"optimistic the economy will rebound in three years"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Mar 09, 2009 @ 11:54 PM

---

FRANKLIN —

Developer John Marini will not be completing the final leg of his downtown project for at least three years because banks are refusing to finance the work, he told the Planning Board last night.

Instead of his original plan to demolish, rebuild, and sell 12-28 West Central St. this year, Marini said he will put $100,000 worth of repairs into the building and lease the spaces for a three-year period.

Marini blames his difficulties on the recession.

"I've been in this business 40 years, and I've never had things happen this way. It's impossible to get financing, it's impossible to get tenants, it's impossible to sell. It's just a crazy situation," Marini said.

Read the full article on the trouble delaying the downtown development in the Milford Daily News here.

Harlem Wizards vs. Sullivan Rockets

Anxious to get out of the house? Looking for a fun, affordable, local family activity? Want to get in the mood for March Madness?



The Harlem Wizards are coming to Franklin!

The Harlem Wizards, one of the greatest basketball show-team organizations to ever “lace it up and let’em fly”, will play our own Sullivan Rockets. This will be an entertaining night for kids of all ages (and adults too)!

Date:

Friday, March 13th, 2009, 7:00 PM
Doors Open 6:30, Game Time 7:00

Location:

Tri-County Regional High School
147 Pond St, Franklin MA

Tickets:

Click through to order form here on the Annie Sullivan PCC website

Contacts:

ayotte_k at verizon.net or erinclong at comcast.net

Sponsored By:

Annie Sullivan Middle School PCC
www.franklin.ma.us/auto/schools/sullivan/pcc

You may also order tickets online for a minimum fee:
www.harlemwizards.com

School Committee - Agenda - 3/10/09

1. Routine Business

• Citizen’s Comments
• Review of Agenda
• Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the February 24, 2009 School Committee Meeting.
• Payment of Bills - Mr. Kelly
• Payroll - Ms. Armenio
• FHS Student Representatives
• Correspondence:

1. Budget to Actual
2. Transfers

2. Guests/Presentations:

Rachel Porter – 100 points Girls Ice Hockey (with Peter Light)

HMMS – Math Counts Competition – Most Improved Team Certificates (Teacher/Coach: Andi Ridley)

• Askshat Agrawal
• Azmina Aysha
• Rachel Balon
• Sanjay Batchu
• Abhilahsa Boruah
• Ben Burke
• Rachita Chaudhury
• Brendan Lewis
• Ajey Pandey
• Nithya Sridhar

c. HMMS Enrichment Model Presentation

• Anne Bergen
• Rob Vacca
• Jacqui Berger
• Trich Metrick
• Bert Garr

3. Discussion Only Items

• FY 2010 Budget Matters
• Ten-Year Summary of Capitol Projects at FHS

4. Action Items

1. I recommend acceptance of a check for $3,000.00 from the Jefferson PCC for field trips for the Jefferson 1st grade to Southwick and the 5th grade to Freedom Trail.
2. I recommend approval of the FHS Art Department’s request for a field trip to NY Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 16, 2009 as detailed.
3. I recommend appointment of Sally Winslow to the position of Assistant Superintendent of Student Services effective July 1, 2009.
4. I recommend approval of the FHS’s request for a recurring field trip for 20 students to the University of New Hampshire on March 14, 2009 for their annual Jazz Festival on March 14, 2009 as detailed.
5. I recommend acceptance of a check for $501.02 from the FHS Class of 1942 for a scholarship for the FHS Class of 2009.
6. I recommend approval of the FHS recurring field trip to Providence Place Mall for Remington Middle School students as detailed.

5. Information Matters
• Superintendent’s Report

• Enrollment Comparison
• FY08 Per Pupil Expenditure Comparison to State Average
• FHS Building Projects

• School Committee Sub-Committee Reports
• School Committee Liaison Reports

6. New Business

• To discuss future business that may be brought before the School Committee.

7. Executive Session

• Contractual Negotiations

8. Adjourn

"Merging two positions seems efficient"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Mar 08, 2009 @ 09:06 PM

---

FRANKLIN —

She hasn't yet officially taken the reins from Superintendent Wayne Ogden, but Maureen Sabolinski is already making moves to save a top position without expanding the budget.

"Looking at the workload and budgetary needs, I opted to reorganize" a few roles, said Sabolinski, now assistant superintendent.

Sabolinski said she will continue her current duties, plus heap on the job of superintendent. She is also one of 51 school staff who volunteered to forgo a pay increase next year.

And in place of an assistant superintendent and a director of pupil personnel services, she created a new position, assistant superintendent for student services.

Read the full article about this change in the Milford Daily News here

Read the live reporting from the School Committee meeting held on Feb 24th here

helping people get together

A slide show following the social networking phenomenon ends up concluding that the networking tools available today are helping people get together. From my own use of the social media tools, I have learned enough about someone so that when I do meet them in person, the conversation doesn't have that expectant pause. After we have greeted each other, the question "where do we go from here?" doesn't come up. We are already deep into a conversation.

The Micro-Sociology of Networks

View more presentations from David Armano. (tags: behavior human)

Enjoy!


Thanks for the link to Education Innovation and in particular to Angela Maiers for the tweet tip.

consolidation was 'generally negative'

In these days of tight budgets and looking in all corners for opportunities, one area I think has some possibilities to explore is in the area of combining services. Mendon, Millville and Hopedale are exploring the combination of their dispatch services. According to this story in the Boston Globe today, one area that won't work is combining school districts.

But a wave of research from around the country shows that consolidation does not improve schools or lead to better academic results. Spending on education does not go down; indeed, budgets often balloon with increased transportation costs and more administrators to run enlarged districts. Consolidation leads to schools closing and to bigger schools, with less parental involvement and community participation. And, in many parts of the United States, it has led to children on unconscionable bus rides lasting several hours a day.

"There is either no advantage or actually a disadvantage to making these enormous uber-districts," says Andrew J. Coulson, director of the Center for Educational Freedom at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C., who has conducted two major studies on consolidation. "They just don't help kids."

Read the full story on the learning obtained from other states who tried combining school district in the Boston Globe article here

So my eyes will be turned to other areas.

"how far can you sacrifice before it doesn't make sense"

By Rachel Lebeaux Globe Correspondent / March 8, 2009

Officials in Franklin, Milford, and Holliston have offered to forgo raises to help close ballooning deficits as tax revenue and state aid to communities plummet. In some cases, administrators are hoping that unionized employees will follow suit.

But unions - particularly those representing school teachers, the largest group of municipal workers in most communities - might not be so quick to follow.

Read the full article on efforts to control budgets with salary freezes in the Boston Globe West section here