Franklin Matters

Sunday, April 4, 2010

When was the last time you were called 'childish'?

In this delightful eight minute talk, Adora Svitak raises some good questions. Now, I have Peter Pan as one of my heroes (yes, I don't want to grow up) so this admittedly does appeal to me.

The reciprocal relationship I think is key. Dealing in an environment of mutual trust and understanding can generate wonderfulness. It starts with respect for the other. It deepens by listening to the other. Within the conversation, understanding can develop and enrich both sides. The 'power of we' can grow far greater than either one alone could have achieved.

What do you think?

Note: email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the video

Franklin, MA

Getting the adult's attention on education

Two opinion columns this weekend in the Boston Globe are providing some insight into why the "Race to the Top" application for MA was not chosen.

On Saturday, Derrick Jackson wrote:

At best, parents are lumped together among the many “stakeholders" who provide “letters of support" in the Race to the Top applications. Here at home, the 180-page Massachusetts application rarely mentions parents, even as it concedes that “strong parent and community engagement is a critical lever of school turnaround."

The near-omission is shortsighted, especially because you know who will get the blame — from teachers, principals, and politicians — if the achievement gap fails to narrow. Those ignorant, uninvolved parents! Underscoring this mindset is President Obama himself, who in February boasted that he had not missed a parent-teacher conference and says, “I don’t care how poor you are, you can turn off the television set during the week."

Read the full article here

On Sunday, Andy Smarick wrote:

So how did the state still manage to place a discouraging 13th overall out of 16 finalists?

By coming in very last place in the application’s most important section: improving the teaching profession.

Read the full article here

These two groups of folks need to be active in the educational discussion.

Franklin, MA: Town Council - inside the agenda

If you have sometime today in and around your family activities, you should check out the full agenda document for this Wednesday's Town Council meeting. You can find the PDF for the document on the Town website here.

Items of interest

1 - the changes to the Charter (pages 25 - 29)
2 - Capital budget ($2,019,000) (page 30 - 40)

Happy Easter!

Two photos to share today. This one I snapped while on my long run for this week.

Where was this? It looks like a golf course. Actually it is on the former Putnam Investments property along Washington St.

I snapped this one in the backyard.

Most everything outside is still brown. The trees are beginning to bud some more advanced than the others. The daffodils provide a welcome sight. Spring is coming!

Enjoy the day folks!

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

Have you seen the Food Revolution? Quite impressive.

If Franklin matters, you can help

I believe Franklin matters, hence the name for this site. I have written of how the site came to be and how it is my public service effort here.

I am realizing that as much as I can do, there is still more to be done and hence can use some help.

If you believe that Franklin, MA matters
If you have some skill in writing
If you have a willingness to learn some Web 2.0 tools

I would like to expand the writers on this site.
I would like to include those who have answered Yes to the questions above and would be willing to help.

In particular, there are Planning Board, Conservation Commission, and Design Review meetings that would be good to attend and report on. I have focused on the Town Council, School Committee, Finance Committee and Financial Planning Committee to "follow the money". These other areas are important to cover and I can not do it all. Nor would I attempt to.

So if you are reading this, you already maybe someone who can help.

If you'd like to explore what this would mean (and what help/training I would provide) please let me know.

You can comment or send me an email at shersteve@gmail.com.

Thank you!