"no one made a motion"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted May 04, 2009 @ 11:36 PM

---

FRANKLIN —

School officials shouldn't expect any changes from the teachers union's new leadership, which took the reins May 1, said new union President Bob McLaughlin.

In the past several months, communication seems to have broken down between the Franklin Education Association and the School Committee, and negotiations for wage concessions to save teachers' jobs appear stalled.

At last week's union meeting, then-union President Chandler Creedon, a psychologist at Horace Mann Middle School, projected a "terse" e-mail from School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy onto a big screen in the auditorium, which further angered union members, McLaughlin said.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

Finance Committee - 5/5/09 - Budget Hearing

No agenda has been posted on the Town website for this meeting. The last agenda posted was for the 2/3/09 meeting (posted on 2/4/09).

No minutes for the current series of budget hearings have posted. The most recent minutes were for the meeting of 4/14/09 (updated on 4/30/09).


Tonight's agenda per the last meeting is reported to be

Information Technology

Tri-Country Regional Vocational Technical High School

School Department

Note: the order of the agenda is subject to change

Town Council - 5/6/09 - Agenda

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – April 1, 2009

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS

E. APPOINTMENTS

• Cultural Council
• Council on Aging
• Charles River Pollution Control District

F. HEARINGS

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS – Request for Approval of Change of Manager – 99 Restaurant

H. Presentations/DISCUSSION

• Zoning Bylaw, Chapter 185-39. Uses accessory to dwellings.

I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION

1. Resolution 09-26: Acknowledgment of Invalidity of Order of Taking Directed to Land of United States of America
2. Resolution 09-27: Appropriation – DelCarte Open Space Dam Repair/Removal
3. Resolution 09-28: Appropriation – Veterans’ Benefits
4. Resolution 09-29: Appropriation – Snow & Ice

K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

L. OLD BUSINESS

M. NEW BUSINESS

N. COUNCIL COMMENTS

O. EXECUTIVE SESSION – Negotiations, Litigation, Real Property, as May Be Required

P. ADJOURN

The documents for this agenda can be found on the Town website

HMEA's 8th Annual Independence 5K Walk/Run

HMEA's 8th Annual Independence 5K Walk/Run in the Park will be held on Sunday, May 17, 2009. Our friends at EMC2 Corporation, 50 Constitution Boulevard, Franklin, MA have again allowed us to hold this premier fundraising event on their grounds. Gail Huff from WCVB-TV Channel 5 News will once again be our host.

To register to walk please visit firstgiving.com/hmea. Here you can also set-up your own personal fundraising page that can be e-mailed to all your family, friends and co-workers asking them to support your efforts to raise funds for HMEA.

If you want to participate in the road race please register at active.com/hmea. OR, if you prefer you can complete your registration form online, print it and mail directly to HMEA along with your registration fee(s). You could also e-mail it back to hmea@hmea.org. Click here for the registration form.

Interested in becoming a sponsor of this fun-filled family day event? To learn what sponsorships are available click here for the Sponsorship Opportunities flyer.

More information will be available shortly. In the meantime if have any questions please call Linda Conley at 508.298.1107 or Doug MacPherson at 508.298.1105.

Alternative Link for Message to FEA

From Ed Cafasso via email

For those of you having difficulty viewing the YouTube video on the School Committee’s recent statement regarding wage freeze discussions with members of the teacher’s union, you also can view the text at:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/14893659/FSC-to-FEA-05-01-09-V2

rethinking learning

“…teachers need to learn the way other professionals do—continually, collaboratively, and on the job.”

---

The challenge is, of course, that “continual, collaborative, on the job” learning isn’t very convenient for professional developers or for teachers in classrooms. It means re-thinking what learning looks like, and that’s a scary place still for most in education.

Read the full posting by Wil Richardson on his blog weblogg-ed

PS22 Chorus - "Eye of the Tiger"

Musical education is inspirational. I think you'll enjoy this less than 2 minute clip of a group from New York City.





Now I'll have the "Eye of the Tiger" running through my head all day!

Visit the PS22 Chorus blog here to read more about them.

Horace Mann, birthday - May 4, 1796

This day (May 4) is Horace Mann's birthday. Given the current discussion around education in his home town, it is appropriate to look at what Horace is known for. The wikipedia entry says:

Mann targeted the public school and its problems. The six main problems he targeted were: (1) the public should no longer remain ignorant and free, (2) that such education should be paid for, controlled, and sustained by an interested public; (3) that this education will be best provided in schools that embrace children of all diversities; (4) that this education must be non-sectarian; (5) that this education must be taught by the spirit, methods, and discipline of a free society; and (6) that education should be provided by well-trained, professional teachers. To sum it all up, Horace Mann worked effectively for more and better equipped school houses, longer school years (until 16 years old), higher pay for teachers, and a wider curriculum.

For the remainder of the entry on Horace Mann, born in Franklin, MA on May 4, in 1796 check out his wikipedia entry here.

Dean College commencement set for May 9, street closings planned

 

 

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

 

 

Dean College commencement set for May 9, street closings planned

via Wicked Local Franklin News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 5/3/09

Dean College's 143rd commencement exercises will take place Saturday, May 9, 11 a.m., at Grant Field, School Street. More than 300 graduates are Associate's degree and Bachelor's degree candidates.

Walter J. Handelsman, Class of 1977, delivers the Commencement Address. Handelsman is a Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist based at Newsday in Long Island.

During the  commencement procession from the Campus Center to Grant Field, the section of Main Street between School and Emmons Street will be closed to traffic from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. and 1:30 to 1:50 p.m.

In addition, School Street to Hillside Avenue will be closed from 10:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Emergency vehicles will be allowed access at all times.
 

 

 

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Wicked Local Franklin News RSS using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

 

 

School Committee message to FEA

Jeff Roy, School Committee Chairman, addresses the FEA membership via this 2-part video message.

Part 1




Part 2:



My notes and analysis of the two sides in this discussion can be found here.