No teachers or students should report on Tuesday, September 2.
NO SCHOOL - Tuesday, September 2
- Horace Mann Middle School
- Oak Street Elementary School
- Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC)
Monday, September 1, 2008
No School for Horace Mann, Oak St, or ECDC on 9/2/08
Just received an automated message via the new town system alerting us to a "mechanical failure" at the Horace Mann, Oak Street and ECDC complex which will cause there to be no school on Tuesday, September 2.
No teachers or students should report on Tuesday, September 2.
No teachers or students should report on Tuesday, September 2.
Ed Cafasso Letter - Part 1
Hello everyone!
I hope you are enjoying the long holiday weekend. As we begin the 2008-09 school year in Franklin, I want to share you with some objective facts about the state of your schools.
The first section of the report below provides a summary of academic performance in Franklin as of today. A second section summarizes the financial performance of the school district based on the most recent data available.
To me, as a parent, a citizen and a member of the School Committee, this data demonstrates that, up to now, the Franklin Public Schools have been high performing academically and have used taxpayer resources in a highly efficient manner to produce those results. How long can it continue? That’s the big question. You be the judge.
Academic Performance
The Franklin Public Schools received four commendations in 2007-08 from the Office of Educational Quality Assurance (EQA) that directly affect and speak to student performance: High MCAS scores, curricular alignment with state frameworks, the district professional development program, and the mentoring program.
The district analysis of the 2007 MCAS data continues to identify the Franklin Public School System as a “high performance” district in all tests at all grade levels.
The complete MCAS report may be found on the Franklin Public Schools main web page at the following link: http://www.franklin.ma.us/auto/schools/FPS/instruct/MCAS/default.htm
In addition, the Franklin schools met the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standard for 2007 in both ELA and Mathematics. This is an important improvement indicator for Franklin and identifies the district as “No Status” for two years running. From 2003-2005, the district did not meet AYP (subgroups only). In 2006, the district made AYP and maintained this status for a second year (2007). This two-year performance has officially removed the Franklin Public Schools from the “Identified for Improvement – subgroups” status.
District and school NCLB Report Cards may be viewed on the Franklin Public Schools website at the following link:
http://www.franklin.ma.us/auto/schools/FPS/instruct/nclbrptcd/default.htm
At Franklin High School, the graduation rate for the Class of 2008 was 98.7%. Of the graduates, 73.1% chose to attend a public or private four-year college, and 15.4% chose to attend a public or private four-year college. Graduates chose to attend a wide range of well-known colleges or universities, including Boston College, Boston University, Bates, Brandeis, Dean College, Harvard, Hofstra, Northeastern, Providence, Syracuse, University of Pennsylvania, and U-Mass.
School Financial Performance
According to April 2008 data from Massachusetts Department of Education, Franklin spent $9,586 per pupil. (This data is for the 2006-07 academic year, the most recent calculated by the state.)
Fifty-one (51) school districts spent less per pupil than Franklin, and 277 spent more per pupil than Franklin. In other words, 84% of the school districts in the state spent more per pupil than Franklin. The average per pupil expenditure among school districts in Massachusetts stood at $11,859, which was $2,273 more than Franklin’s.
The average teacher salary in Franklin stood at $56,366, according to the DOE data. Statewide, the average teacher salary was $58,257.
Franklin’s budget for fiscal year 2009 is approximately $88 million. The school budget for the current academic year is $49.9 million, approximately $3 million less than the amount required to maintain the same level of service as last year. The town budget is funded largely by two key revenue streams – property taxes, which provide $48.8 million or 55% of the total, and state and local aid, which provides $33.5 million or about 38% of the total.
Chapter 70 education aid accounts for the vast majority of the state aid distributed to Franklin and totals $28.7 million in the current fiscal year. Almost 58% of the budget of Franklin Public Schools is paid for through Chapter 70 funds.
Enjoy the weekend! I plan to e-mail a second school update tomorrow evening.
These e-mails are provided as a constituent service. If you are receiving duplicates or if you no longer wish to receive these updates, please let me know. If you know of someone you would like to add to the distribution list, please send along their email address. Thanks!
Ed Cafasso, Member
Franklin School Committee
I hope you are enjoying the long holiday weekend. As we begin the 2008-09 school year in Franklin, I want to share you with some objective facts about the state of your schools.
The first section of the report below provides a summary of academic performance in Franklin as of today. A second section summarizes the financial performance of the school district based on the most recent data available.
To me, as a parent, a citizen and a member of the School Committee, this data demonstrates that, up to now, the Franklin Public Schools have been high performing academically and have used taxpayer resources in a highly efficient manner to produce those results. How long can it continue? That’s the big question. You be the judge.
Academic Performance
The Franklin Public Schools received four commendations in 2007-08 from the Office of Educational Quality Assurance (EQA) that directly affect and speak to student performance: High MCAS scores, curricular alignment with state frameworks, the district professional development program, and the mentoring program.
The district analysis of the 2007 MCAS data continues to identify the Franklin Public School System as a “high performance” district in all tests at all grade levels.
- All students continue to outperform the state averages on the same tests in English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science/Technology Engineering (STE).
- All 17 tests, including three Long Composition tests, given in Grades 4, 7, and 10 scored a “High” (80-89.9) or “Very High” (90-100) performance rating.
- MCAS 2007 included, for the first time, the addition of a science competency test at the high school. Students in the class of 2010 must pass a STE test to graduate. The district identified Biology as the test of choice since Biology is a requirement for graduation. The 2007 Grade 9 Biology CPI was 96.7 (Very High), outperforming the state by two performance ratings.
- All Special Education subgroups in Grades 3-10 achieved a higher proficiency index than state subgroups in each of the subject tests.
- All Low Income subgroups achieved higher proficiency indices (PI) than the state subgroups in each tested area with the exception of Grade 7 ELA, which scored equal to that of the state subgroup, and Grade 8 Math, which came in at 3 PI points below that of the state subgroup.
- When compared with 28 top-performing districts in the state by AYP grade levels (3-5, 6-8, 9-12), Franklin outperformed 14 districts in one or more of these AYP reporting categories.
- At the high school, 105 students were awarded the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship based on their Grade 10 MCAS performance. Students qualified for this scholarship by scoring: (a) in the Advanced category in English Language Arts or Mathematics and Advanced or Proficient in the other subject area on the grade 10 MCAS assessments; and, (b) in the top 25% of the students in the district on these tests.
The complete MCAS report may be found on the Franklin Public Schools main web page at the following link: http://www.franklin.ma.us/auto/schools/FPS/instruct/MCAS/default.htm
In addition, the Franklin schools met the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standard for 2007 in both ELA and Mathematics. This is an important improvement indicator for Franklin and identifies the district as “No Status” for two years running. From 2003-2005, the district did not meet AYP (subgroups only). In 2006, the district made AYP and maintained this status for a second year (2007). This two-year performance has officially removed the Franklin Public Schools from the “Identified for Improvement – subgroups” status.
District and school NCLB Report Cards may be viewed on the Franklin Public Schools website at the following link:
http://www.franklin.ma.us/auto/schools/FPS/instruct/nclbrptcd/default.htm
At Franklin High School, the graduation rate for the Class of 2008 was 98.7%. Of the graduates, 73.1% chose to attend a public or private four-year college, and 15.4% chose to attend a public or private four-year college. Graduates chose to attend a wide range of well-known colleges or universities, including Boston College, Boston University, Bates, Brandeis, Dean College, Harvard, Hofstra, Northeastern, Providence, Syracuse, University of Pennsylvania, and U-Mass.
School Financial Performance
According to April 2008 data from Massachusetts Department of Education, Franklin spent $9,586 per pupil. (This data is for the 2006-07 academic year, the most recent calculated by the state.)
Fifty-one (51) school districts spent less per pupil than Franklin, and 277 spent more per pupil than Franklin. In other words, 84% of the school districts in the state spent more per pupil than Franklin. The average per pupil expenditure among school districts in Massachusetts stood at $11,859, which was $2,273 more than Franklin’s.
- Franklin spent $201 per pupil on school administration. The state average was $401
- Franklin spent $480 per pupil on instructional leadership. The state average was $770.
- Franklin spent $4,718 per pupil on classroom and specialist teachers. The state average was $4,513.
- Franklin spent $90 per pupil on professional development. The state average was $222.
- Franklin spent $190 per pupil on instructional materials, equipment and technology. The state average was $356.
- Franklin spent $213 per pupil on guidance and counseling. The state average was $328.
- Franklin spent $862 per pupil on pupil services. The state average was $1,081.
- Franklin spent $923 per pupil on operations and maintenance. The state average was $1,041.
- Franklin spent $908 per pupil on insurance and retirement programs. The state average was $1,929.
The average teacher salary in Franklin stood at $56,366, according to the DOE data. Statewide, the average teacher salary was $58,257.
Franklin’s budget for fiscal year 2009 is approximately $88 million. The school budget for the current academic year is $49.9 million, approximately $3 million less than the amount required to maintain the same level of service as last year. The town budget is funded largely by two key revenue streams – property taxes, which provide $48.8 million or 55% of the total, and state and local aid, which provides $33.5 million or about 38% of the total.
Chapter 70 education aid accounts for the vast majority of the state aid distributed to Franklin and totals $28.7 million in the current fiscal year. Almost 58% of the budget of Franklin Public Schools is paid for through Chapter 70 funds.
Enjoy the weekend! I plan to e-mail a second school update tomorrow evening.
These e-mails are provided as a constituent service. If you are receiving duplicates or if you no longer wish to receive these updates, please let me know. If you know of someone you would like to add to the distribution list, please send along their email address. Thanks!
Ed Cafasso, Member
Franklin School Committee
"You forget everything around you"
GHS
FRANKLIN —
Turning 37 years old isn't a milestone for most people, but for Babe, a beautiful white Appaloosan horse, it's close to a miracle and reason for her loved ones to celebrate.
In human years, Babe would be about 148 years old, estimated Cathie LaBastie, who owns and runs the property at 469 Maple St. with her husband, Steve LaBastie.
Cathie LaBastie said for a horse to be considered old 15 years ago "was to live to the early 20s. Now, old is 32 maybe."
Horses live longer today thanks to improvements in medical care and feed, she said.
Babe's long life is credited to Holliston resident Julie Mahoney, who has cared for the horse over the past 16 years.
And Babe has played an equally vital role in her owner's life, said Mahoney, who wants to pay tribute to her "faithful companion" before her 37th birthday next March.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily New here
Sunday, August 31, 2008
"I would say the response has been very positive"
MetroWest Daily News
From the outside, they looked like any other assortment of little old ladies.
Moments after I walked into the Sunshine Club at Franklin's Senior Center, Lena Vitti filled me in on the rules: "You have to smile to come in the door."
Little did I know I was stepping into the lion's den.
I'd gone to Franklin to take on Vitti and a handful of other seniors in a game of what's become the hottest must-have item at area senior centers - Wii bowling.
Sure, I was a Wii newbie - the closest I'd come to using the video game system was a display at Best Buy, but being in my early 30s, and part of the generation that grew up with video games, I went in feeling pretty confident.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
In the Globe - Ogden resigns
By Rachel Lebeaux Globe Correspondent / August 31, 2008
Franklin's superintendent of schools submitted his resignation Tuesday night, citing layoffs in the wake of voters turning down a tax increase as the deciding factor.
"I came to Franklin in May 2006 to help move the public schools from good to great. Instead, we are beginning another academic year moving in the opposite direction," Superintendent Wayne Ogden wrote in his resignation letter to the School Committee. "We will start the 2008-2009 school year with 180 more students than when I arrived, and a budget that is several million dollars short of keeping pace with this growth."
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Do you believe?
This is quite an inspirational performance from a student in Dallas; Dalton Sherman.
As you review this, translate the questions he asks to put Franklin in place of Dallas.
Do you believe in Franklin?
Do you believe in getting the best for Franklin's students?
If you do, then the time for action has never been more so than now. Don't just wait for an election.
Supt Ogden's resignation should be a wake up call for Franklin.
Let's stop being so immature and grow up.
We can not continue to live with a small town mentality.
The world has changed enormously in the last 30 years.
The choice is before us. Do you believe in Franklin?
What are you going to do about it?
As you review this, translate the questions he asks to put Franklin in place of Dallas.
Do you believe in Franklin?
Do you believe in getting the best for Franklin's students?
If you do, then the time for action has never been more so than now. Don't just wait for an election.
- Show up in person at School Committee meetings
- Show up in person at Town Council meetings
- Get the Financial Planning Committee to get the plan together to figure out how we are going to sufficiently afford supporting our beliefs
Supt Ogden's resignation should be a wake up call for Franklin.
Let's stop being so immature and grow up.
We can not continue to live with a small town mentality.
The world has changed enormously in the last 30 years.
The choice is before us. Do you believe in Franklin?
What are you going to do about it?
It 's official - "It’s the perfect combination"
GateHouse News Service
FRANKLIN —
Community Web site specialist AmericanTowns.com and government Web site provider Virtual Town Hall has announced that the town of Franklin, Massachusetts has contracted with them to serve as its principal source of community information and to host its municipal Web site, respectively.
AmericanTowns.com will now provide a hyper-local platform where residents and organizations of Franklin can find and share the best local information about their community, including a unified calendar of events; announcements by and links to local organizations; and local services and resources. Virtual Town Hall, one of the major national providers of online services to city, town and county municipalitie, is now host to Franklin’s Web site.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here.
Listen to the podcast where I discovered the local site had moved to AmericanTowns here.
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