Franklin must prioritize student-facing positions above all else–that means teachers, counselors, speech and occupational therapists, psychologists, and nurses–as well as the physical resources–yes, including paper–that they need to succeed and reach their full potential.


I stand here tonight with many colleagues, who are eager to share their personal stories. Thank you again for your willingness to hear our voices as the town works to construct a budget for next year


Katherine Kellett
Franklin High School English Teacher


Guidelines for your submission

Voices of Franklin:  The impact of school budget cuts
Voices of Franklin:  The impact of school budget cuts

Sunday, June 30, 2024

FPS teacher percent salary increase over the contract years from 1999-2000 to 2024-2025

Shared from Al Charles, Franklin School Committee
"The image shows the yearly contract increases for the Franklin educators since 1999. 64% of the yearly increase was less than 2.5%. This includes years with a 0 or 0.5% increase.  
Over this duration the average increase was 2.23%. Without the 3 years with a 4% increase the average drops to 2.02%.  
Did the 4% improve the town budget concerns, no.  
Was it the primary driver of the town's financial problems, no. The "pie" is just not big enough."



Monday, May 6, 2024

Talking about Teaching & Education with FEA President Donna Grady (audio)

FM #1194 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1194 in the series. 


This session shares my conversation with Franklin Education Association (FEA) President Donna Grady. We recorded this talk in the Franklin TV Studios on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. 


The Franklin Education Association (FEA) is the union representing all the educational personnel in the Franklin School District. Donna is the unit president and has been for 8 years. She teaches kindergarten at Keller, previously Jefferson, and has been teaching for 35 years.


We talked about education today in the Franklin schools from elementary to middle school to high school. The nature and challenges of teaching our wonderful kiddos through the grade levels.


The recording runs about 55 minutes. Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1194-teaching-education-with-donna-grady-fea-president-04-3024



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Donna’s school contact info -> gradyd@franklinps.net 


Franklin Education Association web page -> https://franklin.massteacher.org/ 


-------------

We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial. 


This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.


How can you help?

  • If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

  • If you don't like something here, please let me know


Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.


For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/  or www.franklin.news 

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com


The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.


I hope you enjoy!

------------------


You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"


Talking about Teaching & Education with FEA President Donna Grady (audio)
Talking about Teaching & Education with FEA President Donna Grady (audio)

Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Franklin Public Schools: Employment Opportunities for ESP's, substitute teachers, & interventionists

Dear Franklin Public Schools Community!

Franklin Public Schools is seeking applicants for several positions, and we wanted to share those opportunities with you.  Please read below for more information on how you are someone you know could join our team!

Education Support Professionals (ESP's)

  • Provide student support in the classroom
  • Full workday aligns with the school schedule
  • Flexible workday options available
  • Compensation: Starting at $22.36/hour
  • Health/Dental insurance available (if working 20+ hours/week)

Daily Substitute Teachers

  • Ensure students receive the required instruction according to the curriculum
  • Make your own weekly schedule
  • Compensation: $118.75/day (with teaching license), $105.00/day (without teaching license)

Elementary Instructional Interventionist

  • Provide targeted instruction to students
  • 5 hours/day (approximate)
  • Compensation:  $26.52/hour
  • Health/Dental insurance available (if working 20+ hours/week)

Experience working with children or adolescents for all positions is preferred.  If you are interested in any of these positions, please visit https://www.franklinps.net/district/human-resources/pages/employment-opportunities

If you have questions about job qualifications, our competitive wages flexible scheduling, etc., please send an email to recruit@franklinps.net

 

Shared from -> https://www.franklinps.net/district/news/fps-employment-opportunities

Franklin Public Schools: Employment Opportunities for ESP's, substitute teachers, & interventionists
Franklin Public Schools: Employment Opportunities for ESP's, substitute teachers, & interventionists

Friday, August 18, 2023

Franklin Public Schools, MA: Now hiring for a variety of positions districtwide

FPS is hiring for a variety of positions districtwide.

We are seeking substitute teachers, adjustment counselors, educational support professionals and more.

View the full list of employment opportunities here: https://t.co/AXtem0Mwfn

Shared from ->  https://t.co/NMG2VxZi84


Franklin Public Schools, MA: Now hiring for a variety of positions districtwide
Franklin Public Schools, MA: Now hiring for a variety of positions districtwide

Monday, August 29, 2022

Dan Rather: Dear Teachers

You nurture the flames of democracy  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌
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Dear Teachers

You nurture the flames of democracy

Dan Rather: Dear Teachers

One of the great sadnesses of our current age is how politics has polluted so much of our public discourse and spread into realms that once seemed free of partisanship. That this occurs at a time when much of the Republican Party has adopted the posture of a bully and is gripped by extremist ideology and attacks on truth and justice makes it all the more dangerous and dispiriting. 

Perhaps nowhere is this more true than in the battlegrounds that our schools have become. We are living in an age when the number of books being banned is on the rise and the willingness to confront America's complicated history is on the decline. We see intolerance worn as a badge of toughness, while inclusion, the great promise of what public education can be, is treated as weakness. We see a concerted effort to take over school boards, especially in deeply conservative areas, with true believers in the culture wars eager to inflict their small-mindedness, bias, and mean-spirited ideology on shaping how young minds are taught. 

Teaching, already an underappreciated profession in this country, is becoming an even less appealing line of work. We have educators who have spent decades in the classroom now forced to look over their shoulders, wondering whether the books on their shelves or their carefully honed lesson plans will run afoul of the new draconian mandates. And we have young idealists with freshly minted teaching certificates wondering whether they can impart their excitement and new ideas into the students before them. 

Some of these concerns are not new. When I was a student, for example, racial injustice in the form of legally segregated schools was a hallmark of public education. Schools have always been shaped by the larger societal forces that whip around them. Public education is, after all, about molding the minds and the mores of future citizens. Few institutions have more power in determining what this country will become than our schools. 

But there have been decades of progress on what and how our children are taught, and today that wave of advancement is retreating in many parts of America. Sadly, there are so many examples of far-right ideology shaping curricula, on issues ranging from race to LGBTQ rights to science, that to call them all out individually is an impossible task. This is a broad movement not confined by school or district; much of the effort is being directed at the state level. 

Republican politicians have learned that they can rally their base through bad-faith misrepresentations of school culture, which they depict as out of control with so-called "woke" ideology (which we wrote about in Steady here) and the bogeyman of "critical race theory," which they totally mischaracterize — and which is taught in almost none of the schools where they have made it an issue. Nearly every parent wants good schools for their children, and Republicans are playing to fears they have carefully fanned to lure in voters even beyond their base. This was notably true in the last gubernatorial election in Virginia. Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has cultivated his political reputation (and a likely presidential run) by attacking professional educators — and indeed the very idea that schools should be welcoming, tolerant learning environments.

The elections that lie ahead — not only the big, marquee ones, but more importantly, those for school boards and other local offices — will do a lot to shape what will happen in our schools in the years to come. But there is another force that is even more powerful, and as we mark the beginning of a new school year, let us recognize it: teachers. 

While we should grapple with the political context laid out above, let us shift the tone of this piece now to one of celebration. Writing about teachers, singing their praises, honoring them as American heroes has long been one of my favorite activities. It never gets old, and it never gets less important. 

I would like to use whatever platform I have to shine a spotlight of deep respect on these invaluable public servants. And I am pleased that if you search for quotes from me online, one of the most popular is this:

"The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called 'truth.'"

I believe every word of it. These aren't empty sentiments. They come from my lived history. A while back here on Steady, I shared my own experiences as a student of public schools, including an emotional return to my elementary school in Houston

For all the challenges our schools face, right now millions of children are learning about the world and themselves thanks to dedicated teachers. Teachers are going the extra mile, reaching out to kids in need, tweaking lesson plans to include new insights, passing their own inspirations to the young people before them. 

The work is not easy — far from it. And it can be an incredible grind, especially when it seems that society doesn't value it or is even outright hostile to teachers. With this as a backdrop, it is understandable that many are choosing to leave the profession. This is not a reflection on them, but rather on the nation that is allowing it to happen. 

Teachers, you are our inspiration and our hope. You nurture the flames of our democracy. You literally save lives. You work miracles every day. Your resourcefulness, resilience, and creativity are boundless. We saw it during the heart of the pandemic. And we see it now. It is all the more reason you should not be taken for granted. 

Dear readers, how many of you can close your eyes and be transported to a classroom from your past? Do you see a favorite teacher? Hear that word of encouragement or hard truth that shaped the course of your life? Teachers are the winds that propel our children's sails forward. They are the North Stars that help guide us all. 

I apologize if this reads as a bit trite. I can imagine red ink on the page from some of my previous English teachers marking my excesses. Sadly, those teachers are all now long gone. But in me, as in my classmates, as in all of you, the work of our teachers lives on. 

We cannot thank our teachers enough. Each day the gifts they have given us are renewed. We should do everything we can to protect them and value them. A lot of this work must be done at the ballot box, but it can also be accomplished through words of encouragement and support. 

To all the teachers out there: thank you.

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© 2022 Dan Rather
548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104

Monday, February 14, 2022

"These roles will be critical in a time of recovery"

Brenda Cassellius, superintendent of Boston Public Schools writes:
"Last month, I returned to teaching in a classroom after two decades. As the superintendent of schools in Boston, I got a lot of media coverage for working as a fourth-grade substitute teacher at Nathan Hale Elementary School on a day when more than 1,000 Boston school employees called in sick. Yet I was just one of hundreds of district staffers who pitched in to help.

Like school districts and employers across industries, Boston Public Schools has faced intense staffing challenges for the better part of two years, challenges made worse by the pandemic.

Now, as we enter the pandemic’s third year, America’s public schools are at risk of defaulting on their moral obligation to millions of children. Teachers, aides, principals, bus drivers, school lunch workers, custodians and other school staff are leaving in droves or are out of service due to illness. A dearth of substitutes and backup workers means day-to-day decisions about whether a school can remain open are the norm."
Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/02/09/pandemic-teacher-burnout-hurts-kids/?s=03

National Guard Specialist Austin Alt fills in as a substitute teacher at Pojoaque Valley Middle School in Pojoaque, N.M., on Jan. 28. (Adria Malcolm/Reuters)
National Guard Specialist Austin Alt fills in as a substitute teacher at Pojoaque Valley Middle School in Pojoaque, N.M., on Jan. 28. (Adria Malcolm/Reuters)