Downtown Project Update # 12

The paving of Emmons Street, West Central Street and Summer Street are now scheduled for the week of October 26th.

The crosswalk on West Central Street for Dean College near the Davis Thayer School will move closer to the intersection where the new traffic signal will be installed and temporary stop signs will be erected at the end of Emmons Street until the lights are installed.

They will continue to construct sidewalks on West Central Street.

The plan is to put in new curbs and sidewalks on East Central Street from Cottage Street to Summer
Street this fall. 

If anyone has a question please feel free to reach out to the DPW Director, Brutus Cantoreggi or Town Engineer, Michael Maglio at 508-553-5500 or Jeffrey Nutting, Town Administrator at
508-520-4949.

new sidewalks and curbing on West Central St

In the News: Sen Ross office hour, fire investigation continues, Dellorco for Council, Medway power plant meeting

State Sen. Richard Ross will hold a morning meeting hour in Franklin on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at the Franklin Council on Aging, 10 Daniel McCahill St., from 10-11 a.m. 

Morning meetings provide constituents with an opportunity to meet with Ross or a member of staff and discuss any matters of importance to them. To register for a meeting, call the office of Sen. Ross at 617-722-1555 with a preferred time and a brief description of the topics you would like to discuss. 

Call the office or email Richard.Ross@masenate.gov with any questions.

http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20151013/NEWS/151018680/1994/NEWS

Nothing suspicious was found during the autopsies of two Franklin residents who died in a Saturday explosion, and State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan and Franklin Fire Chief Gary B. McCarraher said that the investigation is focused on a possible propane gas explosion. 

Norfolk County District Attorney spokesman David Traub said the state medical examiner's office had conducted the autopsies of Nancy and Richard Brown, both 66, who perished in an explosion and fire at their 58 Tuscany Drive condominium, and found no cause for suspicion as to the cause of death.

http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20151013/NEWS/151018522/1994/NEWS

Town Council member Robert Dellorco said he would emphasize combating the opioid abuse epidemic, ensuring controlled growth and encouraging community involvement if re-elected in November. 

He is one of 14 candidates seeking a total of nine seats on the council. He is pursuing his third term in office.

Continue reading the article online (Subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20151013/NEWS/151018398/1994/NEWS

With a little over a week until a public forum on the proposed Exelon expansion, many residents came with more questions and concerns to Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting that featured - at times - raised voices and spirited opposition. 

Brian Adams, the first resident to bring questions to the board and who has been actively involved in opposing the plant, asked how the Oct. 21 forum at the middle school will be formatted.

Continue reading the article online (Subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20151013/NEWS/151018373/1994/NEWS

Live reporting: School Committee closing

5. Information Matters

• Superintendent’s Report

Kennedy 4th Grade teachers - Williams and Merton invited to present at a reading conference, a return engagement being called back by popular demand

Feb 29, Chris Herren coming to visit and host a community meeting
Bill Phillips will be coming for workshops (date TBD)

SAFE Committee - looking for volunteers to purchase a kit to set up a teenagers bedroon, looking for signs of substance abuse

Teen programs at the Library, calling all teens, Oct 22 between 6:30 and 8

partnership be Dean and Y, Oct 19th to Nov 30th (Monday nights)
(link to be added, was posted here earlier)
transition from high school to college

October Stroll Oct 15th
students to be performing at locations downtown

Oct 24th - tours of the high school 9:00 - 11:00
tours and snacks


• School Committee Sub-Committee Reports
committee met for the last time (with this group)
all docs in order for the next committee (after the Nov 3 election)

• School Committee Liaison Reports

6. New Business

• To discuss future business that may be brought before the School Committee.


Harlem Wizards - Nov 13th, tickets now on sale
assemblies at the schools happening on Weds (10/14/15)

7. Executive Session

• Other Legal Matter- Review of Executive Session Minutes

motion to approve, second, passed 7-0

Live reporting: Action items

• Student Activity Accounts
this is the second time around due to new requirements by the DESE for the School Committee
the funds actually below to the students, the School Committee/SChool District acts as an 'agent' overseeing the funds

4. Action Items

a. I recommend approval of the Annie Sullivan School Improvement Plan as presented.
motion to approve, second, passed 7-0

b. I recommend approval of the Remington School Improvement Plan as presented.
motion to approve, second, passed 7-0

c. I recommend acceptance of two checks totaling $1,619.00 from the Oak Street PCC for In-house enrichment and Field Trips.  motion to approve, second, passed 7-0

d. I recommend acceptance of two checks totaling $5,327.53 from the Keller PCC for field trips and supplemental supplies.  motion to approve, second, passed 7-0

e. I recommend acceptance of a check for $400.00 from Shaw’s Supermarket for in-house enrichment at the FHS.  motion to approve, second, passed 7-0

f. I recommend acceptance of a check for $4,500.00 from the Jefferson PCC for Field Trips.
motion to approve, second, passed 7-0

g. I recommend acceptance of $2,976.87 from various parents from the Davis Thayer book fair for 
Supplemental Curriculum Materials.  motion to approve, second, passed 7-0


h. I recommend approval of the Evaluation of the Superintendent.
motion to approve, second, passed 7-0

i. I recommend moving the following Policies to a second reading:

1. GDCC – Staff, Family & Medical Leave
2. GDCC-E – Family & Medical Leave of Absence
3. Eliminate: JFABB – Admission of Exchange and Foreign Students.

motion to approve, second, passed 7-0

j. I recommend approval of student activity account clubs and activities as detailed.
motion to approve, second, passed 7-0

k. I recommend approval of the Field Trip request for RMS students to travel to Mt. Monadnock on October 24, 2015 (rain date: 10/31/15) as detailed.  motion to approve, second, passed 7-0

Live reporting: Discussion only items - policy updates

3. Discussion Only Items

• Policy – First Readings

• GDCC – Staff, Family & Medical Leave
• GDCC-E – Family & Medical Leave of Absence

bringing up to date and to ensure in synchronization with current contract erms


• Policy Elimination

• JFABB – Admission of Exchange and Foreign Students

policy out dated and currently invalid due to other changes in the law
would require a full time staff person to manage if we were ti bring current
also due to the school choice decision, and current class size, this is being recommended to not continue

• Superintendent Evaluation
evaluation in similar format as the teachers

• instructional leadership
• management and operations
• family and community engagement
• professional development

overall rating came up as 'exemplary'

O'Malley - agree with the comments that the Superintendent is 'exemplary'

Trahan - agree with the comments, we are glad to have Maureen here

Jewell - gets personally involved when asked to, is truly a leader and it is shown by her time out when the staff took over and 'we did not skip a beat'
she does that at the same time she does the little things that matter

Clement - we wouldn't be able to bring them in unless they were good, the movements within the district shows that the best candidates are here and that is all due to the leadership at the top

Rohrbach - sets the standard, is the role model for the district

Douglas - your communications as superintendent far exceed what has been done previously, you are always available

Sabolinski - I must do my job, we are fortunate to be all working well together. We have a strong team. We spend time and effort on growing teacher leaders. Thanks to everyone I work with,

• Assistant Superintendent
Sally Winslow will be retiring on June 30th
thanks for seven years,  her skills will be missed
policy subcommittee, personnel investigations, personnel searches
already have plans for what she'll do for us next year in her next chapter of life

recommendation to move Peter Light as Assistant Superintendent
Paul Peri to move into the roll as Principal at High School
will require vote by the committee at next meeting

Mullen - it is not easy to be the #2 person, you have done it very well

NEASC Update to the School Committee

Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski provides an update on the NEASC accreditation process. The high school which had been on 'warning status' (from 1996) until the new building opened is now up for its first site visit and accreditation in the new building.

The presentation deck used is as follows:

Franklin Public Schools: NEASC Update to School Committee from Franklin Matters

March 12-15, 2017 will be the site visit
all this will be in preparation for the site visit

the accreditation report will likely be issued approx 6 months after the site visit and is delivered to the School Committee

the NEASC visit is looked at as a partnership between the Central Office and community in support of the High School. It is a peer review and validation of our K-12 educational process here in Franklin

it is an aspiration as the NEAC standards are higher than the common core

the site visit was supposed to be scheduled for last fall. IT was rescheduled as the building was just opening. NEASC agreed to the reschedule as it made sense to have been in the building for more than the year.

Middle School Improvement Plans - Annie Sullivan, Remington

2. Guests/Presentations

a. Annie Sullivan School Improvement Plan
b. Remington School Improvement Plan

Beth Wittcoff, Principal of Annie Sullivan
Brian Wildeman, Principal of Remington Middle School

(copies of school improvement plans to be provided later)


Annie Sullivan




Remington

Live reporting: School Committee - Oct 13, 2015

Present: Douglas, O'Malley, Rohrbach, Clement, Mullen, Trahan, Jewell
Absent:  none

1. Routine Business
• Citizen’s Comments
none

• Review of Agenda
none

• Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the September 22, 2015 School Committee Meeting.  motion to approve, seconded, passed 7-0

• Payment of Bills - Mr. Clement
motion to approve, seconded, passed 7-0

• Payroll - Mrs. Douglas

• FHS Student Representatives
Car wash fund raiser moved to Davis Thayer
over 15 college commitment for athletics
home coming game Friday vs. Mansfield
home coming event on Saturday
FHS House Cup based upon Harry Potter, details being worked on
Panther Pride night Oct 21 for 8th graders and families

• Correspondence: Budget To Actual – Miriam Goodman

Franklin, MA: School Committee - Agenda - Oct 13, 2015

Vision Statement

The Franklin Public Schools will foster within its students the knowledge and skills to find and achieve satisfaction in life as productive global citizens.

AGENDA

"The listing of matters are those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which

may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed

and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent

permitted by law."

1. Routine Business

• Citizen’s Comments

Franklin Public Schools - the key to learning

• Review of Agenda
• Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the September 22, 2015 School Committee Meeting.
• Payment of Bills Mr. Clement
• Payroll Mrs. Douglas
• FHS Student Representatives
• Correspondence: Budget To Actual – Miriam Goodman

2. Guests/Presentations

a. Annie Sullivan School Improvement Plan
b. Remington School Improvement Plan
c. NEASC Overview

3. Discussion Only Items

• Policy – First Readings
o GDCC – Staff, Family & Medical Leave
o GDCC-E – Family & Medical Leave of Absence
• Policy Elimination
o JFABB – Admission of Exchange and Foreign Students
• Superintendent Evaluation
• Assistant Superintendent
• Student Activity Accounts

4. Action Items

a. I recommend approval of the Annie Sullivan School Improvement Plan as presented.
b. I recommend approval of the Remington School Improvement Plan as presented.
c. I recommend acceptance of two checks totaling $1,619.00 from the Oak Street PCC for In-house enrichment and Field Trips.
d. I recommend acceptance of two checks totaling $5,327.53 from the Keller PCC for field trips and supplemental supplies.
e. I recommend acceptance of a check for $400.00 from Shaw’s Supermarket for in-house enrichment at the FHS.
f. I recommend acceptance of a check for $4,500.00 from the Jefferson PCC for Field Trips.
g. I recommend acceptance of $2,976.87 from various parents from the Davis Thayer book fair for Supplemental Curriculum Materials.
h. I recommend approval of the Evaluation of the Superintendent.
i. I recommend moving the following Policies to a second reading:

1. GDCC – Staff, Family & Medical Leave
2. GDCC-E – Family & Medical Leave of Absence
3. Eliminate: JFABB – Admission of Exchange and Foreign Students.

j. I recommend approval of student activity account clubs and activities as detailed.
k. I recommend approval of the Field Trip request for RMS students to travel to Mt. Monadnock on October 24, 2015 (raindate: 10/31/15) as detailed.

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. Executive Session

• Other Legal Matter- Review of Executive Session Minutes

8. Adjourn

Library Expansion - Design photos

When at the Candidates Night I saw and took these photos of the Franklin Library expansion project that were on display in the lobby of the Municipal Building. 

the expansion of the Library will be located  out the back corner and include a new back entrance

the expansion will be two stories

new children's area

new main level reading area

grand stairway

new books and media section

a rendering of the outside of the building showing the expansion on the back corner

The Library Building Committee was formed in Dec 2014
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/12/live-reporting-library-building.html

The preliminary planning report was presented in April 2015
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/04/among-smallest-public-libraries-in-area.html

Franklin Food Pantry News: Turkey Trot scheduled, Patriots raffle tickets for sale

Save the date for this year's Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning to benefit the Franklin Food Pantry! 

Held right here in Franklin, all donations stay local to help feed the need of our own community. More details coming soon!

There was a light coat of snow to run the Turkey Trot in 2014

A great big THANK YOU to Team Fitness Franklin for their generous donation of a Patriots Tickets game package for a...
Posted by Franklin Food Pantry on Friday, October 9, 2015

For more information on the Franklin Food Pantry visit them online  http://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/  

or on Facebook ->  https://www.facebook.com/FranklinFoodPantry?fref=ts

Franklin Newcomers & Friends: Meeting Oct 14

The Franklin Newcomers and Friends will hold their monthly meeting this Wednesday, October 14th. Whether you are new to town or have lived here your entire life, please join us at the "3" Restaurant at 7:30pm. 

We meet upstairs in a private function room: heavy appetizers and non-alcoholic beverages are complimentary. The meeting is open to all members and prospective members.

This month our Speaker will be Michael Fishbein, Vice Presidents of Academic Affairs at Dean College.

The Franklin Newcomers and Friends provides an opportunity to feel connected to Franklin through events and outings . . . nobody is a stranger here, we're all Friends! 

Recent events have included hiking on the Appalachian Trail in the Berkshires, weekly power walking, biking on The Cape, movie nights, book group and many others.

Franklin Newcomers website image

For additional info, visit the Newcomers and Friends on their webpage
http://franklinnewcomers.com/

Taking Stock of the Hock - Soccer 2015

Hockomock Sports has two good articles to share today, one on girls soccer and one on boys soccer.

Girls Soccer 2015

Who is the current soccer Player of the Year?

Perry: For the past three years, a Franklin girls’ soccer player has been named Player of the Year. It started with Kristi Kirshe, who split the award by division the first year that we gave it out, and Taylor Cogliano won it each of the past two years. At the moment, I think the Panthers’ domination of this award will continue. 

Senior Victoria Stowell continues to dominate the middle of the pitch for Franklin, especially against the top teams, as Mansfield can attest. Even with a host of new and inexperienced players around her in the midfield, she continues to keep the Panthers offense rolling with incisive passing and a bite in the tackle that helps protect the defense by keeping the ball high up the pitch. Stowell is second in the league with 18 points, including 13 assists, and is the main cog in a team that remains unbeaten and has yet to give up a goal.

Continue reading the article online
http://www.hockomocksports.com/taking-stock-of-the-hock-girls-soccer-2015/

Victoria Stowell (blue) and Francesca Calabraro lead the midfields of the top two teams in the Hock and are among the players contending for Player of the Year this season. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

Boys Soccer 2015

At this point, which team will be going the furthest in the tournament?

Lanigan: I think there are a couple of teams that have a good chance at making runs in the tournament this year. With Franklin, Mansfield and KP in D1, Oliver Ames and Stoughton in D2 and Foxboro in D3, we could see a run from all three divisions. When it comes to the question though, I think Oliver Ames has a good chance of getting back to where they were last year. Don’t be surprised if Foxboro gets further than they did last year and one of the D1 teams makes a run in a talented D1 South field.

Continue reading the article online
http://www.hockomocksports.com/taking-stock-of-the-hock-boys-soccer-2015/

In the News: 25th anniversary gala, Feldman for Council, Bilello for School Committee

Temple Etz Chaim, of Franklin, will honor state Rep. Jeff Roy and Carl Citron at its upcoming gala event. 

The congregation of Temple Etz Chaim welcomes the entire community to join them as they celebrate their 25th anniversary at a gala on Saturday, Nov. 14 at the Crystal Room, 49 Cedar St., Milford. Cocktails begin at 6:30 p.m., with dinner and dancing to follow.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20151012/NEWS/151019194/1994/NEWS

Town Council member Brett Feldman, seeking his second term in the Nov. 3 town election, would look to spur energy initiatives and encourage commercial development if re-elected. 

Feldman is one of 14 candidates seeking a total of nine seats on the council.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20151012/NEWS/151018980/1994/NEWS

New School Committee candidate Vanessa Bilello is hoping she can offer both her educational expertise and parent's perspective to the committee if elected. 

Bilello is one of eight candidates seeking the committee's seven seats. She is currently an assistant principal in Hopkinton and has previously served in the Franklin school district as a special education teacher.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20151012/NEWS/151018945/1994/NEWS

Franklin Candidate for Town Clerk - Beth Simon

Beth Simon, one of the candidates for Town Clerk, met with me recently at Panera Bread. This is the summary of our conversation.

FM - What is your Franklin story?

Beth Simon - When I mentioned to my husband, that I was thinking of running for Town Clerk, he said “You’re very efficient and highly organized. I can’t think of a better position to use what you can bring to this position.”

When I arrived 26 years ago I was new to town and had few friends at the time. My first volunteer position was with All Night Party. Some asked “Why are you here, you don’t have any children?” I thought this was a great way to keep children safe. So I have been volunteering for them ever since. The friends I met through the All Night Party had children around the same time and we kept in touch. Volunteering became a very integral part of my life. It came full circle with the Ladybug Project last year. So many of the folks I have met, I had worked with before.

I quickly became an active volunteer when I arrived in Franklin, so my passion with Franklin has been from the beginning. I currently work in the Franklin Public School system where I get to help people on a daily basis. With the Town Clerk, I could do the same on a grander scale. Help them find answers and solutions to their problems.

FM - What do you see as a challenge for the position of Town Clerk?

Beth Simon – I see a great need for the office hours to reflect what the residents of Franklin need in order to conduct business. Currently working in the school system, I have seen some of our parents struggle with proof of residence. They have to coordinate their hours with the hours of the school department to get the necessary paperwork in order. I see a lot of people stress out trying to get that done. The Town Clerk should have extended hours and should work with the School Department as well as other departments to service the town’s people better than we are doing now.

Part of my background is with marketing and promotion, so while Franklin Matters does a great job keeping people informed, we can do more and communicate effectively. The Town lacks in that. Maybe a coffee hour at a local business to meet with the people and business; maybe go to a different places, every Thursday or whatever works, tweet it out, let people know. To meet with folks, make it easier and get feedback from the residents. I see part of this role as a PR person.  

Years ago we had an issue with trees resting on utility wires and I was unsure who to call. I contacted the Town Clerk’s office and they directed me to the correct department. People may not know who to contact and the Town Clerk’s office is generally the first department people have contact with. It is where you will go to get a marriage, birth or death certificate plus register a dog or business. Most of the normal life events require interaction with the Town Clerk. 

I was on the recent charter commission which gave me great insights into how the town worked. It was a great commission to be on. I became much more informed about what was going on in the town. I told Jim Dacey, hey I could get in as Treasurer and jokingly said to him, I can’t balance a check book. Is that good? That helped to start the move to bring the change to have that position appointed and approved by the Town Council. As for the Town Clerk, my position was that the residents of Franklin should maintain their right to vote for Town Clerk.

FM - What do you bring to the position that would set you apart from the other candidates?

Beth Simon – I have worked in both the private and public arena. One of the private sector jobs I did was I managed expo events all over the country. My expo events were attended by 300 to 500 people from all over the country. So the coordination of doing an event on that large scale would be similar to handling an election. Managing the details of the events is one of my strengths.

I also have a great knowledge of social media. I tweet a lot and get some of the local parents to follow to get updates on what’s going on at our school and what changes there are. I am highly organized. I believe that every inquiry should be answered within two business days.

If you have any follow up questions for Beth, you can contact her via bethsimonfortownclerk@gmail.com

You can also visit her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bethsimonfortownclerk?fref=ts



Noteworthy: This information is intended to help the Franklin voters when we all head to the ballot box on November 3rd. The interview candidates have had an opportunity to review the text before publishing to ensure the accuracy of our discussion.

FHS girls soccer ties Chelmsford 1-1

From Hockomock Sports we find and share the following result from Sunday's action.

FHS Panthers

Field Hockey

Franklin, 1 vs. Chelmsford, 1 – Final 

– Senior Jill Sirignano scored off of a rebound for the Panthers. Senior goalie Samantha Jones had seven saves to help preserve the tie. Franklin head coach Lisa Cropper said senior Kenzi Pleshaw and sophomore Christina Quinn both also had strong games for the Panthers.

This was the only action across the Hockomock League on Sunday
http://www.hockomocksports.com/sundays-schedule-scoreboard-101115/

Franklin DPW updated snow information to prepare for Winter 2015

Snow, in October? It has happened. Not too long a go it fell on Halloween. In advance of winter's arrival, the DPW has updated their snow information to share. And share we will.

Settle into a comfy location, perhaps with a favorite beverage and enjoy!

Franklin DPW Snow Iinformation 2015 from Franklin Matters

For additional information on the DPW snow and ice removal efforts, visit their webpage
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_PublicWorks/snow_operations/snow_index

Franklin DPW webpage header photo

Franklin Candidate for School Committee - Vanessa Bilello

Vanessa Bilello, one of the candidates for School Committee, met with me recently at Panera Bread. This is the summary of our conversation.

FM - Tell me the story about how you ended up here in Franklin?

Vanessa Bilello – I was raised on Mercer Island, in the state of Washington. I came to MA to attend Wellesley College, where I graduated as Poly Sci major in 1997. I intended on being a lawyer with a focus on education. Before my senior year, I spent a summer in an internship at the Dept. of Ed in Washington, DC. 

There I realized how critical it was that people making educational policy decisions have real experience in schools - as teachers. Even at that time, there was a big disconnect with reality for some of the policy makers, so I returned to Wellesley where I did student teaching to get my elementary teaching license. I spent the next two years completing a Masters in Special Education at Boston College while teaching 3rd-6th graders in the Brookline Public Schools. 

My husband took a job transfer from Boston to San Francisco, so I spent four years as the only Special Educator in a K-5 building in the Palo Alto School District. When my husband got an opportunity to transfer back to New England, we initially settled in North Attleboro. I began substitute teaching and was impressed with the caliber of the schools and the strong community here in Franklin. 

I spent several years as a stay-at-home mom for our young family. I was active in the community, serving as the President of the North Attleboro MOMS Club for several years. However, when a friend from Boston College asked me to apply for her maternity leave, I was thrilled at the prospect of returning to the classroom. That led me to Oak St, where I spent much of the 2008-2009 school year as a 4th and 5th grade Special Education Teacher. 

The positive experience at Oak St. and our desire to be part of this community led my family to relocate to Franklin that summer. I got hired on for a Special Education position and spent five years teaching 7th and 8th grade at the Annie Sullivan Middle School. During my last year there I also completed an administrative internship. After being in the elementary setting in Brookline and Palo Alto, teaching and serving as a principal intern at the middle level opened my eyes quite a bit. 

I went on to get my second Masters of Education in 2014, this one in Organizational Management. The degree is from Endicott College, but the program is a collaboration of Endicott, MSSAA and Teachers 21 (an educational consulting group). That led to my current job in educational administration.

FM – So from teaching special education to administration and now running for the School Committee?

Vanessa Bilello - It was not an easy decision, but I left ASMS to become Assistant Principal at the Hopkins School in Hopkinton. The Hopkins School is the combined 4th-5th grade school for Hopkinton Public Schools with just over 500 students. This will be my second year there and it has been a great transition. I love working at Hopkins, but miss my involvement in Franklin Public Schools. While no longer teaching here, I try to stay knowledgeable about district policy by reading School Committee minutes and attending informational nights at the schools my children attend. 

Franklin is a great place to raise a family! When my husband and I chose to settle and raise our children here, it was because we believed in Franklin and its schools. I have two daughters- one is currently a 4th grader at Keller and one is a 6th grader at Annie Sullivan. 

While working here in Franklin, it wasn’t possible for me to get involved in district policy-making as a parent, though I did participate in a number of leadership roles as teacher - such as School Council and as a mentor teacher. Having had the professional separation for a year now, I think the timing is right for me to do something more for our community. This is another way that I can share my knowledge about teaching and education policy, because as a parent and community member I want to get involved and give back to Franklin.

FM – What will you bring to the School Committee?

Vanessa Bilello - We are at such a crossroads in public education. If you look at the history and development of public education over the years, it is always additive. There has been tremendous change and pressures placed on educators… and also our students. 

The mandates on public schools are so immense, particularly in the past ten to twenty years. This is why we need to have a clear, coherent vision with strategic planning for our district. We need to bring all community members together- stakeholders and educators- to talk about what that education looks like, with the understanding that continual improvement is critical. 

What is our vision to move these discussions forward? Open and honest communication through respectful dialogue is crucial. As a new administrator, I believe that there are tools available to gather information from community members and to foster the needed conversation. 

The recent school calendar and school start-times survey is a good example of that. I am willing to sift through data; technology gives us an avenue that we have not had in the past. We need to do that to keep the conversation going. These conversations need to happen in ways that everyone feels they have a voice and can share opinions- not just at the soccer fields or in the local Starbucks. 

The more non-discussables there are in an organization, the harder it is to have positive and real change. It may be much easier to have a discussion on Facebook about something you don’t like, but it is not necessarily moving the issue into the open for problem solving. In my recent Master’s program, we talked a lot about the importance of building a culture of trust. 

Public school districts must do this while involving the many different stakeholders- teachers, administrators, taxpayers, parents and course, the students. We may be coming to the table with different opinions, but we all must come together in the interest of improving our students’ learning. Sometimes those difficult conversations, those different viewpoints, can get in the way of remembering that. I think that’s where listening and understanding play a critical role. 

As an assistant principal, I also recognize how big a role budget plays in public education- we must constantly find creative ways to make the best given budgetary constraints. Franklin faces challenges, especially since we do not have a budget available that is as large as other districts in the state. Since our per-pupil expenditure is lower than many and especially since we are still a Level 2 district, we need to be constantly evaluating our progress- at the student, classroom, building and district level- to find ways to improve our student outcomes. 

As an educator, I recognize the demands placed on teachers and schools through unfunded political mandates, community expectations and complex student needs. As a parent of elementary and middle school-aged children, I am committed to providing my children and the rest of the students here in Franklin the best education possible. This brings me full circle to the role I believe I can play on School Committee –as a dedicated educator and devoted parent.

FM – What is your view on standardized testing?

Vanessa Bilello – I have spent a lot of time learning about and implementing the 2011 MA Curriculum Frameworks for Math and ELA. Standards are a critical part of education and provide a necessary coherence and consistency across classrooms and districts. They allow parents and educators to have conversations about the essential skills students need to develop as they progress through the grades. I fear that sometimes the line gets blurred between standards and standardized testing. 

Obviously, the testing of these standards is a hot topic right now and conversations are ongoing at the state and national level- we are still waiting for MA DESE to decide between PARCC and MCAS. While Franklin moved to PARCC this past year, the Hopkinton District School Committee voted to stay with MCAS. More of my experience has been with MCAS, though I’ve been learning as much as I can about PARCC to prepare my staff in the case the state goes that route. 

Formative and summative assessment data is important- you can do analysis and act on it. Regardless, assessment should take a variety of forms and there should be transparency with parents about how this data is used by schools. 

As a Special Educator who spent many years administering these assessments and now as a parent, I also recognize that there is not an easy answer when it comes to standardized testing - assessment times are long and stressful for students, teachers and parents, regardless of which test we implement. While the data is important, we must always remember the learner is more than a number - these are children and performance on one assessment cannot possibly paint a full picture of them. 

This summer my daughter and I were talking about testing and she said to me “Mommy, it seems like sometimes schools are trying to suck the love of learning out of you.” As a life-long educator, that stabbed me in the heart. 

We need to explore ways to bring a love of learning to all our children and foster a growth mindset in our students by modeling it as adults. Schools should be a place where students are excited about learning since being a life-long learner is what it is all about. I firmly believe that “passionate learning is based upon a foundation of compassion.” This is the vision I will lead with as a Franklin School Committee member.

If you have questions for Vanessa, you can contact her via email at vbilello97@gmail.com

You can find additional information on her campaign on her Facebook page
www.facebook.com/VanessaBilelloforSchoolCommittee


Noteworthy:  This information is intended to help the Franklin voters when we all head to the ballot box on November 3rd. The interview candidates have had an opportunity to review the text before publishing to ensure the accuracy of our discussion. 

"What we know is there was a fire and explosion - we don't know its origin"

Two bodies were found in the wreckage of a condominium unit after an explosion rocked a local neighborhood Saturday morning. 

The Norfolk County District Attorney's Office said the bodies of Nancy and Richard Brown, both 66 years old, were recovered from the site of the blast, which took place at 58 Tuscany Drive shortly before 7 a.m. The cause of the incident, fire officials said, will be the subject of an investigation by the state fire marshal's office over the coming days. 

According to a Franklin Fire Department release, department personnel received calls at 6:48 a.m. that an explosion had taken place at The Villages at Oak Hill, a condominium complex off of Washington Street. Units responded and reported heavy fire on their arrival, and were able to contain the blaze by 8:15 a.m.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20151010/NEWS/151019445/1994/NEWS

At mid-afternoon Saturday, firefighters were still putting water on the smoldering ruins of a condo at The Villages on Oak Hill in Franklin. Daily News Staff Photo/Ken McGagh

MassBudget: A $15 Minimum Wage - Effects and Historical Context

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. A $15 Minimum Wage - Effects and Historical Context After several decades in which economic growth and productivity gains have not translated into wage growth for large segments of the labor force, policy makers are looking for strategies that can expand opportunity and raise wages for working people. One proposal in Massachusetts would set a minimum wage of $15 an hour for workers in fast food and big box retail businesses that have more than 200 employees. MassBudget's new report A $15 Minimum Wage - Effects and Historical Context looks at recent changes in wage and productivity growth and examines the current minimum wage in light of those trends. It also examines who would be affected by proposed increases for fast food workers. To read the full report, please click HERE. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108