- I recommend approval of the remington recurring field trip to Providence Place Mall for Remington Middle School students as detailed. Approved 7-0
- I recommend approval of the Budget Transfers as detailed. Approved 7-0
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- I recommend acceptance of the donation of 50 disposable cameras from CVS for the Davis Thayer 5th grade graduating class. Approved 7-0
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
live reporting - action items
4. Action Items
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.
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.
Live reporting - High School
Peter Light, High School principal
Still referencing the presentation posted earlier here
Estimating an additional 92 students at the high school for next year
Science safety dictates 24 as class size, schedules were then worked to accomplish this
Net reduction of 17 staff at high school
4 support (1 asst principal, 1 guidance, 1 secretary, 1 librarian)
8 core academic
5 non-core
Avg class size grows to 47 and 45, numerically that is how it works out, we can't physically fit that many in a room
A reduction from 1017 hours of instructional time to 890 hours, which would be below the state requirements
Adverse impact of Scenario B, lowers the avg class size but increases the case load for a teacher up to 200!
Important slide maps the critical considerations according to this year and each of the scenarios, A and B
If we go with Scenario A, we would likely go from "warning" status to "probation".
Scenario A with 8 teachers added back...
Armenio - I can understand 30 elementary in a classroom, at the high school these are adult size bodies, where do they fit?
Light - not easily
Armenio - there is an issue at the high school with text books, with 92 coming in, where do we stand?
Ogden - we did put in requests for capital to purchase the additional books, per Jeff Nutting the Council will be acting on the capital requests shortly.
Cafasso - how does NEASC work with class size?
Ogden - NEASC doesn't get into the specifics, they are looking at the overall performance
Cafasso - I am struggling with some avg class sizes being lower at the high school than at the elementary level where they should be lower
Rohrbach - what is the avg class load for the high school?
Light - I believe it is 80-100 student class load
Mullen - Would you keep the three languages?
Light - yes, with either of these.
Cafasso - what if you did cut one language?
Light - that would affect anyone with the language requirement to go on to college.
Still referencing the presentation posted earlier here
Estimating an additional 92 students at the high school for next year
Science safety dictates 24 as class size, schedules were then worked to accomplish this
Net reduction of 17 staff at high school
4 support (1 asst principal, 1 guidance, 1 secretary, 1 librarian)
8 core academic
5 non-core
Avg class size grows to 47 and 45, numerically that is how it works out, we can't physically fit that many in a room
A reduction from 1017 hours of instructional time to 890 hours, which would be below the state requirements
Adverse impact of Scenario B, lowers the avg class size but increases the case load for a teacher up to 200!
Important slide maps the critical considerations according to this year and each of the scenarios, A and B
If we go with Scenario A, we would likely go from "warning" status to "probation".
Scenario A with 8 teachers added back...
Armenio - I can understand 30 elementary in a classroom, at the high school these are adult size bodies, where do they fit?
Light - not easily
Armenio - there is an issue at the high school with text books, with 92 coming in, where do we stand?
Ogden - we did put in requests for capital to purchase the additional books, per Jeff Nutting the Council will be acting on the capital requests shortly.
Cafasso - how does NEASC work with class size?
Ogden - NEASC doesn't get into the specifics, they are looking at the overall performance
Cafasso - I am struggling with some avg class sizes being lower at the high school than at the elementary level where they should be lower
Rohrbach - what is the avg class load for the high school?
Light - I believe it is 80-100 student class load
Mullen - Would you keep the three languages?
Light - yes, with either of these.
Cafasso - what if you did cut one language?
Light - that would affect anyone with the language requirement to go on to college.
Live reporting - Middle Schools
Library would be cut K-12
Many labs are not done this year at Annie Sullivan. 30 students in the lab does not create a safe environment for the lab to be conducted. This will spread to the other two middle schools with the increase in class sizes.
Math class size could be as high as 38!
Middle school is the foundation for the high school in math and science
The emotional needs of the 6th graders were considered. The effects are no less devastating across the school classes.
Between 0-3 years and between 11-14 years, the growth is critical.
Armenio - I did not understand case loads until about six weeks ago. If you are looking at an essay driven test or report, how long is that?
Ogden - for a 120 students, 10 minutes per student, would be 20 hours outside the classroom.
Armenio - without the proper feedback timing, the student would be continuing to make the mistakes.
Cafasso - foundational decision, with the cuts as they are, how were they allocated?
Ogden - 50% of the students are in the elementary by population, with the other 50% split between middle and high school.
Cafasso - no one wants to pit one level against another, how do we explain this?
Ogden - The worst scenario in the elementary school teacher would have 36 students to deal with, papers, etc. Compared to the middle school teacher with 120, and from 120-150 at the high school.
Cafasso - cuts were apportioned according to where the students are.
5 minute recess
Many labs are not done this year at Annie Sullivan. 30 students in the lab does not create a safe environment for the lab to be conducted. This will spread to the other two middle schools with the increase in class sizes.
Math class size could be as high as 38!
Middle school is the foundation for the high school in math and science
The emotional needs of the 6th graders were considered. The effects are no less devastating across the school classes.
Between 0-3 years and between 11-14 years, the growth is critical.
Armenio - I did not understand case loads until about six weeks ago. If you are looking at an essay driven test or report, how long is that?
Ogden - for a 120 students, 10 minutes per student, would be 20 hours outside the classroom.
Armenio - without the proper feedback timing, the student would be continuing to make the mistakes.
Cafasso - foundational decision, with the cuts as they are, how were they allocated?
Ogden - 50% of the students are in the elementary by population, with the other 50% split between middle and high school.
Cafasso - no one wants to pit one level against another, how do we explain this?
Ogden - The worst scenario in the elementary school teacher would have 36 students to deal with, papers, etc. Compared to the middle school teacher with 120, and from 120-150 at the high school.
Cafasso - cuts were apportioned according to where the students are.
5 minute recess
Live reporting - Elementary Q&A
Cafasso - from the enrollment numbers we see, I know how hard this would have been to figure out. The 30 reductions would be 25 teachers and 5 support.
Mullen - How many kindergarten teachers would be affected?
We would lose 9. With the 8 possible coming back, it would still be better to go with half day and improve the class sizes elsewhere in the elementary level.
Mullen - There is not a lot of items to play with at the elementary level. Teachers generally teach self contained, need prep time, etc.
Mullen - we haven't really talked about what are the "sacred cows"? We need to talk about where we want to invest the teachers back into the district.
Ogden - We did not proportion the addbacks. We targeted the two areas for reasons of class size.
Armenio - this is just devastating period. We haven't heard yet from the middle school and high school. If we go to half day, what does that do to preparation on the frameworks. We aren't teaching to the test but we do have MCAS to consider?
Kindergarten will only get half the material. Time in 1st grade would be spent going over material that could have been covered under the full day plan.
Ogden - Facilities is already visiting the classrooms to see how we could deconstruct to fit the amount of students into the classrooms. Computers, centers, etc would have to be moved out.
Goal is to reduce class size from K-5. The lower class size, the better academic success. Anything you see up there is higher than what we have seen this year.
Ogden - If the revenue picture improves, we can consider adding teachers back. This is the most dynamic budget we have worked with in years.
Rohrbach - if we add back the 8 positions, you're still recommending going with half day kindergarten. What would be the tipping point?
About in the 20's, you can't really teach 4th grade with 30 in the class.
Sabolinski - going to half day saves $700,000, closing Davis Thayer doesn't come close to that.
We don't want to do this (go to half day kindergarten).
Unemployment costs would be approx. $1.2 million. The Town may not cover that. We should be prepared to absorb that within the school budget.
This magnitude of cut would affect every teacher in their first three years and get significantly up into those with 4, 5 and 6 years of experience.
Mullen - How many kindergarten teachers would be affected?
We would lose 9. With the 8 possible coming back, it would still be better to go with half day and improve the class sizes elsewhere in the elementary level.
Mullen - There is not a lot of items to play with at the elementary level. Teachers generally teach self contained, need prep time, etc.
Mullen - we haven't really talked about what are the "sacred cows"? We need to talk about where we want to invest the teachers back into the district.
Ogden - We did not proportion the addbacks. We targeted the two areas for reasons of class size.
Armenio - this is just devastating period. We haven't heard yet from the middle school and high school. If we go to half day, what does that do to preparation on the frameworks. We aren't teaching to the test but we do have MCAS to consider?
Kindergarten will only get half the material. Time in 1st grade would be spent going over material that could have been covered under the full day plan.
Ogden - Facilities is already visiting the classrooms to see how we could deconstruct to fit the amount of students into the classrooms. Computers, centers, etc would have to be moved out.
Goal is to reduce class size from K-5. The lower class size, the better academic success. Anything you see up there is higher than what we have seen this year.
Ogden - If the revenue picture improves, we can consider adding teachers back. This is the most dynamic budget we have worked with in years.
Rohrbach - if we add back the 8 positions, you're still recommending going with half day kindergarten. What would be the tipping point?
About in the 20's, you can't really teach 4th grade with 30 in the class.
Sabolinski - going to half day saves $700,000, closing Davis Thayer doesn't come close to that.
We don't want to do this (go to half day kindergarten).
Unemployment costs would be approx. $1.2 million. The Town may not cover that. We should be prepared to absorb that within the school budget.
This magnitude of cut would affect every teacher in their first three years and get significantly up into those with 4, 5 and 6 years of experience.
Live reporting - Elementary schools
36 grade level configurations, six elementary schools, six grades at each school
Red indicates class size exceed the school committee guidelines; only five of the 36 would meet the guidelines
The high class sizes will be costly for academic success
To meet guidelines, needed to think out of the box, how? Change kindergarten from full time to half-day.
The second elementary slide shows how the nine kindergarten teachers would be re-positioned to help reduce the class sizes in the worse cases. This would still leave 24 classes with size exceeding guidelines.
Switching to half-day would be devastating, we have been a model district. Others in the state have visited us to see how it works.
This would also eliminate library across the elementary level!
No resources for library in this draft.
Would loose the kindergarten grant, associated aides, and loose of NAEYC accreditation.
If some of the million in additional funds came through, that would add 20 teachers to the district. 8 of those would be allocated to elementary, 8 to the high school and 4 to the middle schools.
The major update is going from full day to half day kindergarten!
Red indicates class size exceed the school committee guidelines; only five of the 36 would meet the guidelines
The high class sizes will be costly for academic success
To meet guidelines, needed to think out of the box, how? Change kindergarten from full time to half-day.
The second elementary slide shows how the nine kindergarten teachers would be re-positioned to help reduce the class sizes in the worse cases. This would still leave 24 classes with size exceeding guidelines.
Switching to half-day would be devastating, we have been a model district. Others in the state have visited us to see how it works.
This would also eliminate library across the elementary level!
No resources for library in this draft.
Would loose the kindergarten grant, associated aides, and loose of NAEYC accreditation.
If some of the million in additional funds came through, that would add 20 teachers to the district. 8 of those would be allocated to elementary, 8 to the high school and 4 to the middle schools.
The major update is going from full day to half day kindergarten!
Live reporting - FY 2010 overview
This is the text live reporting that accompanies the presentation just posted
Original cut of 3.5 now reduced to 2.9 million
Worse case scenario = 60 staff cuts (teachers, etc.)
Ogden says that there is a storm brewing at the State House, rumor today was that the Fed Stimulus dollars announced on Friday may be deducted from the Chap 70 funds which would leave us in a net zero position.
Other sources of revenue are still under discussion at the State level
Possible $250,000 if school employees agree to co-pay changes
School Committee class size guidelines are posted in the presentation for reference.
With the cuts, there will be some changes to these class sizes
Original cut of 3.5 now reduced to 2.9 million
Worse case scenario = 60 staff cuts (teachers, etc.)
Ogden says that there is a storm brewing at the State House, rumor today was that the Fed Stimulus dollars announced on Friday may be deducted from the Chap 70 funds which would leave us in a net zero position.
Other sources of revenue are still under discussion at the State level
Possible $250,000 if school employees agree to co-pay changes
School Committee class size guidelines are posted in the presentation for reference.
With the cuts, there will be some changes to these class sizes
Live reporting - FY 2010 Budget
Here is the document used in the presentation/discussion on the FY 2010 School Budget.
Franklin, MA District Budget 3/24/09
View more presentations from Steve Sherlock.
Live reporting - Strategic Planning update
- Maureen & Miriam – Strategic Planning Update
200 draft logos were initially created by students within the district. That total was whittled down to a couple of dozen that the high school students have then taken to create a digital version of the art. There are now 5-6 logos for the committee to select from.
Live reporting - Capital projects at FHS
3. Discussion Only Items
Mike is talking to the items on the listing above.
Lots of energy reductions in lighting and heating processed in last several years. The utility companies have contributed to those efforts.
Cafasso - When you look at the last five years other than the generator, there really hasn't been much done for the building itself. Can you explain why the Town has not invested in this period?
D'Angelo - When we got the capital in 2005 for what we did, we know that the school building projects were going to be started and pending what that was going to result in, we held off. If something could be replaced and saved in a renovation, we would do that. If something would not be recoverable, why spend money since we don't know whether there was going to be state funding and at what level.
In an unoccupied building, the renovations would take 2 years. In an occupied building like at King Phillip, they were there five years.
We are approaching the crossroads where the State is going to have to say something to us. If they don't, the Building Committee, School Committee and Town Council are going to make a decision.
- Budget to Actual - no questions, discussion
- Mike D’Angelo – Capital Projects at FHS
Mike is talking to the items on the listing above.
Lots of energy reductions in lighting and heating processed in last several years. The utility companies have contributed to those efforts.
Cafasso - When you look at the last five years other than the generator, there really hasn't been much done for the building itself. Can you explain why the Town has not invested in this period?
D'Angelo - When we got the capital in 2005 for what we did, we know that the school building projects were going to be started and pending what that was going to result in, we held off. If something could be replaced and saved in a renovation, we would do that. If something would not be recoverable, why spend money since we don't know whether there was going to be state funding and at what level.
In an unoccupied building, the renovations would take 2 years. In an occupied building like at King Phillip, they were there five years.
We are approaching the crossroads where the State is going to have to say something to us. If they don't, the Building Committee, School Committee and Town Council are going to make a decision.
Live reporting - presentations
2. Guests/Presentations
Certificates for Maddie Gordon and Jake Sargeant – ASMS 8th graders honored at MA Make A Difference award program for their volunteer work in Best Buddies.
Certificates for Maddie Gordon and Jake Sargeant – ASMS 8th graders honored at MA Make A Difference award program for their volunteer work in Best Buddies.
Live reporting - School Committee 3/24/09
Attending: Armenio, Cafasso, Kelly, Mullen, Roy, Rohrbach, Trahan
Missing: none
Call to order Mr. Roy
Pledge of Allegiance
Moment of Silence
1. Routine Business
Missing: none
Call to order Mr. Roy
Pledge of Allegiance
Moment of Silence
1. Routine Business
Citizen’s Comments
Review of Agenda
Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the March 10, 2009 School
Committee Meeting. motion to approve 6-0, passed, 1 abstention
Payment of Bills Mr. Kelly motion to approve, approved 7-0
Payroll Ms. Armenio
FHS Student Representatives
Correspondence: Letter from Mark Tiede & Melissa McCann
"the level of commitment to service, that's unquestioned"
GHS
FRANKLIN —
Franklin's library board of directors lauded Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting's proposal to share the town's library director with Medway to help both towns maintain services.
"If the right things happen, it could be good for both towns. Bottom line is, (we're concerned with) what's best for patrons," said Ken Weidemann, who resigned from his chairmanship last night because he will be moving out of town soon.
Weidemann noted that Franklin and Medway's agreement to share recreational resources seems to be working well, and the town should consider other, similar ventures to save services in a precarious economy.
Read the full article about the Franklin Library Board's view of the combination in hte Milford Daily News here
Nutting was "forward-thinking"
GHS
FRANKLIN —
Knowing that he's going to slash the library's budget by "hundreds of thousands of dollars" to preserve essential services, Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting said he is preparing to share Library Director Felicia Oti with Medway.
Nutting cannot say yet precisely how the budget reduction will impact library hours, services or employees, but it will be enough to necessitate combining resources, he said.
For now, Nutting and Medway officials are only discussing sharing Oti's services, splitting her hours between the two towns, 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 Medway Board of Library Trustees Chairwoman Wendy Rowe.
If Medway employs a part-time director (via Franklin or on their own), they would meet state certification requirements and receive their certification, Nutting said.
"Franklin's fate, with or without sharing the director's time, will be determined by our application for a waiver to the Mass. Library Commission," Nutting said. He said the only way Franklin can meet the Massachusetts Library Commission standard for certification would be to not cut library hours and increase the budget next year.
The waiver request is necessary, he said, because Franklin will not increase the library's budget, and the Franklin library will not be open the minimum 63 hours per week.
Read the full article about the proposed combination of Franklin and Medway's libraries in the Milford Daily News here
PodCamp Western Mass - March 28th - Holyoke
It's time to bring the PodCamp concept to Western Mass. We have a thriving community here of some truly amazing people. This is a chance for Western Mass bloggers, business people, artists, and academics, to get together, make connections, and for everyone to learn how social media can enhance their business, cause or organization. This is also a chance to celebrate the cornucopia of Western Mass. culture, a joyous blend of urban and rural; business, artistic and academic; near enough to other large metro areas, but small enough to hear yourself think.
When: Saturday, March 28, 2009
Where: Open Square in Holyoke, Second Floor
(Open Square is the mill building across the street from The Wherehouse. Entrance to parking is from either Lyman Street or Dwight Street. Open Square is located between the first and second level canals, which are bordered by Race St and Front St. The nearest entrance to the stairs and elevator is marked with a very large white "4".)
- Please use the tag PodCampWesternMass or hashtag #pcwm or #pcwm09 for content related to this event
Rough Schedule:
Looking to set up 3 breakouts for each session time after the Opening Remarks
8:30 to 9:00 - Welcome desk and coffee (?)
9:00 to 9:30 - Opening Remarks: Explanation of Unconference Format.
9:30 to 10:30 - Session 1
Break (1/2 hr.)
11:00 to Noon - Session 2
Noon to 2:00 - Lunch
2:00 to 3:00 - Session 3
Break (1/2 hr)
3:30 to 4:30 Session 4
4:30 to 5:00 Closing Remarks
You can register for PodCamp Western Mass here
------------
I will be traveling out to Holyoke to run the Welcome Desk, if anyone would like to join drive from Franklin with me, please let me know.
State Education Mandates - Part 3
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 3 in the series:
Transportation to School for the General Student PopulationThe full listing is available here (DOC)
Districts are required to provide transportation to all students in grades K through 6 who live two miles or more from the school. Regional districts receive transportation reimbursement for about 85% of these costs, but municipal school district aid was eliminated during lean budget years and has not been restored.
Administrative Mandates with Cost Implications
In addition to the 15 systems identified above, other mandates with cost implications include:
• Criminal records checks for all staff having unsupervised contact with students and other school employees.
• Emergency evacuation plans add training time, signs, posters and other means of alerting.
• Title I Requirements for costs associated with delivery of services and the reporting and documentation requirements often exceed funding.
• Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) training – requires that the district provide training for instructors who then instruct a majority of staff members in techniques to de-escalate student crises. Associated costs are incurred to hire substitutes for classes whose teachers are required to participate in training.
• Pre-school requirements – Districts must ensure that they provide integrated (ratio of regular and special education) settings for all students in accordance with the regulations of Early Education and Care. The requirements for assessment, evaluation, and provision of services are costly.
Industry: HR & Benefits Advisory Group
Always on the lookout for information on the companies doing business in Franklin, I find this press release announcing a new advisory group headquartered here.
New HR & Benefits Advisory Group to Help Employers Reduce Costs by Streamlining HR, Benefits and Payroll Processes
Newly-launched national organization of human resources and benefits advisors offers integrated local market expertise, technology services and outsourced solutions
Franklin, MA (PRWEB) March 23, 2009 -- The HR & Benefits Advisory Group (http://www.hrbagroup.com) (HRBA Group), a national group of affiliated independent Human Resources and Benefits Advisors, announced the successful launch of their organization dedicated to delivering integrated solutions that reduce employers’ operational costs and simplify the administration of human resources, benefits and payroll.
By joining forces, HRBA Group participants can better satisfy the complex and changing requirements of employers. Those who leverage the HRBA Group’s extensive set of integrated local market expertise, technology, services and outsourced solutions will yield higher returns on investment and solve the tough problems faced each day.
"Because of the changing environment and economy, our clients and prospects are not only asking us to provide them with competitive products, but to also help integrate and streamline their entire HR, benefits and payroll process, so it’s as efficient as possible," said Johnny Angelone, Principal of Benefit Commerce group (http://www.benefitcommerce.com), a division of Angelone & Associates in Scottsdale, Arizona. "As an HRBA Group Broker, we can deliver an expanded array of national, best-of-breed HR & benefit products, services and technologies at economies-of-scale costs, while still providing personalized service that employers and their employees need and appreciate."
With over 20 participant locations across the United States, and expansion plans to include 100 regional participant firms nationally by year-end, HRBA Group brokers and consultants have served thousands of employers across the country while delivering both simple and complex HR and benefits solutions. The strategy to share ideas, best practices, and local intelligence with peers around the country to ensure quality, implementation, and price brings measurable value to employers of all sizes.
"Employers are demanding more services due to the increasing complexity of managing HR and Benefits and a dynamically changing work environment," said Mark Van Den Branden, Principal of Advanced Insurance (http://www.advancedinsurance.net) of Warren Michigan. "The HRBA Group aligns us with firms in different geographic markets and with complimentary services. Our HRBA Group participation allows us to extend our commitment to provide superior local knowledge and customer service and gives us access to state-of the-art products, services and technologies at below market prices."
The HRBA Group also launched their website at http://www.hrbagroup.com. The site includes a list of service offerings and a simple way for employers to find HRBA Group Participants in their area.
About The HRBA Group
The HR & Benefits Advisory Group (HRBA Group) is a national group of affiliated independent Human Resources and Benefits Advisors. HRBA Group Participants are relentlessly dedicated to helping employers lower operational costs and solve the tough problems faced each day by delivering integrated solutions that simplify the administration of human resources, benefits and payroll. By joining forces, participants offer local market expertise and an extensive set of technology, services and outsourced solutions. Participants also share ideas, best practices, and local intelligence with peers around the country to ensure quality, implementation, and price. For more information, please visit www.hrbagroup.com (http://www.hrbagroup.com).
This press release was distributed through eMediawire by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www.HRmarketer.com) on behalf of the company listed above.
HR & Benefits Advisory Group is headquartered at 9 Summer St here in Franklin.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Let's go fly a kite
One fun summer and spring activity of youth was to fly a kite. Here is a brief 5 minute video on how the next generation of kites can provide electricity.
Ben, are you listening?
Enjoy!
Ben, are you listening?
Enjoy!
Free Worksheets for Elementary Classrooms
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via Free Technology for Teachers by rbyrnetech@hotmail.com (Mr. Byrne) on 3/21/09
Education.com is a website designed to help parents, teachers, and students find learning activities, studying tips, advice from other parents, and general education reference materials. What brought me to Education.com was a search for reproducible worksheet activities for elementary school classrooms. Education.com has reproducible worksheets designed for preschool through fifth grade students. The worksheets can be searched by grade level or by topic. Each worksheet is available in pdf format for free.Applications for Education
I've never bought a worksheet book for an elementary school classroom, but a quick search of Amazon revealed that a teacher could quickly sink $50 or more to have a set of workbooks sufficient for all subjects taught in an elementary school classroom. The worksheets on Education.com could be useful for cutting down on the number of worksheet books an elementary school teacher needs to purchase.
Here are a couple of related resources that may be of interest to you:
World of Teaching - Slideshows for All Subjects
Pete's Power Point Station - A Great Stop of Elementary School Teachers
Save 20% on all books & DVDs from National Geographic!
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to Free Technology for Teachers using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
FM #36 - This week in Franklin, MA
This is #36 in the series of podcasts on what matters in Franklin, MA. In this session I focus on the key items from the week ending March 22, 2009.
Time: 9 minutes, 49 seconds
MP3 File
Session Notes
Music intro
My intro
This internet radio show or podcast for Franklin Matters is number 36 in the series.
After a series of special recordings, the 3-part Government and It Role in the Economy
Which was preceded by the wonderful first person narrative by Abraham Bolden as he told of his days in the Secret Service
It is time to return to the matters at hand in Franklin this week, ending March 22, 2009.
This was a roller coaster type week, with some ups and downs. Rumors of what the FY 2010 budget will look like and how the cuts will affect delivery of services we have today are on the downer side. There was a good share of ups however and we'll review those here.
From the Town Council meeting on Wednesday, the cost estimates for repairing the bandstand on the Town Common came in under what was initially forecasted. The seven bids came in between $88,000 on the high side and $48,000 on the low side. The Town will use the low bid and only need to draw on the grant from Toll Brothers to fund the repairs. No other capital dollars will be needed.
The Audit of the FY 2008 financial reports was completed in record time and with two recommendations. One, to establish better policy and procedures around the documentation created by the DPW for their abatements. The dollars were all accounted for but trying to get the appropriate supporting documentation was challenging, hence the recommendation to
correct this.
Two, a recommendation to create a capital budget. This is probably overdue. As you should be aware, Franklin does not have a capital budget. This year the capital plan had over $8 million dollars of items on it and these were the prioritized ones. Of this $8 million, about $1 million is likely to get funded from “free cash”. “Free cash” is usually generated each year from the funds that were left over at the end of the budget year. Funds that either came in higher than expected on the revenue side, or were not fully spent on the expense side. The State will certifiy the “free cash” towards the end of the calendar year (i.e. Nov/Dec) for the prior fiscal year (i.e. ending June 30th). From that time on, Franklin can use the “free cash” for anything it would like. The caution is not to use it for operations as the dollar is really a one time occurrence. Operational dollars need to be funded on a recurring or sustainable manner.
This year, a good portion of the “free cash” was used to cover the shortfall in the snow and ice removal expenses. A second amount was added to the stabilization fund to bring that total to $5 million target. The benefits of keeping the targeted amount in the stabilization fund paid off with the reduce interest expense when the Town went to the market to sell a bond. The balance of the “free cash” is targeted for use on capital. A lawn mower, and the payment on the new ladder truck were already approved. The remaining capital budget is still pending a decision by the Council. They were holding off on Jeff Nutting's advice to see what the final snow and ice amount was going to be. I would think that we can expect a decision on the remaining capital sometime in April.
So this has been all in preparation of the need for a capital budget. The Town has not had one for many years. Maybe it did at one time. While there is talk of the 20 year plan to repair the roads, there is no actual budget to do so. When the Town has been able to get state money, or via use of the water/sewer enterprise accounts to repair the water/sewer mains, then and only then has the road been repaired. This is just one example of the need for a capital budget. The technology needs of the Town would also be better served with one. It does make good financial sense to have one.
At the Downtown Partnership meeting this week, Susan Rohrbach, Renee Danho and I presented on the School Strategy Plan underway. This was previously shared with the School Committee at the January 27th meeting.
The Steering Committee is still making the rounds to the various stakeholder groups within the Franklin community to let them know we are looking at the strategic plan previously created in 2004, and validating that the core values, mission statement and vision are what we want for today. We are preparing a survey to solicit your input. It will be web based but hard copy will be available at locations throughout Town (schools, Library, Town Hall, etc.) A slide show with an audio recording is being prepared to help share the news on this effort..
While at the Downtown Partnership meeting, we heard a presentation from the DPW on proposed changes to the sign bylaw. There was good discussion on this topic. There is still an opportunity to provide feedback. There will be a presentation to the Town Council and Planning Board with formal hearing time to allow for discussion on the implications of the changes. As I hear of that schedule, I will share it here. One potential area for revision that I see is in the temporary sign section where they don't appropriately cover sandwich boards. Sandwich boards are those A frame like signs seen about town. For an example the one last week touting the bottle and can drive at FHS. These signs are technically illegal.
In case you missed it, slide shows of the bandstand, the Trivia Bee and the Harlem Wizards visit were all posted to Franklin Matters this week.
In the week ahead, the School Committee meets on Tuesday and may get a preliminary look at the budget and what it could mean to what schools will operate like next September. I would pay attention to that one.
--------------
This podcast has been a public service provided to my fellow citizens of Franklin, MA
For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.blogspot.com/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com
The musical intro and closing is from the Podsafe Music Network
Jon Schmidt - Powerful Exhilarating Piano Music
Time: 9 minutes, 49 seconds
MP3 File
Session Notes
Music intro
My intro
This internet radio show or podcast for Franklin Matters is number 36 in the series.
After a series of special recordings, the 3-part Government and It Role in the Economy
Which was preceded by the wonderful first person narrative by Abraham Bolden as he told of his days in the Secret Service
It is time to return to the matters at hand in Franklin this week, ending March 22, 2009.
This was a roller coaster type week, with some ups and downs. Rumors of what the FY 2010 budget will look like and how the cuts will affect delivery of services we have today are on the downer side. There was a good share of ups however and we'll review those here.
From the Town Council meeting on Wednesday, the cost estimates for repairing the bandstand on the Town Common came in under what was initially forecasted. The seven bids came in between $88,000 on the high side and $48,000 on the low side. The Town will use the low bid and only need to draw on the grant from Toll Brothers to fund the repairs. No other capital dollars will be needed.
The Audit of the FY 2008 financial reports was completed in record time and with two recommendations. One, to establish better policy and procedures around the documentation created by the DPW for their abatements. The dollars were all accounted for but trying to get the appropriate supporting documentation was challenging, hence the recommendation to
correct this.
Two, a recommendation to create a capital budget. This is probably overdue. As you should be aware, Franklin does not have a capital budget. This year the capital plan had over $8 million dollars of items on it and these were the prioritized ones. Of this $8 million, about $1 million is likely to get funded from “free cash”. “Free cash” is usually generated each year from the funds that were left over at the end of the budget year. Funds that either came in higher than expected on the revenue side, or were not fully spent on the expense side. The State will certifiy the “free cash” towards the end of the calendar year (i.e. Nov/Dec) for the prior fiscal year (i.e. ending June 30th). From that time on, Franklin can use the “free cash” for anything it would like. The caution is not to use it for operations as the dollar is really a one time occurrence. Operational dollars need to be funded on a recurring or sustainable manner.
This year, a good portion of the “free cash” was used to cover the shortfall in the snow and ice removal expenses. A second amount was added to the stabilization fund to bring that total to $5 million target. The benefits of keeping the targeted amount in the stabilization fund paid off with the reduce interest expense when the Town went to the market to sell a bond. The balance of the “free cash” is targeted for use on capital. A lawn mower, and the payment on the new ladder truck were already approved. The remaining capital budget is still pending a decision by the Council. They were holding off on Jeff Nutting's advice to see what the final snow and ice amount was going to be. I would think that we can expect a decision on the remaining capital sometime in April.
So this has been all in preparation of the need for a capital budget. The Town has not had one for many years. Maybe it did at one time. While there is talk of the 20 year plan to repair the roads, there is no actual budget to do so. When the Town has been able to get state money, or via use of the water/sewer enterprise accounts to repair the water/sewer mains, then and only then has the road been repaired. This is just one example of the need for a capital budget. The technology needs of the Town would also be better served with one. It does make good financial sense to have one.
At the Downtown Partnership meeting this week, Susan Rohrbach, Renee Danho and I presented on the School Strategy Plan underway. This was previously shared with the School Committee at the January 27th meeting.
The Steering Committee is still making the rounds to the various stakeholder groups within the Franklin community to let them know we are looking at the strategic plan previously created in 2004, and validating that the core values, mission statement and vision are what we want for today. We are preparing a survey to solicit your input. It will be web based but hard copy will be available at locations throughout Town (schools, Library, Town Hall, etc.) A slide show with an audio recording is being prepared to help share the news on this effort..
While at the Downtown Partnership meeting, we heard a presentation from the DPW on proposed changes to the sign bylaw. There was good discussion on this topic. There is still an opportunity to provide feedback. There will be a presentation to the Town Council and Planning Board with formal hearing time to allow for discussion on the implications of the changes. As I hear of that schedule, I will share it here. One potential area for revision that I see is in the temporary sign section where they don't appropriately cover sandwich boards. Sandwich boards are those A frame like signs seen about town. For an example the one last week touting the bottle and can drive at FHS. These signs are technically illegal.
In case you missed it, slide shows of the bandstand, the Trivia Bee and the Harlem Wizards visit were all posted to Franklin Matters this week.
In the week ahead, the School Committee meets on Tuesday and may get a preliminary look at the budget and what it could mean to what schools will operate like next September. I would pay attention to that one.
--------------
This podcast has been a public service provided to my fellow citizens of Franklin, MA
For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.blogspot.com/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com
The musical intro and closing is from the Podsafe Music Network
Jon Schmidt - Powerful Exhilarating Piano Music
School Committee - 3/24/09 - Agenda
Call to order Mr. Roy
Pledge of Allegiance
Moment of Silence
1. Routine Business
2. Guests/Presentations
Certificates for Maddie Gordon and Jake Sargeant – ASMS 8th graders honored at MA Make A Difference award program for their volunteer work in Best Buddies.
3. Discussion Only Items
4. Action Items
5. Information Matters
Superintendent’s Report
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. Adjourn
Pledge of Allegiance
Moment of Silence
1. Routine Business
Citizen’s Comments
Review of Agenda
Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the March 10, 2009 School Committee Meeting.
Payment of Bills Mr. Kelly
Payroll Ms. Armenio
FHS Student Representatives
Correspondence: Letter from Mark Tiede & Melissa McCann
2. Guests/Presentations
Certificates for Maddie Gordon and Jake Sargeant – ASMS 8th graders honored at MA Make A Difference award program for their volunteer work in Best Buddies.
3. Discussion Only Items
- Budget to Actual
- Mike D’angelo – Capital Projects at FHS
- Maureen & Miriam – Strategic Planning Update
- FY10 Budget Information
4. Action Items
- I recommend approval of the FHS recurring field trip to Providence Place Mall for Remington Middle School students as detailed.
- I recommend approval of the Budget Transfers as detailed.
- 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.
- 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.
- I recommend acceptance of a check for $107.18 from Target’s Take Charge of Education program for Remington Middle School’s scholarship fund.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- I recommend acceptance of the donation of 50 disposable cameras from CVS for the Davis Thayer 5th grade graduating class.
5. Information Matters
Superintendent’s Report
- FY10 Budget
- Capital Projects at FHS
- Strategic Planning
- “Education in the Flat World” by Yong Zhao
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. Adjourn
State Education Mandates - Part 2
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 2 in the series:
Massachusetts superintendents. School committee members and school business officers have compiled a partial list of mandates that are listed below:
Regular Education
The full listing is available here (DOC)
Part 1 is here
Massachusetts superintendents. School committee members and school business officers have compiled a partial list of mandates that are listed below:
Regular Education
Provide free and equal (and appropriate) education to all students from kindergarten through grade 12. We believe that Chapter 70 is underfunded by about $1.6 billion that would be required to provide necessary and mandated services.
Special Education
Districts must provide education to special education students from age three to age twenty-two. This must be done in the least restrictive environment.
The cost of providing assessments, evaluations, and specialized instructional services exceeds the funding provided by federal and state sources. In addition, non-instructional services within the review and appeal processes such as arbitration, mediation, and hearings result in extraordinary costs to the district. The personnel, administrative, and technology costs inherent in the delivery of appropriate services are exorbitant. Individual Education Plans dictate where a student must go to school, requiring outplacements and special education transportation.
Special Education Transportation
Currently, about $165 million in mandated but unreimbursed transportation costs are incurred by school districts for students in special education programs.
“504 Services” For Physically Disabled Students
School districts are required to provide students with disabilities with accommodations that will assist in their learning according to federal law. This may include any disability that is not covered by special education. Teachers must accommodate all needs written into a student’s “504 plan.” State and local options are constrained.
The full listing is available here (DOC)
Part 1 is here
Sunday, March 22, 2009
When it's time to worry
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via Dangerously Irrelevant by dr.scott.mcleod@gmail.com (Scott McLeod) on 2/15/09
Robert Fried says…
There is a simple test we can perform to find out whether or not our children are truly learning. We can ask them, not the usual question, "How was school today, Honey?" or "What did she teach you in your math class?" but rather, "Did you learn anything in school today that you really want to know more about?" If the answer is … usually no, you have cause for worry - even if your child brings home a good report card. [The Game of School, p. 7]
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to Dangerously Irrelevant using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
Franklin: 188 King Under Agreement
Walking late Friday, Dolores and I noticed that the house at 188 King St which I have posted progress shots on during its construction is actually under agreement.
This is a good sign!
"Local renewable energy businesses are optimistic"
"Depending on who you talk to, there's something like 19 provisions in total that could benefit solar energy," Chleboski said.
One provision would lift a cap on federal tax credits for solar-powered hot water heaters, Artner said. Heat-Flo of Hopedale manufactures these devices, and Jay Santello, a Franklin contractor who installs solar equipment, said he uses a sun-powered hot water heater at his own home year-round.
"My hot water is fantastic and my gas bills have gone down substantially," Santello said.
The stimulus plan also would make it possible to convert certain commercial tax credits for solar grants. These credits might have been attractive to companies in the past, but they became less so as companies saw tax bills drop anyway because of diminishing profits, Chleboski said.
Read the full article on renewable energy in the Milford Daily News here
"We are gearing our classes toward the bad economy"
Joan Borgatti, director of adult education in Franklin, said the town has started to gear its classes toward people interested in making some extra cash.
This semester, the center is offering a course on how to start a dog-walking or pet-sitting business, she said.
"Classes about interviewing well and networking did not do well," Borgatti said. "We really thought they would."
Read the full article on Adult Education in the Milford Daily News here
STATE EDUCATION MANDATES - Part 1
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. Over a series of postings, I'll share that listing here.
STATE EDUCATION MANDATES – Partially or Unfunded Requirements
Many laws, initiatives and requirements that may have been well intended, from a multitude of governmental agencies create “un-funded mandates” at the local level. These mandates must be coupled with adequate and sustainable funding sources. Often local mandates required by the state are attributed to federal requirements. The cause and effect of these growing local burdens and links to their funding support are a frustrating source of conflict to state / local harmony and cooperative efforts.
Several years ago the Massachusetts Association of School Business Officers (MASBO) reported on this issue and the points made are incorporated in this document. The MA Association of School Superintendents and MASC have also included items listed below.
General Overview of the General Regulatory Requirements with Cost Implications
The largest legislated program to fund public education, known commonly as the Chapter 70 funding system, does not cover in full the cost of mandates inherent in the law and regulations. The system remains essentially as it was at the start of the Education Reform program in 1993. The reimbursement formula has been modified somewhat and annual funding has increased significantly, but school districts have for many years had to budget for expenses that outstrip both the rate of inflation and the state’s ability to grow state aid to education faster than the cost-of-living for schools.
In addition to funding shortages, some of the mandates that districts must address are:
· Time and Learning standards that required some districts to expand time spent on classroom instruction.
· Curriculum frameworks that have been established in seven areas, requiring new and expanded areas of educational activity.
· Implementing, adhering to, or complying with any one of the 15 assessment, accountability and accreditation systems that were created by Education Reform or imposed by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education or the US Department of Education, including No Child Left Behind[1]. Superintendents have estimated that the growth of compliance mandates has expanded ten-fold and one estimate is that every educator in a public school spends as much as 160 hours per year on pure compliance requirements that are not classroom instruction or preparation for teaching.
· The Department of Education has produced a list of 106 reporting requirements (the “checklist”) that are required of superintendents each year.
· Federal regulatory compliance is an added burden as districts fulfill obligations to No Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
The full listing is available here (DOC)
Saturday, March 21, 2009
"The state needs another 30 to 45 days"
GHS
FRANKLIN —
U.S. Rep. James McGovern assured a room of about 100 local officials that the state's anticipated $8.7 billion in stimulus funds will be fairly distributed, not sent to Boston.
"There are days when I think my job is tough, and then I think of you - you have it tougher, you're on the ground, you're on the front lines," McGovern told town, school and state officials at yesterday's special briefing on the federal stimulus package at Franklin's Municipal Building.
"There is $8.7 billion coming to Massachusetts, and the whole point is to have it work. My hope is, there's something for everyone, but it's the state's discretion," said McGovern, D-3rd.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here.
View the video recording of the presentation at the Franklin web site here
extra Special Ed funding announced
MetroWest Daily News
Massachusetts school districts will receive $280 million from the federal stimulus package during the next two years to help them pay the cost of special education, with figures in the region as high as $636,500 for Marlborough and $1.1 million for Framingham.
Gov. Deval Patrick announced yesterday at Brockton High School that half of the money will be distributed by the end of the month and the rest of it will be allocated this fall.
Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester said the funding will allow districts to provide necessary special education services without cutting into the regular education budget.
,,,,
Franklin: $729,767
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
Friday, March 20, 2009
School Activities - Friday Night
Driving around I see notices for the following:
Parmenter School - Auction Friday night 3/20/09 at 7:00 PM
Davis Thayer - Talent Show at Horace Mann Auditorium, 3/20/09 at 7:00 PM
Are there other school activities I may have missed?
Add a comment or send me an email and I can update this listing!
Parmenter School - Auction Friday night 3/20/09 at 7:00 PM
Davis Thayer - Talent Show at Horace Mann Auditorium, 3/20/09 at 7:00 PM
Are there other school activities I may have missed?
Add a comment or send me an email and I can update this listing!
Franklin: FHS Bottle & Can Drive 3/21/09
According to this sandwich board sign on the corner of King and Forest Streets, there will be a bottle and can drive at Franklin High School this Saturday the 21st.
Worthy of note, signs like these are not permitted currently nor would they be under the revisions of the sign bylaw underway. There was a presentation at the Downtown Partnership meeting on 3/19/09. There will be additional publi hearings as the revision comes before the Town Council and the Planning Board.
If you are interested in using signs like this or any other signs to help advertise a special event, I recommend you watch carefully to find out when the public hearings will be held. I will post the information to Franklin Matters as I find out.
“Second graders only get one chance at second grade"
As part of his Massachusetts Recovery Plan to secure the state’s economic future, Governor Deval Patrick today announced he will commit $168 million in federal education recovery funds to ensure every district in the Commonwealth reaches so-called foundation spending levels next school year. For Franklin, that means that an additional $448,381 in the school budget. This will reduce our anticipated deficit for FY10 to approximately $2.5 million.Read the full article on the Franklin School Committee blog here
"We were a total team effort"
GHS
FRANKLIN —
Read the full article about the Trivia Bee in the Milford Daily News herePlacing Martha Stewart's quote, "It's a good thing," was easy enough for Town Treasurer/Collector James Dacey in last night's annual Trivia Bee.
But Dacey's team, the "Franklin Munibees," comprised of Dacey, Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting and Fire Chief Gary McCarraher, were lost when it came to identifying the HBO series, "Big Love."
Thus, they could not hold onto their "world championship title," as Nutting called it, from last year's Bee, which is put together by the Franklin Education Foundation to fund classroom grants.
Everyone knew the television character who once said, "We lost a daughter, Edith, but we gained a meathead," Archie Bunker and the puppeteer who told TV Guide she loved to shock waiters by ordering lamb Shari Lewis. (She rode to fame on a puppet named Lamb Chop.)
Letter to the Editor
The following was submitted as a Letter to the Editor for the Wicked Local/Franklin Gazette. For the loyal readers here, you will get this preview assuming it does get printed some day.
------------
You look at yourself in the mirror and say “I need a haircut”. Or your wife/significant other drops a similar hint. So you make a mental note to stop by the barber shop or call for an appointment.
The designated day arrives, you get your hair cut and have a wide ranging conversation with the barber or stylist. While you are sitting there, he or she is clipping and or cutting away, and you solve half the world's problems
Amongst the topics is usually sometime spent discussing the economy and how dismal prospects seem to be at the moment. So and so was let go from Fidelity. So and so was let go from another place. If you listen to the headlines, the economy is in the tank for sure. No one seems to be doing good. Even the banks and automotive companies getting bailouts are coming back for more.
So you change the topic to something brighter. You talk about your days in school, long ago now. How the teachers were good, or tough, or easy. How so and so messed with the chalkboard and got in trouble for it. What is he doing these days? Oh, he is teaching English the next town over. Wow, that is good.
Even if the conversation switched to whatever sport was in season and how the local team was doing, the fact of the matter is the conversation could not have happened without education.
Yes, let's list out how education touched each aspect of this simple event; getting your hair cut.
The barber or hairstylist received their training at an accredited institution
The teachers at that institution were similarly trained at an accredited institution
The licensing board personnel were hired because they had a minimum of a high school education, more likely the requirement was a college degree.
The salesperson who stops by the barbershop or beauty salon to sell the shampoo, gel, and other items necessary to operate likely required training from the company on their products
The conversation itself could take place because both of you were able to speak. You listened, understood what the other was saying and continued that train of thought, or changed it along the way.
I think you get the point.
Everyone around the activity of getting your hair cut or styled was touched by education. The more successful their educational background, it is likely that the more successful they would be in operating the business. Yes, reading, writing and arithmetic are required outside of school.
You can also consider what would happen if educational priorities were changed. If students were not challenged by their teachers, would they be successful barbers and stylists? Would they gain their certification or license to operate in the State? Would the State have sufficient qualified personnel to manage the licensing and auditing process? Would the hair product companies have new products being developed by researchers to meet the needs of the market place? Would they have capable sales personnel?
Would you get a good hair cut or hair style?
Considering the impact of education on such a simple transaction, shouldn't it be a priority to provide the best education possible for our children?
Steve Sherlock
Franklin
------------
You look at yourself in the mirror and say “I need a haircut”. Or your wife/significant other drops a similar hint. So you make a mental note to stop by the barber shop or call for an appointment.
The designated day arrives, you get your hair cut and have a wide ranging conversation with the barber or stylist. While you are sitting there, he or she is clipping and or cutting away, and you solve half the world's problems
Amongst the topics is usually sometime spent discussing the economy and how dismal prospects seem to be at the moment. So and so was let go from Fidelity. So and so was let go from another place. If you listen to the headlines, the economy is in the tank for sure. No one seems to be doing good. Even the banks and automotive companies getting bailouts are coming back for more.
So you change the topic to something brighter. You talk about your days in school, long ago now. How the teachers were good, or tough, or easy. How so and so messed with the chalkboard and got in trouble for it. What is he doing these days? Oh, he is teaching English the next town over. Wow, that is good.
Even if the conversation switched to whatever sport was in season and how the local team was doing, the fact of the matter is the conversation could not have happened without education.
Yes, let's list out how education touched each aspect of this simple event; getting your hair cut.
The barber or hairstylist received their training at an accredited institution
The teachers at that institution were similarly trained at an accredited institution
The licensing board personnel were hired because they had a minimum of a high school education, more likely the requirement was a college degree.
The salesperson who stops by the barbershop or beauty salon to sell the shampoo, gel, and other items necessary to operate likely required training from the company on their products
The conversation itself could take place because both of you were able to speak. You listened, understood what the other was saying and continued that train of thought, or changed it along the way.
I think you get the point.
Everyone around the activity of getting your hair cut or styled was touched by education. The more successful their educational background, it is likely that the more successful they would be in operating the business. Yes, reading, writing and arithmetic are required outside of school.
You can also consider what would happen if educational priorities were changed. If students were not challenged by their teachers, would they be successful barbers and stylists? Would they gain their certification or license to operate in the State? Would the State have sufficient qualified personnel to manage the licensing and auditing process? Would the hair product companies have new products being developed by researchers to meet the needs of the market place? Would they have capable sales personnel?
Would you get a good hair cut or hair style?
Considering the impact of education on such a simple transaction, shouldn't it be a priority to provide the best education possible for our children?
Steve Sherlock
Franklin
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Slide show: Bandstand in the rain
With the discussion around repairing the "bandstand" (what it should be called) or "gazebo" (what it has commonly been referred to), I stopped on a gray Monday (March 9th) to take some pictures.
It was typical New England mixed precipitation day, a mix of snow and rain, which worked nicely to highlight the problems with the roof being shorter than the base. In the slide show here, you'll see that the rain drops from the edge of the roof form good sized puddles around the inside of the railings.
The railings along one side are badly peeled. Sections of the interior roof are rotten and need replacement. Sections of the exterior tile are broken and missing.
Fortunately, the Town Council approved the capital expense of about $50,000 which would cover the lowest of multiple bids for the repair work. The initial estimate of $100,000 was likely a good guess. We are fortunate that the actual bids came in significantly less. The high bid was around $88,000 and the low bid at $48,000.
The bandstand is a center piece of the town and should be fixed.
Note that this repair will use capital dollars which can not be used for operational expenses, i.e. supplies or personnel salaries. I know there is still a great deal of misunderstanding about the difference between capital dollars and operational dollars. I will be working on a slide show to try and explain the difference. If you have some suggestions, please let me know. Usually for a problem of this type, putting more heads to it will bring better results.
It was typical New England mixed precipitation day, a mix of snow and rain, which worked nicely to highlight the problems with the roof being shorter than the base. In the slide show here, you'll see that the rain drops from the edge of the roof form good sized puddles around the inside of the railings.
The railings along one side are badly peeled. Sections of the interior roof are rotten and need replacement. Sections of the exterior tile are broken and missing.
Fortunately, the Town Council approved the capital expense of about $50,000 which would cover the lowest of multiple bids for the repair work. The initial estimate of $100,000 was likely a good guess. We are fortunate that the actual bids came in significantly less. The high bid was around $88,000 and the low bid at $48,000.
The bandstand is a center piece of the town and should be fixed.
Note that this repair will use capital dollars which can not be used for operational expenses, i.e. supplies or personnel salaries. I know there is still a great deal of misunderstanding about the difference between capital dollars and operational dollars. I will be working on a slide show to try and explain the difference. If you have some suggestions, please let me know. Usually for a problem of this type, putting more heads to it will bring better results.
"If you really want us, you gotta ride us"
GHS
FRANKLIN —
Franklin may lose its bus service if more people don't start riding the bus, officials warned in a roundtable discussion with the public at the Senior Center yesterday.
"It's been tough. I don't want to say it's going to end, but I do want to say there's some urgency," said George Colajezzi, a marketing consultant for the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority.
GATRA, which provides bus service via the Franklin Area Bus, just finished its 52nd week of service and has fallen short of projected ridership, Colajezzi said.
An average of 149 people ride the bus every week, he said, which is about 100 fewer than what GATRA wants.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
"your financial statements are totally in (good order)"
GHS
FRANKLIN —
Five more town unions have volunteered to freeze their salaries and make higher co-payments on their health insurance to save jobs, Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting announced at last night's Town Council meeting.
Highway workers, custodians, clerks, tradespeople (such as electricians and plumbers), police and fire dispatcher unions, all of whom fall under the umbrella of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees union, each voted affirmatively, Nutting said.
"That will save all their potential layoffs," Nutting said.
In total, those unions have about 130 members, he said.
Read the full article on the Town Council meeting in the Milford Daily News here.
For the live reporting from the complete meeting check here.
Industry: Safe Lifting Leadership Award
In our ongoing series on local businesses, I find this press release appropriate for a couple of reasons.
1 - a local company has created a portal to work the bigger issue (safe lifting)
2 - as part of that portal, they select someone doing the right thing (the award winner)
This is a win/win in my book. Congrats to Liko for sponsoring this award and for Gundersen for winning it.
For more information on the Safe Lifting Leadership Award or Liko’s sponsorship of the Safe Lifting Portal, contact
This press release was found here
1 - a local company has created a portal to work the bigger issue (safe lifting)
2 - as part of that portal, they select someone doing the right thing (the award winner)
This is a win/win in my book. Congrats to Liko for sponsoring this award and for Gundersen for winning it.
Franklin, MA – March 17, 2009 – The pro bono healthcare injury prevention website Safe Lifting Portal (http://www.safeliftingportal.com/), has announced that its newly instituted Safe Lifting Leadership Award has been presented to Gundersen Lutheran Health System of La Crosse, Wisconsin. The award was given in recognition of Gundersen Lutheran’s outstanding accomplishments in safe patient handling, safe lifting, and caregiver injury prevention.A DVD describing the hospital’s accomplishments can be ordered from http://www.safeliftingportal.com/gundersen-lutheran/
Gundersen Lutheran Health System includes a 325-bed teaching hospital and a Level II Trauma Center. As one of the leading medical facilities in the mid-west, the health system has received eleven top 100 designations in as many years. It serves patients throughout western Wisconsin, northeastern Iowa, and southeastern Minnesota, providing care in 19 counties.
In 2003, Gundersen Lutheran Health System initiated a patient and staff injury prevention program. Key components of the program included installation of ceiling lifts to transfer patients, an extensive staff orientation and training program, and on-going monitoring of usage compliance. The ceiling lifts were installed in units hospital-wide, including intensive care, coronary care, rehabilitation and PT, pediatrics, morgue, diagnostic areas, and the OB/GYN water birth room.
Among the more significant results of the program have been substantial decreases in injury rates, reduced workers’ compensation costs, and less employee lost time and restricted time. The program has also increased staff retention rates and proved to be an excellent staff recruitment tool.
Emphasizing Gundersen Lutheran’s firm commitment to patient and employee safety, Gary Brunslik, Manager of Safety, commented, “Preventing staff injury is good business from the financial standpoint, but also, it is the right thing to do."Kathy Weitekamp, RN, BSN, Care Manager, went on to say, “We’ve been able to show a 57% decrease in the number of patient handling claims, which we feel is pretty significant. Lost time has gone down 78% and restricted time has gone down 81%, so we’re very pleased. Our ceiling lift return on investment has been less than three years."Dr. William Scorby, Medical Director for Employee Health, added, "We also see the safe lifting program as playing an important role in staff retention and recruiting - keeping our experienced nurses safe and injury free while attracting new nurses trained in safe lifting techniques to Gundersen Lutheran." The objective of the Safe Lifting Leadership Award is to encourage other institutions to follow the lead of “best practices” institutions in their attempts to instill permanent, sustainable culture change – a so-called “culture of safety” – within their organizations. Patient safety, advocacy for healthcare excellence, successful implementation of safe lifting initiatives, and willingness to share results and assist other institutions are among key evaluation criteria for the award.
For more information on the Safe Lifting Leadership Award or Liko’s sponsorship of the Safe Lifting Portal, contact
Liko – A Hill-Rom Company,
122 Grove Street,
Franklin, MA 02038;
telephone (888) 545-6671 or (508) 553-3993;
fax (508) 528-6642;
visit the Liko website at http://www.liko.com/
or visit http://www.safeliftingportal.com/
This press release was found here
Town Council Mtg Smry - 03/18/09
The collection of live reporting posts for the Town Council meeting 3/18/09 are here
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Live reporting - Administrator report
Nutting - with a little knock on wood, we'll be able to meet the winter snow and ice with what we allocated (initially $700K and an additionally $600K)
GATRA - meeting today on how to keep them alive, the ridership is only 149/per week. They need 250-300 per week to meet their needs.
Meeting Friday for elected and Town officials with McGovern's office. Not for the public but FYI for those folks here.
Old business - none
New business -
Question, probably should have been asked earlier - where are we with the state and the possible new revenues?
Nutting - It might be several months before those local tax options are decided at the State level. I'll be putting the budget together assuming we don't get those.
Pfeffer - When the Haywood family donated it, it was a bandstand. In those days, folks didn't do gazebos, they built bandstands.
Vallee - I just want to go on record that I will not support the fee increases. It goes against what is supposed to be done at this time of recession/depression.
Motion - to go into executive session. Passed 8-0
GATRA - meeting today on how to keep them alive, the ridership is only 149/per week. They need 250-300 per week to meet their needs.
Meeting Friday for elected and Town officials with McGovern's office. Not for the public but FYI for those folks here.
Old business - none
New business -
Question, probably should have been asked earlier - where are we with the state and the possible new revenues?
Nutting - It might be several months before those local tax options are decided at the State level. I'll be putting the budget together assuming we don't get those.
Pfeffer - When the Haywood family donated it, it was a bandstand. In those days, folks didn't do gazebos, they built bandstands.
Vallee - I just want to go on record that I will not support the fee increases. It goes against what is supposed to be done at this time of recession/depression.
Motion - to go into executive session. Passed 8-0
Live reporting - legislation for action
J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
Dave Roche, Building Commissioner
The base of the building was expanded at some point but the roof did not cover it creating a water problem.
The edges of the roof are rotted. It won't do anything really to change the appearance. Simply extend the roof by about a foot to provide the protection needed.
Later we can use the Town electrician to change the lighting.
We don't have the expertise to do the tile ourselves. The Historical Commission and everybody else requested to keep the tile.
Motion to amend to include the interest accrued.
McGann question to keep the work within the Town's contractors.
Nutting - the bids already came in, don't know where they are from but we need to take the lowest bid.
Gary McGarraher, Fire Chief
Explains the billing process involving Medicare rates, not using assignments any longer to ensure full recover of the funds,
It really is not an increase in rates, it is bundling it differently in order to capture the full Medicare amount.
McGann - in comparison to surrounding Towns, where are we?
Roche - we last changed the rates eight years ago. We are in some cases, incredibly low for comparable services. With the services we are offering, we were not covering our costs. Even though it is not the best time to do so, it is something that allows us to recover more of our costs.
The state will ask the communities to review the fees to ensure that they cover the budget.
- Resolution 09-15: Acceptance of Deed of Parcel 29A, Palomino Drive motion passed 8-0
- Resolution 09-16: Acceptance of Deed of Parcel 29 B, Paddock Lane motion passed 8-0
- Resolution 09-17: Declaration of Town-Owned Land as Surplus and Available for Disposition motion passed 8-0
- Resolution 09-18: Appropriation Town Common Band Stand motion passed 8-0
- Bylaw Amendment 09-631: Chapter 82 Fees, Appendix A, List of Service Fee Rates - 1st Reading motion passed 8-0
Dave Roche, Building Commissioner
The base of the building was expanded at some point but the roof did not cover it creating a water problem.
The edges of the roof are rotted. It won't do anything really to change the appearance. Simply extend the roof by about a foot to provide the protection needed.
Later we can use the Town electrician to change the lighting.
We don't have the expertise to do the tile ourselves. The Historical Commission and everybody else requested to keep the tile.
Motion to amend to include the interest accrued.
McGann question to keep the work within the Town's contractors.
Nutting - the bids already came in, don't know where they are from but we need to take the lowest bid.
Gary McGarraher, Fire Chief
Explains the billing process involving Medicare rates, not using assignments any longer to ensure full recover of the funds,
It really is not an increase in rates, it is bundling it differently in order to capture the full Medicare amount.
McGann - in comparison to surrounding Towns, where are we?
Roche - we last changed the rates eight years ago. We are in some cases, incredibly low for comparable services. With the services we are offering, we were not covering our costs. Even though it is not the best time to do so, it is something that allows us to recover more of our costs.
The state will ask the communities to review the fees to ensure that they cover the budget.
Live reporting - Audit report
Susan Gagner
Jim Dacey
Auditor (fill in name later)
no material entries made to start the audit
The audit report can be found here (PDF)
Auditor recommendation to set up a capital account, current capital is budgeted by using "free cash"
Auditor recommendation on formal system to support data for utility abatements and adjustments for DPW
Q - Bartlett, we had a problem with reconciling ambulance reports from last time
A - Gagner, we have reconciled the first 6 months of 2009, we added a report to perform this audit and that why the item is no longer part of the report.
Q - Bartlett, and last year with the School problem
A - Gagner, the separation between entries has been set up, they don't have access to make ledger entries
Q - Bartlett, so this report covers the School's as well
A - Auditor, yes, this is completely covered, no issues found
Jim Dacey
Auditor (fill in name later)
no material entries made to start the audit
The audit report can be found here (PDF)
Auditor recommendation to set up a capital account, current capital is budgeted by using "free cash"
Auditor recommendation on formal system to support data for utility abatements and adjustments for DPW
Q - Bartlett, we had a problem with reconciling ambulance reports from last time
A - Gagner, we have reconciled the first 6 months of 2009, we added a report to perform this audit and that why the item is no longer part of the report.
Q - Bartlett, and last year with the School problem
A - Gagner, the separation between entries has been set up, they don't have access to make ledger entries
Q - Bartlett, so this report covers the School's as well
A - Auditor, yes, this is completely covered, no issues found
Live reporting: Town Council mtg 3/18/09
Attending: Whalen, Mason, Vallee, Bartlett, Feeley, Pfeffer, Doak, McGann
Missing: Zollo,
A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – 3/4/09 Regular and Executive Session
motion to approve - passed 8-0
B. ANNOUNCEMENTS
Nutting - non-union municipal, school, police have all stepped up to take the pay freeze this year
5 other unions, total 6 of 8 Town have agreed to take the freeze. Jeff thanks everyone to date. The School Admin, School Committee and teachers are working their side.
Pfeffer - comments open for 5 minutes, must be resident, will be recorded on camera, broadcast via internet and cable, no alias, must use real name
C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS - none
D. CITIZEN COMMENTS - none
E. APPOINTMENTS - none
F. HEARINGS - none
G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS - none
Missing: Zollo,
A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – 3/4/09 Regular and Executive Session
motion to approve - passed 8-0
B. ANNOUNCEMENTS
Nutting - non-union municipal, school, police have all stepped up to take the pay freeze this year
5 other unions, total 6 of 8 Town have agreed to take the freeze. Jeff thanks everyone to date. The School Admin, School Committee and teachers are working their side.
Pfeffer - comments open for 5 minutes, must be resident, will be recorded on camera, broadcast via internet and cable, no alias, must use real name
C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS - none
D. CITIZEN COMMENTS - none
E. APPOINTMENTS - none
F. HEARINGS - none
G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS - none
GATRA still needs riders!
Did you know that GATRA has been operating here in Franklin for one year already?
Yes, it is true. They completed 52 weeks of service last week. They have provided free rides, coupons, and the ridership is only an average 149 per week. This is at least 100 below the target they set out with the Town to achieve when they began.
Will they be able to continue?
The decision is pending. Much like a lot of other areas. The resources are being looked at to see if they can justify the usage.
How can you help?
Consider riding GATRA. Look at the schedule here. Consider walking to one of the roads along the route and flag the bus down. Assuming, it is a good place to stop, they will.
Do you have any ideas on how to increase riders?
GATRA would love to hear from you. You can contact them through their web site here
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