Not long ago I solved a cryptogram which was a quote from a man that I never heard of. It read, “Only fools and dead men don’t change their minds. Fools won’t. Dead men can’t.” My drive to work each day is about thirty minutes, and when not on the phone I take the time to think as deeply as I can about the issues of the day. On my way in this morning, this quote reemerged in my brain as I thought about the resistance to change that we are experiencing as we move closer and closer to the towns voting regionalization up or down.
There are cadres of people who have been against merging our schools for a very long time. The merging of the districts in a Grades 7 – 12 regional school took place 56 years ago and conversations about bringing in the elementary schools have been going on ever since. Unfortunately some people have taken such a stance against our efforts to change that they have refused to listen and refused to think deeply about the possibilities. Still, we have gained momentum and as the times to vote approach and we have been hit with a barrage of questions and concerns that I jokingly refer to as “scuds.”
You might recall in Operation Desert Storm the United States Military was quite successful in shooting down Scud Missiles fired by Iraqi forces via the Patriot Missile System. These missiles were renowned for both their destructive power yet joked about for their lack of precision. United States media outlets led the American public to believe that these missiles were the equivalent of a child trying to hit a piñata. Blindfold on, stick in hand, swing away and hope you make contact.
Since 2009 information has become increasingly available about how much money has been saved in the consolidation of our offices. Then more information was made available about where new funds will become available. I think it is sad and unfortunate that the only thing we talk about is the money because what we are really trying to do this to make the school system better. Fewer people though seem to care about that. There are about two dozen people in our communities who have taken an active stance against merging our districts, and guess what…..they have no children in the schools.
Over the last couple of years I have read a great deal about change in preparation to complete my doctoral degree at UMASS. There is no shortage of quotes about the difficulties associated with change. Famous quotes date back to the 1500’s when Niccolo Machiavelli is stated to have said, "There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things."
As the regional planning committee has continued to hammer away at fact after fact in support of regionalization, opponents to regionalization have become more vocal with their opinions in hopes of slowing and/or putting a stop to the potential change. But facts have a funny way of messing up opinions, so the opposition has had to call upon a new game plan. The new game plan is rooted in asking questions that haven’t been, or cannot be answered. So much of our energy and time lately has been spent answering questions. In many cases though, those who are asking the questions really don’t care what the answer is. They just hope to find something that is not answered to use as a reason not to regionalize.
The Regional Planning committee has welcomed the questions however. Each and every one has provided an opportunity to provide clarity and deeper understanding of the issue. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know what I mean when I write about Ground Truth. In preparation for the votes to regionalize I will be posting reasons that certain groups of people will stand against regionalization. In general there are five reasons why people resist change:
1. People in general reject new and different things
2. People are not interested in change because it interferes with goals that they want to pursue
3. People do not understand the messages and consequences that will change their individual situations
4. People do not trust the person or people who are communicating the change
5. The most important reason: Fear
Readers will find that the biggest fear among those who oppose regionalization is rooted in their individual losses of power and control. The next series of blog posts will highlight shifts in power and control that will result from regionalization. Those who read the blog will then have a deeper understanding of why certain groups of people will stand in opposition to this change. This will also provide clarity for voters so that when the time comes they can make the most informed vote as possible.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
Benefitting From Debate
This morning I caught a three minute video in which former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush along with Speaker John Boehner made a plea for citizens to make donations to complete the memorial being constructed in Shanksville, PA to honor those who were killed there in the attacks of September 11th. In the clip President Clinton stated, “What gets things done is cooperation. Conflict may be good politics, but cooperation changes lives.” When the next collection of leadership quotes through the ages is printed, President Clinton’s words will be read again and again.
In my most recent blog I responded to a letter that appeared in the Athol Daily News. When I wrote my response to the letter there was not a doubt in my mind that I was absolutely and willingly entering into a public debate (conflict). While the word “debate” may carry negative connotations, there is so much value in it. Buddhist teachings identify debate as a means to develop awareness, improve concentration, reform opinions, and provide clarity to situations while at the same time bringing others to do the same. As a result of debate, I have at times been left to feel even stronger about my personal convictions and have also been called upon to say, “Ooooh…I didn’t think of that!”
Truth be told, debate makes people smarter, more equipped, and actually helps us to develop personality. These are some of the many reasons for debate clubs in elementary and middle, and high schools around the world. But the most important reason is that through debate, we learn. In debate you can identify others to be well thought, well-intended, or unfortunately the opposite. Even worse though, try having a debate with an emotionally unbalanced person and you can find yourself in a world of problems.
So last night I had the opportunity to meet with Mr. Haskins in person. After an exchange of a couple of passages from the bible, and a brief discussion about the fiscal implications of regionalization, we shook hands. I explained to Mr. Haskins that I learned long ago that public statements are subject public responses, and private conversations are well…private. I explained my fear that a person who does not know all of the facts about the transformation that regionalization will bring to our town and schools could vote based on the public opinions of others. Ultimately, it is one thing to say, “Please come vote” and another thing to say, “My group does not support this issue, please come vote.”
Mr. Haskins explained to me that he really hasn’t made up his mind about regionalization yet. He stated that he needs to know more about the financial implications of this project. In his letter he did use the words “At this time….” These words show open mindedness and is really saying, “Hey, we want some more information!!!” This request is more than reasonable, and it will be answered in the Eileen Perkins Media Center at Mahar on October 13, 2011.
We hope to see you there.
In my most recent blog I responded to a letter that appeared in the Athol Daily News. When I wrote my response to the letter there was not a doubt in my mind that I was absolutely and willingly entering into a public debate (conflict). While the word “debate” may carry negative connotations, there is so much value in it. Buddhist teachings identify debate as a means to develop awareness, improve concentration, reform opinions, and provide clarity to situations while at the same time bringing others to do the same. As a result of debate, I have at times been left to feel even stronger about my personal convictions and have also been called upon to say, “Ooooh…I didn’t think of that!”
Truth be told, debate makes people smarter, more equipped, and actually helps us to develop personality. These are some of the many reasons for debate clubs in elementary and middle, and high schools around the world. But the most important reason is that through debate, we learn. In debate you can identify others to be well thought, well-intended, or unfortunately the opposite. Even worse though, try having a debate with an emotionally unbalanced person and you can find yourself in a world of problems.
So last night I had the opportunity to meet with Mr. Haskins in person. After an exchange of a couple of passages from the bible, and a brief discussion about the fiscal implications of regionalization, we shook hands. I explained to Mr. Haskins that I learned long ago that public statements are subject public responses, and private conversations are well…private. I explained my fear that a person who does not know all of the facts about the transformation that regionalization will bring to our town and schools could vote based on the public opinions of others. Ultimately, it is one thing to say, “Please come vote” and another thing to say, “My group does not support this issue, please come vote.”
Mr. Haskins explained to me that he really hasn’t made up his mind about regionalization yet. He stated that he needs to know more about the financial implications of this project. In his letter he did use the words “At this time….” These words show open mindedness and is really saying, “Hey, we want some more information!!!” This request is more than reasonable, and it will be answered in the Eileen Perkins Media Center at Mahar on October 13, 2011.
We hope to see you there.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Response to Letter in Athol Daily News from Orange Taxpayers Association
I received an E mail from an Orange Elementary Teacher who copied and pasted a letter that appeared in the Athol Daily News from Orange Taxpayers Association (OTA) Member, Brian M. Haskins. I never actually saw the letter in the paper, for if I had this response would have been drafted much sooner. In his letter, Mr. Haskins indicated that the OTA could not support regionalization at this time.
The first part of my response is simply a series of questions. The first being, what is the Orange Taxpayers Association? From what I have seen at public meetings it is a group of about a dozen or so people who are active participants in school committee meetings, finance committee meetings, and meetings of the Board of Selectmen. I have never asked them what it is that they stand for, what their mission statement is and/or if they have a vision statement. I could not find a website with their name on it, as I was curious as to what were their core values. I did surmise that they have something to do with trying to keep taxes low for citizens, but after reading Mr. Haskins letter I figured I must be wrong.
You see, I did some math today. It is a hard FACT that if the Orange Elementary Schools had regionalized with the Ralph C. Mahar Regional School District in 2006, over the last five years $1,374,063.00 would have been available for the Orange Elementary Schools as a source of revenue. This would have come to the schools with no strings attached! With this much more to work with, I can say with great certainty that the roof at Dexter Park would not be in the poor condition that it is in. The $100,000.00 repair would have been covered and left $1,274,063.00 to spare.
The remaining $1.2 MILLION DOLLARS could very well have been used for art, music, physical education, books, computers, professional development, curricular materials, and/or other building repairs. In an Orange Elementary School District that is not regionalized these bills will have to be picked up by the taxpayers. So, I have to ask…Mr. Haskins:
Does the OTA stand for raising taxes or reducing them????
If you say reducing them, why would you reject the hundreds of thousands of dollars in state aid that will come to Orange via Massachusetts Regional Transportation Reimbursement each and every year????
Perhaps you know of some other way to return teachers to classrooms, repair buildings, and bring up to date technology to our schools???
The first part of my response is simply a series of questions. The first being, what is the Orange Taxpayers Association? From what I have seen at public meetings it is a group of about a dozen or so people who are active participants in school committee meetings, finance committee meetings, and meetings of the Board of Selectmen. I have never asked them what it is that they stand for, what their mission statement is and/or if they have a vision statement. I could not find a website with their name on it, as I was curious as to what were their core values. I did surmise that they have something to do with trying to keep taxes low for citizens, but after reading Mr. Haskins letter I figured I must be wrong.
You see, I did some math today. It is a hard FACT that if the Orange Elementary Schools had regionalized with the Ralph C. Mahar Regional School District in 2006, over the last five years $1,374,063.00 would have been available for the Orange Elementary Schools as a source of revenue. This would have come to the schools with no strings attached! With this much more to work with, I can say with great certainty that the roof at Dexter Park would not be in the poor condition that it is in. The $100,000.00 repair would have been covered and left $1,274,063.00 to spare.
The remaining $1.2 MILLION DOLLARS could very well have been used for art, music, physical education, books, computers, professional development, curricular materials, and/or other building repairs. In an Orange Elementary School District that is not regionalized these bills will have to be picked up by the taxpayers. So, I have to ask…Mr. Haskins:
Does the OTA stand for raising taxes or reducing them????
If you say reducing them, why would you reject the hundreds of thousands of dollars in state aid that will come to Orange via Massachusetts Regional Transportation Reimbursement each and every year????
Perhaps you know of some other way to return teachers to classrooms, repair buildings, and bring up to date technology to our schools???
Monday, September 19, 2011
An Answer to a Question: Protecting Class Size in Petersham
At the conclusion of our Regionalization Planning Meeting on Wednesday, September 14, 2011 Petersham School Committee Representative, Chuck Berube asked me and excellent question about the potential effects of regionalization on class size at the Petersham Center Elementary School. Mr. Berube stated that some of the constituency of Petersham expressed a concern that if regionalization were to take place that the newly formed Ralph C. Mahar School Committee could increase class size at the Petersham Center School.
Currently in Petersham it is very rare to have a class with more than sixteen (16) students. This is because there is a school committee policy that school choice students will not be accepted into any particular grade if class size will be driven to be higher than sixteen students. Now, it is possible that in some year there are more than 16 students from Petersham in a particular grade. If this happens, then a class may be higher than 16 students. But, to date this has rarely been the case.
Without a doubt the lower the number of students in a class, the more individual attention each student receives. Educational research shows that small class sizes have a deep correlation with higher student performance. In general this is an irrefutable fact in education. The smaller the class the more attention each student gets from his or her teacher. And this is why Mr. Berube’s question is such an important one. Why would anyone in Petersham want to merge their school with another district if it were to mean diminished learning opportunities for the children of Petersham Center School?
Below, please find a list of protections that will exist for the Petersham Center School with regard to educational quality, class size, and school finance:
Petersham School Choice Policy
As I stated above, class size in Petersham is regulated by school committee policy. This policy limits the number of students that can be accepted in to Petersham Center School from other communities. In order for this number to change the school committee would have to pass a policy to this effect.
The Authority of the Superintendent of Schools
In some school districts, class size is listed in the collective bargaining agreement for the teachers. Since the Petersham Teacher’s Contract has no such language at this time, the decision that pertains to the number of students in each class is made by the Superintendent of Schools, and in consultation with the building principal. The contract for the Superintendent of Schools reads:
“The Superintendent shall administer curriculum and instruction and decide all matters having to do with selection, appointment, assignment, transfer, promotion, organization, reorganization, reduction, or termination of personnel employed or to be employed by the school districts consistent with state law and contract obligations.”
More important than the aforementioned statement is language in the Superintendent’s Contract specifically written to ensure that a school committee cannot remove the authority of the Superintendent to make educational decisions:
“The Committees shall not, without the Superintendent’s written consent adopt any policy, by-law, or regulation which impairs or reduces the duties and authority specified above; and provided; further, that all additional duties and responsibilities prescribed by the Committees are consistent with those normally associated with the position of Superintendents of School in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”
Budget Approval Process in the Newly Proposed Region
Here you see a picture that provides a graphic illustration of the budget approval process in the newly proposed region.
1. First and foremost, the Petersham Elementary subcommittee (2 members) would both have to approve the Petersham Center budget to be presented to the full Mahar Pre-K – 12 School Committee.
2. The Mahar Pre-K – 12 School Committee approves the entire Pre-K – 12 budget. The two members from Petersham sit on this committee. In order for the budget to pass in an eleven member committee 8 of the 11 members must approve. Two of these members are from Petersham. If some amendment to the Petersham budget were to be presented to the Mahar Pre-K – 12 Committee, it would be very difficult for it to pass without the approval of the Petersham representatives.
3. If a budget were to be passed by the Mahar Pre-K – 12 School Committee that was not approved by the Petersham Elementary Subcommittee, the Town of Petersham would be provided with the option of not approving the full Mahar Pre-K – 12 budget on town floor at its Annual Town Meeting. Three out of four towns must agree in order to pass a budget in a regional school. I have been here since 2007, and have yet to see all four towns agree on a budget. As a matter of fact, Petersham’s continual support of the Mahar budget has been greatly appreciated by our school community.
Option to Gift Funds to Peterhsam Center School
In the newly proposed regional agreement, the Town of Petersham (or Orange) has the option of gifting funds to its elementary school(s). This mechanism allows for additional programs to be added to the elementary school of one town without impacting the entire Pre-K – 12 budget.
Finally...
Five layers of protection were named above for individual towns to support their schools. If a time ever came in which the interests of the Town of Petersham and the Petersham Center School were not being respected by the full Pre-K – 12 school committee, Principal, Superintendent of Schools, and/or the Budget Subcommittee, Petersham residents could vote at a town meeting to make a new decision. You see just as a vote of the Town can get into a regional agreement, a vote of the Town can be to pull out of a regional agreement.
Currently in Petersham it is very rare to have a class with more than sixteen (16) students. This is because there is a school committee policy that school choice students will not be accepted into any particular grade if class size will be driven to be higher than sixteen students. Now, it is possible that in some year there are more than 16 students from Petersham in a particular grade. If this happens, then a class may be higher than 16 students. But, to date this has rarely been the case.
Without a doubt the lower the number of students in a class, the more individual attention each student receives. Educational research shows that small class sizes have a deep correlation with higher student performance. In general this is an irrefutable fact in education. The smaller the class the more attention each student gets from his or her teacher. And this is why Mr. Berube’s question is such an important one. Why would anyone in Petersham want to merge their school with another district if it were to mean diminished learning opportunities for the children of Petersham Center School?
Below, please find a list of protections that will exist for the Petersham Center School with regard to educational quality, class size, and school finance:
Petersham School Choice Policy
As I stated above, class size in Petersham is regulated by school committee policy. This policy limits the number of students that can be accepted in to Petersham Center School from other communities. In order for this number to change the school committee would have to pass a policy to this effect.
The Authority of the Superintendent of Schools
In some school districts, class size is listed in the collective bargaining agreement for the teachers. Since the Petersham Teacher’s Contract has no such language at this time, the decision that pertains to the number of students in each class is made by the Superintendent of Schools, and in consultation with the building principal. The contract for the Superintendent of Schools reads:
“The Superintendent shall administer curriculum and instruction and decide all matters having to do with selection, appointment, assignment, transfer, promotion, organization, reorganization, reduction, or termination of personnel employed or to be employed by the school districts consistent with state law and contract obligations.”
More important than the aforementioned statement is language in the Superintendent’s Contract specifically written to ensure that a school committee cannot remove the authority of the Superintendent to make educational decisions:
“The Committees shall not, without the Superintendent’s written consent adopt any policy, by-law, or regulation which impairs or reduces the duties and authority specified above; and provided; further, that all additional duties and responsibilities prescribed by the Committees are consistent with those normally associated with the position of Superintendents of School in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”
Budget Approval Process in the Newly Proposed Region
Here you see a picture that provides a graphic illustration of the budget approval process in the newly proposed region.
1. First and foremost, the Petersham Elementary subcommittee (2 members) would both have to approve the Petersham Center budget to be presented to the full Mahar Pre-K – 12 School Committee.
2. The Mahar Pre-K – 12 School Committee approves the entire Pre-K – 12 budget. The two members from Petersham sit on this committee. In order for the budget to pass in an eleven member committee 8 of the 11 members must approve. Two of these members are from Petersham. If some amendment to the Petersham budget were to be presented to the Mahar Pre-K – 12 Committee, it would be very difficult for it to pass without the approval of the Petersham representatives.
3. If a budget were to be passed by the Mahar Pre-K – 12 School Committee that was not approved by the Petersham Elementary Subcommittee, the Town of Petersham would be provided with the option of not approving the full Mahar Pre-K – 12 budget on town floor at its Annual Town Meeting. Three out of four towns must agree in order to pass a budget in a regional school. I have been here since 2007, and have yet to see all four towns agree on a budget. As a matter of fact, Petersham’s continual support of the Mahar budget has been greatly appreciated by our school community.
Option to Gift Funds to Peterhsam Center School
In the newly proposed regional agreement, the Town of Petersham (or Orange) has the option of gifting funds to its elementary school(s). This mechanism allows for additional programs to be added to the elementary school of one town without impacting the entire Pre-K – 12 budget.
Finally...
Five layers of protection were named above for individual towns to support their schools. If a time ever came in which the interests of the Town of Petersham and the Petersham Center School were not being respected by the full Pre-K – 12 school committee, Principal, Superintendent of Schools, and/or the Budget Subcommittee, Petersham residents could vote at a town meeting to make a new decision. You see just as a vote of the Town can get into a regional agreement, a vote of the Town can be to pull out of a regional agreement.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Ground Truth vs. Official Truth: A Response to a Facebook Post
As mentioned in an earlier blog post, social networking sites can be wonderful sources of information. This is true when the information posted is factual, empirically based, and is written with the intent of promoting some type of public good. In many cases however, posts on sites such as Facebook can be written by individuals who misinterpret facts, only serving to proliferate their own misunderstandings.
Recently I was made aware of some military terminology that is fitting for this situation. In war there are two types of truth. The Official Truth is what people are willing to say publicly about things, and the Ground Truth is terminology that accurately reflects real life events. The two statements below provide an educational example of Official Truth vs. Ground Truth.
Official Truth: Our students MCAS scores are higher than many students statewide who are from similar socioeconomic backgrounds. This statement may be viewed as propaganda.
Ground Truth: Our students are consistently not meeting accountability standards set forth by the state. They are failing the MCAS in alarming numbers. This statement is a cold hard fact.
This blog post is written in response to a recent post on Facebook by a member of the Orange Taxpayers Association. In an effort to provide readers with Ground Truth, I will dissect the post one statement at a time. I have found this level of honesty about our situation is appreciated by many faculty and parents in our school community.
Ms. Piro's statements are in black
Mr. Baldassarre's statements are in red
Ms. Piro: I have asked Mr. Baldassarre how much in extra expenses it will cost the town if we regionalize.
Mr. Baldassarre: This statement is true. To clarify, I have posted the entire electronic correspondence from Ms. Piro with my response to her at the bottom of this post. You can read every question that Ms. Piro asked of me, and every response that I provided.
Ms. Piro: If we regionalize- all the elementary teachers pay will go up to meet the pay already received at the Mahar level, if the pay raises outweigh the bus savings, then financially it will hurt the town.
Mr. Baldassarre: The statement made by Ms. Piro here is not ground truth. Our consultants are currently conducting a financial analysis of the exact increases in salary for teachers if they are negotiated that way. In order for the salary schedules to be made final three teacher contracts must be merged and three non teaching contracts must be merged. All six of these mergers will involve intense negotiations with the new school committee.
A Mahar teacher with a Masters Degree in his/her first year of teaching is paid $305.00 less per year than a teacher with a Masters Degree at Orange Elementary.
A Mahar teacher with a Bachelor’s Degree in his/her 14th year of teaching will be paid $1,015.00 less than an Orange Elementary Teacher in his her 14th year of teaching if he/she has a Bachelors Degree and 18 additional credit hours.
You see, our pay scales are different. They are available for any reader to see. And I recommend perusing these documents before publishing statements about them. The bottom line, ground truth is that the salaries have to be negotiated. The union and the school committee have the right to collectively bargain.
Ms Piro: I also asked if we are implementing the suggestions from the DOE report of 2011, the suggestions in this report which I posted here a couple weeks ago, had very serious issues with the curriculum in certain areas, critical thinking skills and conversations for the students, continuity of curriculum from Fisher to Dexter to Butterfield, and the end result being poor MCAS scores, these are not money problems, but management problems, have we fixed these issues yet?
Mr. Baldassarre: The above is not true. As you will see in the correspondence posted to the blog from me to Ms. Piro, no such question has ever been asked of me. Unfortunately, those opposed to regionalization have failed to express any concerns of the quality of our educational programs via e-mail or in open sessions. This should alert those who are interested in improving education for our students.
Ms. Piro: Not enough information on the questions I am asking to warrant the regionalization at this time.
Mr. Baldassarre: We will have an informational session on October 13, 2011 here at Mahar at 7:00 PM. This is an open meeting. I have posted information on this blog and there is central office consolidation website on the mahar webpage (http://www.rcmahar.org/central-office-consolidation-website/). There readers can find a video in which we engaged a public question and answer session about this topic.
Ms. Piro: If we fund our elementary and make the changes the DOE has suggested, then our students will get a better education and we will still own our school system, I think these needs to be done first before we jump into a new system that so far, is only offering a savings to the town for one year.
Mr. Baldassarre: The elementary schools have been funded up to 20% less than the average of districts across the state in 2010, 2011, and now in 2012. The students in Orange are not being given the opportunity to compete with students from more than 300 districts in Massachusetts because of the funding issues. What Ms. Piro says is true however. If the elementary schools were given a little more than $1,000,000.00 more each year the children would be subject to a higher quality education. Of course another way to solve this issue would be to increase district capacity. This can be achieved through regionalization.
Ms. Piro: Bus costs fluctuate; pay raises only keep going up. We cannot afford to make the wrong decision.
Mr. Baldassarre: Bus costs do fluctuate. Fortunately for those in regional school districts like Mahar, our transportation costs are reimbursed by the state. This year Mahar received $309,502.00. Orange received $0.00. The state pays a portion of regional transportation. In Orange, transportation is paid for by the taxpayers.
Electonic Correspondence Below: Sent to from Mr. Baldassarre to Ms. Piro
Copied and Pasted to this Site September 2, 2011
Ms. Piro's statements are in black
Mr. Baldassarre's statements are in red
From: Michael Baldassarre
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2011 6:04 PM
To: 'nqac@verizon.net'
Subject: RE: Regionalization
Ms. Piro: Hi Mike - Brenda Piro here- I couldn't make the last meeting but will make the next - It was posted for Sept 1 st, it was also posted albeit FB that the BOS are in support of this- is that true?
Mr. Baldassarre: Hello Brenda and thank you for your correspondence. The next regionalization planning meeting is in fact on September 1, 2011 at 6:30 PM in the Media Center at Mahar. I have not been given any indication that the Board of Selectmen are against our regional effort. If this were the case, I would have to ask for reasons. You see, we have already consolidated central offices, special education administration, maintenance, technology, and cafeteria services. The final piece, an approved agreement means up to $300,000.00 in additional aid every year. Why would one turn down such funding???
Ms. Piro: I am familiar with the 2 assessments, one question I have is a comparison of what the assessment would be for elementary 2011/12 vs what they asked for at town meeting.
If we were a region- what assessment would be used?
Mr. Baldassarre: I am not clear on your question about the “two assessments.” There is really only one assessment – the statutory method that has ever been used. In this case, 3 of 4 towns must agree to pass a budget. The alternative assessment cannot be characterized by using terminology that defines it as a single assessment. This assessment methodology can be different every year. It can be changed at the discretion of the school committee. All four towns must agree in order for any alternative assessment to be passed.
If we become a larger region the rules for assessing the towns would be the same. 3 out of 4 for statutory, and 4 out of 4 for any alternative to that.
Ms. Piro: they asked for 5385037 and got 5083060- in the new regional scenario- what would that figure be?:
Mr. Baldassarre: These numbers are incorrect. The budget was again reduced to 5.037 million dollars. It appears very likely that Net School Spending will not be met in fiscal year 2012 – which is a real travesty. This will mean that NSS has not been met in three consecutive years. On average schools in the commonwealth are funded at 13% above NSS. Orange Elementary’s funding being below NSS means that our students receive close to 20% less than students across the state. But to answer your question, we would not know the outcome of the assessment until the towns voted. It is up to the school committee and the people of the towns. To illustrate this, I have attached a document that defines the proposed process.
Ms. Piro: I realize this is simplified as people are told there will be additional revenues coming in if we regionalize - but this is the question taxpayers are concerned of - a simple breakdown of funds that will rise if we consolidate would be helpful. I think if the answers are " shot from the belt" rather than the over complicated - take the long road around so as to create confusion- (not that you do it ) citizens wil understand, many citizens just want the financial breakdown- not the structure that gets us to the finances.
Mr. Baldassarre: It is true that this topic is complicated, and we are doing our best to ensure that everyone has the most accurate and empirical information. In a nutshell, here is what we stand to gain by regionalizing:
1. $50.00 in one-time bonus aid per student. With approximately 1800 students this equates to $90,000.00
2. 56% in regional transportation reimbursement. This means approximately $200,000.00 for Orange every single year. This can go up, and has been as high as 85% in recent years.
Ms. Piro: This town has a long history of frugal savers- thats how our coffers 10 years ago had 7 million in them, they have listened to our governance tell them that do this- this is good, and watched as the 7 million was spent in less than a decade.
Mr. Baldassarre: Right now, things do not look so optimistic. It is not my position to comment on town matters. As an ambassador for the schools however, state takeover of the elementary system should be on the radar of the town’s leadership. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has implemented a serious system for school accountability under the No Child Left Behind Act. It should not be taken lightly.
Ms. Piro: So..... you need to understand this past with our town. Citizens are extremely upset, with good cause. We have seen the management of our town not go to the good of the community. We pay people here the same pay to do a job that others do with much greater populations and responsibilities. We have always been a poor town- we are the 9th poorest in 353 communities in Mass. We have the 21st higest tax rate, our children are not doing well in school, and we act( financially) like we have cadillac services,of which many would beg to differ.
Mr. Baldassarre: It is my sincerest hope that I will have be able to provide you along with our parents and teachers with an understanding of all that has taken place over the past few years. I do not do this by stating my opinions however. I will be rooting any and all statements in facts that are made available via audits and document analysis.
Ms. Piro: also- it was stated that Orange would have to accept the budget or it wouldnt go through- I find that hard to believe- could you clarify?
Orange would have 5 members- other towns 7 ? Is this true?
Mr. Baldassarre:
Orange – 5
Petersham – 2
New Salem – 2
Wendell – 2
It takes a 2/3 vote of the school committee to pass a budget. This means that 8 of 11 must agree to pass a budget. If Orange representatives choose to, they will be able to stop a budget from moving forward since they will have 5 members.
Ms. Piro: what would the sub committes function be, and thier powers- if any?
Mr. Baldassarre: Subcommittees advise the full committee.
Ms. Piro: Information told to citizens at Fincom was the audit hadn't been done since 2010- FB parent at school meeting said 2003- clarify?
Mr. Baldassarre: The end of year report is required pursuant to 603 CMR 10.10 to be audited every year. Orange Elementary has not had its end of year report audited since 2002. I have attached a letter from DESE ordering that an audit of Fiscal Year 2010 be completed. Once information is available I will issue a report.
Ms. Piro: Thank you for your time- It would be nice to sit and ask questions, If you have time for a 1/2 hr meeting I would surely appreciate it- Talk Soon
Mr. Baldassarre: I’d love to get together. Just let me know what works for you.
Michael Baldassarre, Superintendent of Schools
Ralph C. Mahar Regional School District
Orange Elementary Schools
Petersham Center School
507 South Main Street
PO Box 680
Orange, MA 01364
Office: 978-544-2920
Fax: 978-544-8383
Website: www.rcmahar.org
Recently I was made aware of some military terminology that is fitting for this situation. In war there are two types of truth. The Official Truth is what people are willing to say publicly about things, and the Ground Truth is terminology that accurately reflects real life events. The two statements below provide an educational example of Official Truth vs. Ground Truth.
Official Truth: Our students MCAS scores are higher than many students statewide who are from similar socioeconomic backgrounds. This statement may be viewed as propaganda.
Ground Truth: Our students are consistently not meeting accountability standards set forth by the state. They are failing the MCAS in alarming numbers. This statement is a cold hard fact.
This blog post is written in response to a recent post on Facebook by a member of the Orange Taxpayers Association. In an effort to provide readers with Ground Truth, I will dissect the post one statement at a time. I have found this level of honesty about our situation is appreciated by many faculty and parents in our school community.
Ms. Piro's statements are in black
Mr. Baldassarre's statements are in red
Ms. Piro: I have asked Mr. Baldassarre how much in extra expenses it will cost the town if we regionalize.
Mr. Baldassarre: This statement is true. To clarify, I have posted the entire electronic correspondence from Ms. Piro with my response to her at the bottom of this post. You can read every question that Ms. Piro asked of me, and every response that I provided.
Ms. Piro: If we regionalize- all the elementary teachers pay will go up to meet the pay already received at the Mahar level, if the pay raises outweigh the bus savings, then financially it will hurt the town.
Mr. Baldassarre: The statement made by Ms. Piro here is not ground truth. Our consultants are currently conducting a financial analysis of the exact increases in salary for teachers if they are negotiated that way. In order for the salary schedules to be made final three teacher contracts must be merged and three non teaching contracts must be merged. All six of these mergers will involve intense negotiations with the new school committee.
A Mahar teacher with a Masters Degree in his/her first year of teaching is paid $305.00 less per year than a teacher with a Masters Degree at Orange Elementary.
A Mahar teacher with a Bachelor’s Degree in his/her 14th year of teaching will be paid $1,015.00 less than an Orange Elementary Teacher in his her 14th year of teaching if he/she has a Bachelors Degree and 18 additional credit hours.
You see, our pay scales are different. They are available for any reader to see. And I recommend perusing these documents before publishing statements about them. The bottom line, ground truth is that the salaries have to be negotiated. The union and the school committee have the right to collectively bargain.
Ms Piro: I also asked if we are implementing the suggestions from the DOE report of 2011, the suggestions in this report which I posted here a couple weeks ago, had very serious issues with the curriculum in certain areas, critical thinking skills and conversations for the students, continuity of curriculum from Fisher to Dexter to Butterfield, and the end result being poor MCAS scores, these are not money problems, but management problems, have we fixed these issues yet?
Mr. Baldassarre: The above is not true. As you will see in the correspondence posted to the blog from me to Ms. Piro, no such question has ever been asked of me. Unfortunately, those opposed to regionalization have failed to express any concerns of the quality of our educational programs via e-mail or in open sessions. This should alert those who are interested in improving education for our students.
Ms. Piro: Not enough information on the questions I am asking to warrant the regionalization at this time.
Mr. Baldassarre: We will have an informational session on October 13, 2011 here at Mahar at 7:00 PM. This is an open meeting. I have posted information on this blog and there is central office consolidation website on the mahar webpage (http://www.rcmahar.org/central-office-consolidation-website/). There readers can find a video in which we engaged a public question and answer session about this topic.
Ms. Piro: If we fund our elementary and make the changes the DOE has suggested, then our students will get a better education and we will still own our school system, I think these needs to be done first before we jump into a new system that so far, is only offering a savings to the town for one year.
Mr. Baldassarre: The elementary schools have been funded up to 20% less than the average of districts across the state in 2010, 2011, and now in 2012. The students in Orange are not being given the opportunity to compete with students from more than 300 districts in Massachusetts because of the funding issues. What Ms. Piro says is true however. If the elementary schools were given a little more than $1,000,000.00 more each year the children would be subject to a higher quality education. Of course another way to solve this issue would be to increase district capacity. This can be achieved through regionalization.
Ms. Piro: Bus costs fluctuate; pay raises only keep going up. We cannot afford to make the wrong decision.
Mr. Baldassarre: Bus costs do fluctuate. Fortunately for those in regional school districts like Mahar, our transportation costs are reimbursed by the state. This year Mahar received $309,502.00. Orange received $0.00. The state pays a portion of regional transportation. In Orange, transportation is paid for by the taxpayers.
Electonic Correspondence Below: Sent to from Mr. Baldassarre to Ms. Piro
Copied and Pasted to this Site September 2, 2011
Ms. Piro's statements are in black
Mr. Baldassarre's statements are in red
From: Michael Baldassarre
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2011 6:04 PM
To: 'nqac@verizon.net'
Subject: RE: Regionalization
Ms. Piro: Hi Mike - Brenda Piro here- I couldn't make the last meeting but will make the next - It was posted for Sept 1 st, it was also posted albeit FB that the BOS are in support of this- is that true?
Mr. Baldassarre: Hello Brenda and thank you for your correspondence. The next regionalization planning meeting is in fact on September 1, 2011 at 6:30 PM in the Media Center at Mahar. I have not been given any indication that the Board of Selectmen are against our regional effort. If this were the case, I would have to ask for reasons. You see, we have already consolidated central offices, special education administration, maintenance, technology, and cafeteria services. The final piece, an approved agreement means up to $300,000.00 in additional aid every year. Why would one turn down such funding???
Ms. Piro: I am familiar with the 2 assessments, one question I have is a comparison of what the assessment would be for elementary 2011/12 vs what they asked for at town meeting.
If we were a region- what assessment would be used?
Mr. Baldassarre: I am not clear on your question about the “two assessments.” There is really only one assessment – the statutory method that has ever been used. In this case, 3 of 4 towns must agree to pass a budget. The alternative assessment cannot be characterized by using terminology that defines it as a single assessment. This assessment methodology can be different every year. It can be changed at the discretion of the school committee. All four towns must agree in order for any alternative assessment to be passed.
If we become a larger region the rules for assessing the towns would be the same. 3 out of 4 for statutory, and 4 out of 4 for any alternative to that.
Ms. Piro: they asked for 5385037 and got 5083060- in the new regional scenario- what would that figure be?:
Mr. Baldassarre: These numbers are incorrect. The budget was again reduced to 5.037 million dollars. It appears very likely that Net School Spending will not be met in fiscal year 2012 – which is a real travesty. This will mean that NSS has not been met in three consecutive years. On average schools in the commonwealth are funded at 13% above NSS. Orange Elementary’s funding being below NSS means that our students receive close to 20% less than students across the state. But to answer your question, we would not know the outcome of the assessment until the towns voted. It is up to the school committee and the people of the towns. To illustrate this, I have attached a document that defines the proposed process.
Ms. Piro: I realize this is simplified as people are told there will be additional revenues coming in if we regionalize - but this is the question taxpayers are concerned of - a simple breakdown of funds that will rise if we consolidate would be helpful. I think if the answers are " shot from the belt" rather than the over complicated - take the long road around so as to create confusion- (not that you do it ) citizens wil understand, many citizens just want the financial breakdown- not the structure that gets us to the finances.
Mr. Baldassarre: It is true that this topic is complicated, and we are doing our best to ensure that everyone has the most accurate and empirical information. In a nutshell, here is what we stand to gain by regionalizing:
1. $50.00 in one-time bonus aid per student. With approximately 1800 students this equates to $90,000.00
2. 56% in regional transportation reimbursement. This means approximately $200,000.00 for Orange every single year. This can go up, and has been as high as 85% in recent years.
Ms. Piro: This town has a long history of frugal savers- thats how our coffers 10 years ago had 7 million in them, they have listened to our governance tell them that do this- this is good, and watched as the 7 million was spent in less than a decade.
Mr. Baldassarre: Right now, things do not look so optimistic. It is not my position to comment on town matters. As an ambassador for the schools however, state takeover of the elementary system should be on the radar of the town’s leadership. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has implemented a serious system for school accountability under the No Child Left Behind Act. It should not be taken lightly.
Ms. Piro: So..... you need to understand this past with our town. Citizens are extremely upset, with good cause. We have seen the management of our town not go to the good of the community. We pay people here the same pay to do a job that others do with much greater populations and responsibilities. We have always been a poor town- we are the 9th poorest in 353 communities in Mass. We have the 21st higest tax rate, our children are not doing well in school, and we act( financially) like we have cadillac services,of which many would beg to differ.
Mr. Baldassarre: It is my sincerest hope that I will have be able to provide you along with our parents and teachers with an understanding of all that has taken place over the past few years. I do not do this by stating my opinions however. I will be rooting any and all statements in facts that are made available via audits and document analysis.
Ms. Piro: also- it was stated that Orange would have to accept the budget or it wouldnt go through- I find that hard to believe- could you clarify?
Orange would have 5 members- other towns 7 ? Is this true?
Mr. Baldassarre:
Orange – 5
Petersham – 2
New Salem – 2
Wendell – 2
It takes a 2/3 vote of the school committee to pass a budget. This means that 8 of 11 must agree to pass a budget. If Orange representatives choose to, they will be able to stop a budget from moving forward since they will have 5 members.
Ms. Piro: what would the sub committes function be, and thier powers- if any?
Mr. Baldassarre: Subcommittees advise the full committee.
Ms. Piro: Information told to citizens at Fincom was the audit hadn't been done since 2010- FB parent at school meeting said 2003- clarify?
Mr. Baldassarre: The end of year report is required pursuant to 603 CMR 10.10 to be audited every year. Orange Elementary has not had its end of year report audited since 2002. I have attached a letter from DESE ordering that an audit of Fiscal Year 2010 be completed. Once information is available I will issue a report.
Ms. Piro: Thank you for your time- It would be nice to sit and ask questions, If you have time for a 1/2 hr meeting I would surely appreciate it- Talk Soon
Mr. Baldassarre: I’d love to get together. Just let me know what works for you.
Michael Baldassarre, Superintendent of Schools
Ralph C. Mahar Regional School District
Orange Elementary Schools
Petersham Center School
507 South Main Street
PO Box 680
Orange, MA 01364
Office: 978-544-2920
Fax: 978-544-8383
Website: www.rcmahar.org
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