"we're going in the wrong direction"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Jun 12, 2008 @ 01:36 AM

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FRANKLIN —

Now that the $2.8 million Proposition 2 1/2 tax override has failed, school administrators are bracing for the aftermath: mediating larger enrollment with fewer teachers, the loss of valued teachers, and a blow to morale.

"It was a tough night, and a very tough morning (Wednesday). I have some very emotional staff members. They love this place," said Franklin High School Principal Pamela Gould.

"The top concern I have is kids, the education they get. I worry about the repercussions this will have on them down the road. I worry about my staff finding jobs. As a new principal in town, I worry about the statement the town just made about the value of education. But, they made their statement," Gould said.

Layoffs are now official for the 47 teachers whom administrators notified would not have a contract in May, said Assistant Superintendent of Schools Maureen Sabolinkski.

"Those cuts we'd been discussing will all be implemented, sad to say. The ultimate impact is larger class sizes across the district and reductions in programs," she said.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

About time....

By Staff reports

Milford Daily News

Posted Jun 11, 2008 @ 10:20 AM

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You must now register to comment on our stories.

Readers have been able to comment on stories on our site since October of last year. That feature has sparked some lively debate and allowed greater interaction with our readers – and they with each other – that we welcomed. The feature has also generated some irrational and ugly nastiness. We let the conversations flow pretty freely for the most part – we allowed folks to post anonymously, we moderated with a light hand and left shutting off comments completely as a last resort.

As time has gone on, however, the need to more closely manage comments and commenters has grown. The new registration requirement is simple for users, but will give us more ability to manage comments and keep the conversation civil.

Read the full story here

Note: this applies to both the Franklin Gazette and Milford Daily News.

I took this step some time ago and have not regretted it. My email (shersteve at gmail dot com) is available for anyone who wants to have a civil conversation and does not have either a Blogger or OpenID.

In the News - "you do make a difference in people's lives"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Jun 11, 2008 @ 12:46 AM

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FRANKLIN —

Just as Franklin High School Principal Pamela Gould finished praising Assistant Principal Tamatha Bibbo for her work in preventing students from dropping out - at times by literally going to their homes and returning them to school, or taking them to a store to buy them clothes - School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy looked down at his cell phone and went a little pale.

He got the news via text message: The override failed by 888 votes, he announced.

After Gould and Bibbo wrapped up their presentation on preventing dropouts at the high school, Roy told them some townspeople may have been critical of school employees leading up to the override, but their dedication and successes with students are noticed by the School Committee.

read the full story in the Milford Daily News here

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By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Jun 11, 2008 @ 12:44 AM

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FRANKLIN —

Townspeople yesterday rejected a $2.8 million Proposition 2 1/2 tax override by 888 votes with many saying they just could not afford the tax hike.

The vote was 4,294 to 3,402, with 55.8 percent voting against it, said Town Clerk Deborah Pellegri.

The failure of the override is expected to lead to laying off 47 teachers, as well as administrators, elimination of the late bus, an increase in the pay-to-ride bus fee by $100, and the elimination of 24 classes at the high school, among other changes, according to a plan presented by Superintendent Wayne Ogden.

Last year, the town approved a $2.7 million override, also mainly to offset school costs.

Joyce Nash, a senior citizen, said she voted no, even though she is a retired teacher and still substitutes.

She voted for it last year, but simply cannot afford another one, she said.

Read the full story in the Milford Daily News here

"diminished levels of student performance"

I want to thank the voters of Franklin who supported the $2.8 million override for our school system. Your positive vote during difficult times is a true affirmation of the work we do. I also want to recognize Councilors Shannon Zollo and Steve Whalen, Finance Committee member Jim Roche and the School Committee members who spent untold hours educating the community on the need for the override.

Unfortunately, I have failed the students and teachers of the Franklin Public Schools by not securing sufficient support for the override. I am very sorry not to be able to deliver to you the financial support that you rightly deserve. I take full responsibility for this failure.

Despite this regrettable defeat, we will enthusiastically reopen doors next fall. We will welcome the children of Franklin back to school and our teachers and administrators will work tirelessly to make the 2008-2009 school year a success for every one of our 6,254 students. However, the voters of Franklin should be aware that the potential consequences of continuing below average spending on our schools children will include diminished levels of student performance and increased rates of students leaving our schools without graduating. When this occurs, it will have a negative impact on home values and the quality of life in Franklin.

Superintendent Wayne Ogden

"Either we heal as a town or we’re going to crumble"

From Al Pacino's character in Any Given Sunday:

Either we heal as a town or we’re going to crumble;
inch by inch, play by play, until we’re finished. *

As seen in this YouTube clip (caution language)




Thanks to Bruce at Customer Experience Matters for the link.

* yes, I changed one word, from team to town for emphasis.

Franklin Override Vote - Difference this year vs. last

Franklin Override June 10, 2008						Difference this year versus last
Precinct	Blanks	Yes	No	Totals		Total	No	Yes
1	0	388	538	926		-104	84	-187
2	1	380	532	913		-155	57	-212
3	0	226	653	879		-87	78	-162
4	0	568	561	1129		-102	109	-210
5	0	355	471	826		-141	56	-196
6	0	343	553	896		-99	81	-179
7	0	637	460	1097		-234	65	-299
8	0	505	522	1027		-144	38	-181
Totals	1	3,402	4,290	7,693		-1066	568	-1626
	0.01%	44.2%	55.8%

live reporting -

Kudos to the Oak Street 4th graders who helped filled luminaries for the walk last weekend

Ogden won't get real accurate numbers on enrollment until September

Sue - will make most efficient use of our dollars as we can, don't walk away thinking that the problem is solved until next year when they ask for more. There is a whole lot of work to be done by multiple parties.

Matt - Brick celebrated the 175th anniversary, approximately 1000 folks showed up.

Brick School Open House Friday from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Ogden reads his statement (full text to follow)