Very well said, Nancy! So many of us in Framingham support the teachers and we know that Mr. Miskin speaks only for himself. My two daughters got a GREAT education in Framingham, thanks to the wonderful teachers they had in each of their schools from K-12 in this town - thank you teachers!!

Wow Nancy! What a great letter, thank you for writing it. I couldn't agree more! Spot on!

I have been reluctant to chime in on this issue as I do have children in the Framingham Schools, but Nancy what you wrote is what many of us are thinking.

I do NOT believe that the FTA President is the only one who wrote the email and is the only member of the FTA who thought this 'stress' campaign was a great idea. What they are sorry about is that the Framingham Patch reported on it.

I have been a supporter of the teachers. I still am. I think they deserve a fair contract - just like every other union has now received in town.

What is not fair is this terrible stress campaign by the FTA president (and the FTA board).

I would love to see teachers - using their real names - come out and admit that their president, executive board and union screwed up. You did. Admit it.
I think if a majority of the 1,000 teachers who are in the union did that here, you would earn the support of the parents, who were with you up until this 'stress' campaign!

FPS teachers -- please prove me right that you disagree with your president and FTA board and they you are sorry for their tactics. Post your opinion here and use your real name just like many of us parents are!!

Nancy, I also agree with you. As a parent there has never been a lack of respect or appreciation for the many hours the Teachers of these fine schools have spent with my 2 children. What I do see is the leadership of the FTA today that has changed to tactic that would never be allowed by a student of any school in town. Could anyone imagine a student telling a Teacher, "You better give me an A+ or I will find out where you live, where your Wife works, and where your kids go to school." That teacher would be on the phone to the police before the student left the room. The repercussions of such a demand would have been swift and expulsion would certainly have been the penalty.

"You better give me a raise or I will find out where you live, where your Wife works, and where your kids go to school." - Sam Miskin, President, FTA

This player needs to be cut from our team, void his contract, and let him find another team that would be a better fit for him. This team has Pride, Respect, and Dedication. I see none of these skills left in this player to stay in our lineup. Though parents are 1/3 of the team we are the ones who pay the contracts and we can no longer afford to have him be an influence on our kids with the style of play he has shown.

Well said!! I agree 100% with Nancy. As I said before it's our children who are the biggest losers!

FTA red shirts worn in school every Friday where students are the largest target audience INVOLVES our children. Our children are bearing the brunt of the “work to rule” order set forth by the FTA Union.

School activities are cancelled. No help before midterms and no after school help. The Junior Class had College Night cancelled and the 8th grade parents will be hurt by not having teachers available to provide info on selecting the correct classes as they enter their high school year.

For the FTA to suggest children will not be involved. “Ever. Period” was disingenuous. Our children get one shot at an education, its up to the adults in this town to see that it happens. This has not been an exemplary year.

Our fantastic teachers are in the middle with their hands tied, dealing with parent frustrations, Union frustrations and no contract. We owe it to our teachers and our children to get this contract completed ASAP.

Our children, who are very much involved, will NOT get another opportunity at this years education.

As requested, here is my name. I am a teacher and when I saw the survey I was surprised by the questions asking about children. As a parent myself, I emailed Mr. Miskin to let him know that those questions would likely ruffle some feathers. However, never once did I think Mr. Miskin (or any teachers) would ever do anything to put the children, or members of the SC at risk. We care deeply for the well being of kids. Mr. Miskin has been a supportive president, always available if we have questions or are in need of support. He has a difficult job being the spokesperson during a very heated negotiation and I do not envy that. I do not love everything that has happened, but I also don't think it was his intention to directly involve the children of the SC member... Nor would any of the teachers I've spoken to participate in such an action.

When you see us smiling and waving at you in front of our schools, please know we are trying to peacefully spread awareness of the ongoing negotiations. It has been disheartening to say the least. We feel as though we are being put on the back burner and strung along. But, let's not get distracted.... we should focus on the issues in the contract negotiations.

I understand why the survey hit a nerve for parents, and I can only speak for myself, but I certainly would never do anything to "stress" the children of any SC members. I love my students. I hope the Framingham parents will continue to support the teachers as they have in the past.

Thanks for using your real name. It shows real courage on your part.

I think you are a little naive if you think this was just information gathering on the part of union leadership, and I say this as a parent who actually has a great deal of respect for Sam Miskin as a teacher. I also do not have a particular problem with teachers wearing red in school, or showing up to School Committee meetings, or picketing.

However, unlike the other peaceful acts of protest, this is an intentional act of intimidation, (albeit, more likely a move coached by the MTA and not the local teachers.)

What do you think the chances are that a teacher would call the police if a parent who was upset with their student's teacher told the teacher that he was going to
find out personal information about them (like places of worship, social activities, spouse's employer info, gym locations,children's names, ages and schools) in order to inflict "stress" on them so they would know what it is like?

Because that was what the FTA letter said was the union's intention.

Appears as though the google survey has been taken down. It's about time.

School Committee Member Information
The form "School Committee Member Information" is no longer accepting responses.
Try contacting the owner of the form if you think this is a mistake.

Nice letter Nancy, But honestly. We look at the facts here. Yes the FTA maybe having an emergency meeting this week to talk about what has gone on & Because the teachers are mad that he has made such a mess. He stired the pot & that is what they wanted, they have everyone up in arms, stressed out, wondering what comes next. Sam & the FTA need to be taught that they can't treat anyone that way. Amy Brown above really didn't admit she was sorry for all that has gone on & I don't think that many teachers will. Don't get me wrong I have the higest respect for them, yet are very up set with them right now. I have many as friends but will not support them for this contract now. Maybe in a year or 2 when the world is a better place & our taxes aren't bad. Maybe our pockets will be stable, then the town can reach to them & give to the teachers. Just not now, we all have to eat, stay warm & live just like them. If the town takes from us then we will all struggle to pay our taxes and what happens to the elderly who can't afford it & have no children in the schools. Why stress them??? has anyone thought of them? I don't think so. People need to think about all this, the SC needs to think about this before they give in.For all we know their names & a sorry could be an act as well. Becareful not to fall again. I'm no giving in. My vote is still no to a new contract eventhough it doesn't count.

The original email from Mr. Miskin clearly says that the plan was to intimidate and stress the school committee members. If teachers are in disagreement with this strategy (thanks Ms. Brown for using your name) then what are they doing about it? And where is the rest of the executive board in this? Why is Mr. Misking being the only one publicly flogged over this? The email came from him, but surely others were involved. I have heard about teachers wanting to work after school with students to get ready for MCAS, but the union has said no. Is this true? If so, at least we know that the FTA bullies and intimidates it's own members as well as the school committee members.

While this has, indeed, been a "heated negotiation", I now question who has been the problem here. Mr. Miskin all year has led us to believe that the school committee was being the difficult side in the negotiations. After seeing this letter, I have begun to question everything Mr. Miskin ever said to us, and think he might be the reason for the tension. Imagine sitting across the table from someone who plans to use your children and house of worship to intimidate you.

The FTA website is still down. What are they hiding?

Ok, you asked,,,,most of the parents I know, know me as KKM from McCarthy. My name is Kathy Kenney-Marshall. I do NOT support the survey and did NOT fill it out. I am still dismayed at the message it sent to the community. The teachers I know and work with every day were not aware of the survey and letter until after school that day. Despite the tension of contract negotiations, when I am in the classroom with my kids, I am IN THE CLASSROOM WITH MY KIDS IN EVERY WAY. When they ask about the red t-shirts on Fridays, I merely tell them that we wear them because of how very proud we are to be their teachers. I am still proud to teach these kids and I will always put aside the outside "stuff" while with them. I won't lie though...On the way home, when I attempt to sleep, and on the long ride into Framingham, it's hard to ignore the stressors of the outside. I thank God every day for the laughter of my kids who show me every day why I chose this profession.
I also pray that we don't have to deal with negotiations any longer. I am thankful for those who realize that this letter/survery was NOT sent out by the majority of us who share my passion for educating our future.

A union management process is much like a marriage. There are periods in every bargaining process where one side has to give or accept the status quo.

It would seem this is a time when union members should see the bigger community issues. It's not a time for divisive endless bargaining over issues that were accepted in past bargaining.

Individuals whose personal situations make it no longer feasible to live with the current status quo do have other emoyment options . A small raise or fewer hours of unpaid time hardly seem like reasons to endeavor to destroy community respect for all teachers.

The union leadership in taking steps like these is showing desperation and a misunderstanding of 2013 realities.

It's a shame!

My name is Kelli Lobo and I am a proud FPS teacher. I share the same feelings as KKM and Amy Brown. I do not agree with the letter or the intentions behind it. As KKM stated, I was not aware of the contents of the letter until after it was sent out. Many of the teachers at my school, including some of the members of the leadership committee were not happy about it and do not support it. It has obviously put us all in a very bad situation. I'm sure that if Mr. Miskin had presented his plan to the entire membership, the letter would never have been sent because we would have had the opportunity to express our concerns about it's intent. Unfortunately, we were not given that opportunity. I'm truly sorry about the turmoil this has caused for the entire community. I'm also a proud FPS parent. This is a great town with amazing educators and schools. It's so sad to see the state of things. However, as a teacher, I must say that I believe we are damned if we do and damned if we don't, as proven by comments such as those made by Nouna Avva. "For all we know their names & a sorry could be an act as well." We were asked to come forward and provide our names and feelings and some of us have and yet we are still ridiculed. As KKM stated, I go to school everyday for my students. That's why I chose this profession. I care about them. I want what's best for them. I get that times are tough. I am a single mother of 2. But I won't stop fighting for what's best for my daughters or my students

Amy, Kathy & Kelli - thanks for posting using your real names. While Patch does not require the use of real names, we do encourage it here on Framingham Patch. You however were under no obligation to do so just because another posted asked you to; but I'm sure your comments were appreciated by many Framingham parents.
There are those who will always bash the unions and the teachers; but as you can see from many of the parents, who posted here on Patch, with their real names, those parents are looking for a fair contract and to be settled quickly, so not to affect their children. Thanks again for posting!

What troubles me most about the negotiations is that I can't see how it is that the School Committee can make a promise to the teachers that the WORLD can't keep and that is putting a cap on class sizes. No one can predict nor control how many children will enroll each year and unless there is some sort of pool of funds upon which we can draw at any time in any amount to cover additional classrooms, I can't see how a guarantee about this could be made. It's like saying you will sign with a sports team as long as they can guarantee it will never rain during a game.

As far as a "well-defined work day", I think that's up to the teachers individually, no? No other district, at least as far as I can tell, has anything that specifies hours or a number of hours for teachers in their contracts. Is there something specific about the way Framingham administers things that makes them a more likely candidate for NEEDING this or is it something that the Framingham teachers want.

@Brenda - you are correct in your post and as has been asked numerous times people want to know the answers to both your questions. In earlier posts to other articles here it seems the union wants the define work day so that they can be compensated for any time spent outside that. Since many teachers also serve as coaches and are compensated for that already this poses a challenge since at times there are competitions be they theatre or athletic or academis outside of one might consider normal working hours. The drama team had competition saturday the quiz bowl team had a contest on sunday and both advisors are already compensated for their extra responsibilities. I'm confused what the fta is actually looking for other than money. And class size again so unpredictable and fluid even during the year. And no real space to add these classes. What exactly does the fta want in this language. It is time for answers from the fta leadership.