McGovern running late

The good news is that there are people out to meet and talk With Congressman Jim McGovern today.

The bad news is that this has him running vary late. He arrived Franklin Library at 10:10 (not the 9:30 he was scheduled for).

I left after talking with him about 11:10. He is due in Wrentham at 11:30. Given the number of folks remaining to talk with him in Franklin, I would estimate that he would not arrive before noon time maybe not before 12:30. Note: these are my estimates.

As for my time with the Congressman:

• I talked with Congressman McGovern about collaborating with communications on his various issues and initiatives. You, the readers of Franklin Matters, should hear what he has to say in the matters that affect us. And given the current state of affairs, there is little that doesn't affect us. He listened, he liked to offer and claimed to follow up.
• I also talked about No Child Left Behind and other Federal unfunded mandates upon education. I pressed him that if the government is going to require something to be done, then fund it appropriately. Or take away the requirements. There are sufficient requirements at the state and local level to provide a good quality education to all the children of Franklin.
• After my time with the Congressman, I stayed to provide morale support for Ted McIntyre of the Franklin Area Climate Team. Ted wanted to invited the Congressman to participate in the Franklin event being put together for 350.org on October 24th. He also wanted to discuss the pending legislation on carbon trading. We were also joined by Steve Deredarian in this effort. Steve also took the opportunity to talk with the Congressman on the health care issue.

Congressman Jim McGovern - Office hours today

Friendly reminder that today, Saturday, June 13th, Congressman Jim McGovern will hold local office hours to meet and talk with us at the following places:

• Medway: Coffee Sensations, 116 Main St, 8:00 - 9:00 AM
• Franklin: Franklin Public Library, 118 Main St, 9:30 - 10:30 AM
• Wrentham: Public Safety Bldg, 89 South St, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
• Plainville: Fire Station, 157 South St, 1:00 - 2:00 PM
• North Attleborough: Richards Memorial Library, 2:30 - 3:30 PM

This is your chance to talk with Congressman McGovern.

Sign up for his newsletter on his web site here

teachers = "are expert learners first"

... I also wonder if we can actually make something new out of something old in this case. Without remaking the system, is it reasonable to expect that we can systemically move toward inquiry based, self-directed, networked learning spaces that focus on the learning that Carroll describes in the essay?

Thoughtful posting by Wil Richardson on the idea that if we could start over and create schools, what would we do?

I highly recommend clicking through to read the full posting here

Given the cost pressures affecting school districts here and elsewhere, how should schools operate? What do you think?

"The objective is economic development"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

Milford Daily News

Posted Jun 12, 2009 @ 11:40 PM

---

FRANKLIN —

Even in the midst of a recession, state Rep. James E. Vallee, D-Franklin, knows how to secure money for his towns: "persistence and tenacity."

"You wear them down. Essentially, you just keep running at them, and hopefully you can convince them," said Vallee, the new House majority leader.

After five years of pushing, Vallee said Franklin has been awarded $1 million in state funds for improvements to downtown. That money is separate from a $5 million federal grant.

The $1 million, available through a public works economic development grant, will pay for improvements to Main Street, Dean Avenue, Depot Street to Ray Street, and a municipal parking lot on Depot Street, Vallee said.

Read the full article about this state grant in the Milford Daily News here

The grant will help economic development efforts downtown. It will allow Franklin to spend less of its own money to do the work required. While the grant can not be used to offset our operational budget problems, the grant will help the overall budget by avoiding the expense of additional debt. Our debt to operations ratio will remain low.

And the rainbow appears over the field

And the rainbow appears over the field at the Relay for Life, originally uploaded by shersteve.

And the rainbow appears over the field at the Relay for Life, FHS Track

Franklin 2009 Relay for Life begins

Franklin 2009 Relay for Life begins here at the FHS Track $73 590 raised thus fa, originally uploaded by shersteve.

Franklin 2009 Relay for Life begins here at the FHS Track $73 590 raised thus far.

All Tewksbury teachers given pink slips

TEWKSBURY -- Despite passionate pleas from teachers and parents for leniency, the School Committee voted unanimously last night to temporarily roll back the workday -- and thus the salaries -- of all school employees by 10 percent come July 1.

But the committee also left the door open for other suggestions, noting that it could not delay the controversial vote because of a contractual June 15 layoff deadline that the teachers union declined to waive.

"We're not close-minded," Chairman Richard O'Neill said after the vote. "Closing a school is off the table and we're not going to just flat lay off 40 people, but anything else we're willing to entertain."

In the meantime, though, all school employees will receive pink slips. Recall notices with a reduced, 90 percent workload will then follow. Those employees who agree to be rehired will essentially accept a temporary 10 percent pay cut and shorter work week.

Read the full story on the Tewksbury budget problem and how they are attempting to address it in the Lowell Sun here

Hmm, we have cut 28 positions in 2008, 42 positions on 2009, and could go as many as 60 for 2010.