"thought that I better get out just in case"

By Krista Perry/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Mar 25, 2009 @ 11:48 PM

Last update Mar 25, 2009 @ 11:54 PM

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FRANKLIN —

The boiler room of Franklin Paint Co., at 259 Cottage St., suffered structural damage when it caught on fire at about 1:30 p.m. yesterday, said Fire Chief Gary McCarraher. No one was hurt.

The fire was quickly contained, though firefighters tore at the building from the roof to ventilate it and check for fire inside the walls, McCarraher said.

The fire appeared to be accidental, McCarraher said. It broke out after some employees were doing work in the boiler room. The fire was under control about half an hour later, he said.

"Raw materials in the boiler room caught on fire and damage spread to the roof," McCarraher said. "The structure of the boiler room has a lot of damage, and there is light smoke damage throughout the room."

Read the full article about the fire in the Milford Daily News here

"asking employees to take the brunt from a lack of planning"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Mar 25, 2009 @ 10:22 PM

Last update Mar 26, 2009 @ 12:29 AM

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FRANKLIN —

Responding to the School Committee's plea for a salary freeze to save teachers' jobs, the head of the teachers' union is saying it's unlikely.

"I'm particularly concerned that they're looking at teachers to bail people out, because it's just such a tough place to be," said Franklin Education Association President Chandler Creedon, who is a school psychologist at Horace Mann Middle School.

The district is facing a worst-case scenario of a $2.9 million budget deficit.

Agreeing to freeze salaries will save $800,000 and only 15 or 16 teachers, Creedon said.

If everyone also stayed frozen in their lane and step, Creedon said, the town would save $1,760,000.

"I don't even want to consider the lane and step freeze," Creedon said.

Part of the reason teachers receive such pay increases is to offset the cost of obtaining a master's degree, which is required for educational licensure within five years of hire, he said.

The average teacher must invest $38,000 to keep their job, he said.

"We'd like to talk about options and not giving up a negotiated pay raise," Creedon said.

Read the full article about the complicated situation in the Milford Daily News here

"the situation got out of control"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Mar 26, 2009 @ 12:07 AM

Last update Mar 26, 2009 @ 12:26 AM

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FRANKLIN —

Police have charged a 17-year-old from Wrentham with raping a 17-year-old Franklin girl behind Town Hall earlier this month.

Following questioning on March 18, police charged Brian K. Poirier, of 510 Franklin St., Wrentham, a King Philip Regional High School student.

Police learned about the alleged rape when Franklin High School Assistant Principal Joseph DiLorenzo told Officer Donald MacLean on March 17 that the victim, a Franklin High student, needed to talk to him, MacLean wrote in the police report.

The girl told MacLean that Poirier, who worked with her, had been pursuing her via text messages. On March 6, she agreed to go with him to McDonald's during their work breaks around 7 p.m., MacLean said.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

State Education Mandates - Part 5

From time to time, particular around the budget period, reference is generally made to Franklin Public Schools having to support "unfunded mandates." I managed to find a listing of such compiled by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. This is Part 5 in the series:

Home Schooling

The district must monitor and document all home-schooled students. This includes identifying families and reviewing detailed home schooling plans for compliance with state guidelines. Though school districts are required to provide this oversight there are not funding or reporting requirements to or from the state.


MCAS Testing

MCAS testing is required annually in grades 3 through 10. Students must pass the grade 10 testing in math and English in order to graduate from high school. All students must be proficient in English/Math by 2014, requiring needed extra help and extra time on task to meet this goal. District must continually upgrade the curriculum to keep up with the testing.

• Districts must provide special tutoring for students who do not do well in the testing and must track and contact non-graduates if they fail MCAS. This requires guidance time and mailings.
• The costs for instructional time and funds associated with the preparation for, documentation for, administration of, and reporting about the multiple assessments in grades 3-10 are difficult to quantify.

The full listing is available here (DOC)

Hey Franklin, catch 'Guys and Dolls' 3/27-28

Hey Franklin catch 'Guys and Dolls' 3/27-28, originally uploaded by shersteve.

"That would be wonderful,"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Mar 25, 2009 @ 12:12 AM

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MEDWAY —

Medway Public Library is on the verge of certification, after being outside the Minuteman Library Network for nearly three years, said Robert Maier, director of the state's Board of Library Commissioners.

"Everything I've heard from (Medway Board of Library Trustees Chairwoman) Wendy Rowe suggests, if Town Meeting approves a (sufficient) budget, the library should be cued up to come back to the program and have certification," said Maier.

While there are three major requirements that Medway must meet to rejoin, the biggest variable is getting a qualified library director - and sharing Franklin's library Director Felicia Oti a few days a week will do the trick, he said.

Oti works a total of 35 hours per week in Franklin. If the sharing agreement goes forward, she will spend about 14 of those 35 hours in Medway. Oti's annual salary is about $80,000. Medway would cover about $32,000 of her salary, explained Rowe who is acting director of Medway library.

"If Medway makes an arrangement for a part-time director, that will meet the requirement of the (certification) program. ... It's my hope it works out that way for Medway, it's been a long time," Maier said.

Read the full article about the combination of the Franklin and Medway libraries in the Milford Daily News here

"Last night's proposals are not the final word"

By By Joyce Kelly, DAILY NEWS STAFF

GHS

Posted Mar 25, 2009 @ 12:32 AM

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FRANKLIN —

Faced with the prospect of cutting 62 jobs, the School Committee last night urged teachers and other staff to take a pay freeze that could save $1 million.

Reading from a prepared statement, School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy officially asked the 600-member Franklin Education Association to voluntarily take a pay freeze.

"Time is of the essence," Roy said.

Besides teachers, the association represents teachers aides, nurses, secretaries and van drivers.

Superintendent Wayne Ogden also appealed to residents to call state Rep. James Vallee, D-Franklin, and state Sen. Scott Brown, R-Wrentham, to pressure them to stop the state's supposed plan to renege on its offer of $448,381 in stimulus money to Franklin schools.

Read the full article about the budget cuts in the Milford Daily News here

You can also read the live reporting from the meeting summarized here

State Education Mandates - Part 4

From time to time, particular around the budget period, reference is generally made to Franklin Public Schools having to support "unfunded mandates." I managed to find a listing of such compiled by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. This is Part 4 in the series:

McKinney-Vento and Costs Associated with Homeless and Transient Students

This component of No Child Left Behind requires that schools accept any homeless student who wishes to attend the public school. In addition, McKinney-Vento requires the school district to transport any homeless students living in town to the schools in their old home district.


Services to English Language Learners

Provides required ELL services to all students who are not fluent in English. Specially certified teachers must provide this service. There are educational materials and testing costs associated with the ELL services that are provided.
• All classroom teachers who service ELL students in their classrooms must have ten hours of training each year until they fulfill a requirement of 50 hours of training.
• All communications that need to be sent to the homes of all students (not just ELL) whose parents do not speak English as their first language must be translated into their native languages.

• ELL training is required even when only one (1) student in the district is an ELL student.

• Districts are required to provide Sheltered English Immersion services for students whose first language is not English. Districts are responsible for developing procedural manuals, forms, parent outreach, interpreters, and translation of documents. Districts are also required to provide Sheltered English Immersion training in Categories 1, 2, 3, and 4 for all staff who work with English Language Learners. All levels and types of services as provided for English-speaking students must be provided for ELL students in their primary language. Every student whose first language is not English is required to be assessed, to determine language proficiency upon registration and admission to the public school; stages of language acquisition need to be determined in order to identify the level of services required for each student. Students must also be supported by staff members in order for them to participate in Massachusetts English Language Acquisition – Oral (MELA-O) and Massachusetts English Proficiency Assessment (MEPA) in reading and writing as well as the MCAS assessments.

The full listing is available here (DOC)

Kindergarten Information Night Schedule

FRANKLIN - Parents of children who will be attending kindergarten in the fall are invited to attend the Kindergarten Information Night at their particular school.

Following are the dates and times:

J.F. Kennedy Elementary, Wednesday, April 8, at 6:30 p.m.;
Parmenter Elementary, Tuesday, April 14, at 6:30;
Jefferson Elementary, Wednesday, April 15, at 6;
Helen Keller Elementary, Wednesday, April 15, at 6:30;
Davis Thayer Elementary, Thursday, April 16, at 6:30
Oak Street School, Wednesday, April 29, 6:30.

Originally posted online at WickedLocal/Franklin Gazette here

Franklin's Earth Day Celebration

Franklin's Earth Day Celebration
Saturday April 18th, 2009
Beaver Pond
Starts at 9:00 AM

Volunteer to clean up targeted areas and assist with planting flowers and shrubs around Franklin.

- Please bring your own water bottle.

- Please bring your own gloves and rakes.

- Community service certificates will be issued.

- T-shirts to the first 200 volunteers.

- Clean up goes to 1:00 PM


Get some Eco-Info at Beaver Pond:

- Water conservation kits and rain barrel display.

- Mercury thermometer exchange for digital thermometers.

- Recycling tips and composting information.

- Energy conservation tips.

- Much more ! ! !


You can register on the Town website here

School Committee Meeting 03/24/09

The collection of posts from the School Committee meeting held 3/24/09

• SchCom Letter to FEA

• Live reporting - closing
• live reporting - action items
• Live reporting - general Q&A
• Live reporting - High School
• Live reporting - Middle Schools
• Live reporting - Elementary Q&A
• Live reporting - Elementary schools
• Live reporting - FY 2010 overview
• Live reporting - FY 2010 Budget
• Live reporting - Strategic Planning update
• Live reporting - Capital projects at FHS
• Live reporting - presentations
• Live reporting - School Committee 3/24/09

• School Committee - 3/24/09 - Agenda

SchCom Letter to FEA

The letter as read by School Committee Chair Jeffrey Roy during the meeting 3/24/09:

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

Live reporting - closing

nothing else on the agenda was needed, they are going into Executive Session on one matter not to return.

live reporting - action items

4. Action Items

1. I recommend approval of the remington recurring field trip to Providence Place Mall for Remington Middle School students as detailed. Approved 7-0
   
2. I recommend approval of the Budget Transfers as detailed. Approved 7-0
3. I recommend acceptance of a check for $136.67 from Target’s Take Charge of Education program for Horace Mann Middle School’s in-house enrichment. Approved 7-0
4. I recommend acceptance of a check for $188.30 from Target’s Take Charge of Education program for Annie Sullivan Middle School’s gift account. Approved 7-0
5. I recommend acceptance of a check for $107.18 from Target’s Take Charge of Education program for Remington Middle School’s scholarship fund. Approved 7-0
6. I recommend acceptance of a check for $3,600.00 from the Parmenter PCC for the following field trips: Gr. 2 - Stony Brook; Gr. 3 – Plimoth Plantation; Gr. 4 – Museum of Science; and Gr. 5 – Freedom Trail. Approved 7-0
7. I recommend approval of the FHS Girl’s Lacrosse Team recurring field trip to Guilford, CT for a Scrimmage and Dinner on April 4-5, 2009. Approved 7-0
8. I recommend preliminary approval of the FHS Track Team’s trip to Philadelphia, PA/Mt. Laurel, NJ on April 22-24, 2009 for the Penn Relay track meet if they qualify for the event. Approved 7-0
9. I recommend acceptance of the donation of 50 disposable cameras from CVS for the Davis Thayer 5th grade graduating class. Approved 7-0

Live reporting - general Q&A

Trahan - To summarize, the time line is still unclear, how the revenue will be distributed amongst the Town departments is still unclear? And you mentioned the survey amongst the high school teachers, so have others been duly involved, informed, etc.

Ogden - yes, the principals have been talking with them, Maureen and I are also cycling around to the schools and PCC's.

Armenio - I am worried about "finding money". These stimulus funds are one time funds, they are not in the revenue base.

Ogden - yes, the Federal stimulus is two years, the state portion is coming, the answer as to whether it deducts from Chap 70 or not is unknown.

Ogden - the late bus is not in this budget

Sabolinski - we stopped protecting class size about two years ago, the educational gaps are growing, the last bastion of curriculum and instructional support is within the elementary level. There is no district wide instructional support.

Ogden - this is totally new and potentially devastating to the budget (covering for the unemployment within the school budget), it spirals down a hole

Cafasso - I am not convinced about the half day kindergarten. In order to keep class sizes reasonable (albeit high) we have to short change the kids in their initial year? I am not convinced of it at this point. I am not convinced that a school closure and a re-districting might not be a solution.

Mullen - we haven't had the conversation yet about what are the "sacred cows"? We still need to discuss those things. You haven't made the asst superintendent change and that is not in the presentation but should be.

Ogden - the vendor has offered a package that would cost the district $250,000 less if we did several things, 1 - larger co-pay for tier 1 and 2 drugs, 2 - some doctor visits.

Sabolinski - we also got a reduction as our claims were down. We have a healthy group.

Mullen - can you look at the high school fees?

Light - we are still in discussion on this, I think it would double the fees for sports. There would also be a simialr increase in activity fees.

Slight - we are $125/sport. Doubling would be $250. Compared to other towns, Canton for example is $350, we are lower.

Roy - I want to guauge the committee's feeling on fees? I would like to keep an open mind on fees. Other consessions might be out there.

Roy reads a letter to the school teachers union president: a copy of this will be made available later. Formally asking the union for a wage freeze, the freeze would be applied to saving teachers.