This is a very well written letter and I agree with everything written.

Dear Teacher’s.
You say that “the morale of the teachers continues to dwindle” So why not give it a rest? Let things settle a bit & see what happens. Why everyday do we need to see something? If you want to keep parents & tax payers support then you would read some of the post & let it go as you are losing the support you once had. You have to earn it back. There has been so much bashing from one person to another out of anger because of this & it needs to stop. I have even said some things I regret because of heated comments that I can’t change. Sometimes people speak before thinking & I think that may have happened or still is happening here. You guys need to step back & let it take its toll. There were comments the other day that stated that you were close. So why stir up anything else? Some of the teachers that wrote this new letter have taught my children & are now teaching them at the high school. I have the highest respect for you & what you have taught them. Don’t ruin that please by acting out the same way as your union president. Be strong together & things will work out if it’s meant to, if you cross to many lines then it won’t happen. You all know that…Stand back & take the respect that you want & deserve & help to make our kids forget all that is going on because they are feeling this each and every day.

Thank you for a heart-felt and impassioned letter. Many of us are proud to be involved parents of FPS students and work side-by-side with the teachers of Framingham for the very reasons you all have described.

But that doesn't change this important fact: there are TWO sides in this negotiation. It is not up to the School Committee on its own to settle this contract. The FTA can agree to terms, too. Remember, it was the union which requested mediation way back when.

(In fact, all the way back in December, the FTA president was touting how much progress had been made while at the same time calling for work-to-rule style tactics and that building reps "monitor" compliance with these actions within their buildings as per this letter of December 14th http://framingham.massteacher.org/files/12_14_12.pdf)

(It has also been clarified numerous times during the current "debate" but I guess it bears repeating: the teachers are not working "without a contract" since the previous contract remains in effect until the new one is signed.)

Except that it seems like for the FTA, a fair contract is everything they want. And they still refuse to answer questions about how they propose the district accomodate smaller class sizes - more teachers? aides? a new school? how to deal with the fluidity of the problem? nor do they answer what they mean by a "well defined day" - although we all know that it means they want to be paid for everything they do past a certain time, even if it it part of their job descriptions. For example, the drama department - does theunion want the drama head to receive pay for being at the shows when school is "not in session", how about those coaches paid a stipend for coaching - should they be paid extra when a game is on Saturday? How about some answers...

I can say for a certainty that teachers are using the FPS classrooms to tutor students for pay in - a clear violation of the current contract. They have even told students that they couldn't help them after school because they have a tutoring appointment in the classroom and that if they want their help, they should hire them as a tutor (even though policy prohibits them from tutoring their own students for pay)....

Many folks in the private have had their insurance contributions increased, their workload increased, their workday extended and no payments to a retirement system. and little if any COLA's. Not exactly sure why the union thinks they should be treated better than the private sector employees.

.

Thank you for this well-written and thoughtful letter. I think that the majority of town residents are with you on this - and I hope that the School Committee will have a greater sense of urgency and settle this contract! The Framingham schools are a real asset to the town, largely due to our high quality teachers and administrators and we should not take this for granted.

Class size limits and reasonable cost of living adjustments are an important investment in the future of our schools. Settle this thing!

My kids get 1 shot at a great education. I don't want politics to spoil that shot. As a town we need to retain our fantastic teachers and attract new ones into our district, therefore I will continue to support my kids teachers!

Dear School Committee and Dr. Stacy Scott,

A number of teachers in a letter sent to the Framingham Patch requested that we contact you in order to to settle the teacher contract fairly and immediately. To that end I request that you immediately get up from the negotiation table and walk away for a term of no less than 1 year.

The last union tactic of preparing for a 'stress attack' against the all volunteer citizen based School Committee members (and apparently their spouses, their children, their own employers, their spouse's employers, their places of worship, etc) can not go without due repercussions. While a few teachers have come forward against the action, even the current letter requesting we contact you says nothing about condemning the action. It is clear that the teachers just want the issue forgotten without any consequences. Minimally, the teachers could have made the public relations move of 'firing' their president and executive board who could not have been working in a vacuum in regards to deciding on this tactic. They appear to have chosen not to do this.

As our voted in representatives it is clear that the School Committee show that it can not be 'bullied' into a bargaining position. It is true that the residents of the town highly regard and respect the teachers in town. However, they have utter disdain for the organization they belong to.

Again, please walk away from the table, the bully needs to be taught a lesson.

Thank you.

Whether you like it or not, politics and finances are always part of contract negotiations. The School Committee already has a sense of urgency about this contract. They also recognize the asset our schools are to the community, or they wouldn't be on the SCHOOL COMMITTEE!

It's fairly easy to calculate the financial impact of COLAs and steps and lanes. It's not straightforward to determine the cost of welldefined work days and definite class size limits included in contract language. There's no way to know how much money to set aside for additional teachers or aides who might need to be added mid-year to keep classes below the cap. No one has answered where we'd put these classes either. Will we need to open another school or rent space for them? What is the appropriate rate to pay salaried employees for attending meetings or activities outside the defined work day?

Whether you want to admit it or not, the union can end this stressful negotiation season too. I believe there is a meeting scheduled for tomorrow. If all 1000 FTA members attended and voted to accept the contract now, it would be settled and all this distraction would be done.

Thank you

PS..yes I understand that teachers who have hit the top step do not get any raises. I understand that concept but so should they. At some point you reach the top of the scale.

@Rich S - the teachers still get raises, even at the top of the scale. It's the "supermax" step. Here is the language from the current contract: "
There shall be a supermax step for teachers who have taught in public elementary
and secondary public education for twenty three (23) years. Service as a substitute or student teacher will be excluded. Effective September 1, 2010, supermax eligibility will be available to teachers who have completed twenty-two (22) years in public education. If a teacher works under contract for less than a full year, but more than ninety (90) school days during that year, the year shall be counted toward the total years. A teacher working under contract for less than a full day or less than a full week shall receive this supermax benefit at a prorated basis. The supermax step shall be Fifteen hundred dollars ($1500.00) above the
step immediately below it. In each year, the supermax benefit is added after calculating the percentage wage increase. In order to qualify for supermax, a teacher must have attained Professional Teacher Status in the Framingham Public Schools."

I strongly agree with the key points made by "Concerned Framingham Parent." I have a few other thoughts.

1. I have to point out that Dr. Martell is on the Executive Board of the FTA, and given the content, the likely author of the letter (my opinion.)

2. Deferrals in pay raises and furlough days are temporary one-time reductions in pay. They teachers may have reduced their effective COLA for 2010 to 1.8%, but that means their effective COLA in 2011 was 1.2%, not 0%. Also, every teacher that earned a step got the step increase: in fact, their effective increase from steps alone was 7.5% in 2012 unless they moved to the top level in 2011.

3. The Consumer Price Index was 1.9% from 2/12 to 1/13. In fact, looking at the CPI over a period of a few years provides a better standard for COLAs. It also is a better basis for determining fair COLAs than average salary increase, because many teachers also are getting step and lane increases. The average pay increase would be much higher than 3% if teachers received a 3% COLA.

4. Let's compare apples-to-apples when it comes to salary increase. All teachers at FPS are now making more than they were before the Great Recession. In the private sector, 7% of people are still unemployed, and many who are employed are under employed, and are likely making less, not more, than they were before the recession. How many of those wage increases were bonuses, and not permanent?

Context is important. Just saying.

The "class size" problem discussed in this letter as well as others impacts just 4% of core academics and 7% of classes at middle school. That means 96% of core academics and 93% of middle school classes overall are within guidelines.Also, there are virtually no issues at all in elementary with regard to conformance to class size policy.

The Superintendent has already stated his intention to address the class size issue in next year's budget. So to me, it looks like the teachers already have gotten a concession with respect to class size and have in fact been heard. It just isn't in the contract.

Also, large raises make meaningful class size reductions harder. I'm just not seeing a realistic list of priorities from the FTA. The town doesn't print its own money, and neither do taxpayers.

One last piece of reality: there are still districts that have been without a contract since 2011, and many districts whose contracts expired in 2012 that are still negotiating. Contracts are rarely signed before the old ones expire.

Framingham may be an MTA priority, but the situation isn't even remotely unique.

I am still amazed at some of the people I run into in town who are applying private sector definitions to public sector words. For those that don't already understand:

1. In the private sector, a contract employee who doesn't have a contract is in most cases WITHOUT a job.

In the teachers case, without a contract means the old contract is still in effect - i.e. they STILL HAVE JOBS and STILL GET RAISES BUILTIN INTO THE EXISTING CONTRACT.

2. In the private sector a RAISE is when your pay increases (and minimally stays at that level after that).

In the teachers cases they tend to have different types of increases in pay - but they don't call everything a RAISE. They may call it a step or a lane change - but their pay increased and remained at that level.

Sorry for stating the obvious to many of you - but there are still a number of people out there who are misunderstanding the situation.

Thanks for the clarification @Linda. Regardless of the wording they still receive an increase. It may be small but it is still an increase and they have only had to show up to get it since it isn't based on student performance or teacher performance.

FYI--The FTA site is back up and link to their contract (the dreaded one that expired but everyone is still working under) is here: http://framingham.massteacher.org/files/Framingham%202011-2012%20Teacher%20contract.pdf

All of the school collective bargaining agreements are on the school district web site as well. http://www.framingham.k12.ma.us/hr_contracts.cfm They were put on the web as a result of a specific request made by Finance Committee a couple of years ago to improve financial transparency.

So I drive 45 minutes to Framingham to work in a fourth grade inclusion classroom. I do not ask for more money, I do not ask for a raise. I do not ask for anything more then a chance at the best education for children with a dedicated team of individuals. That's why I chose to work that far from home. Politics or not, my only hope is that class size stay fair. Every day with a class of 23 students at the end of the day I am very tired, however due to not enough hours during the week I take on extra hours to get a full 40 hours in a second job. Express your opinions, however understand that a majority of us working in the school do not receive large paychecks. In fact my supervisor, a teacher assistant and many aides work secondary jobs. I will only speak for myself, but I work very hard and really hope that being just one voice can speak for a majority of my co-workers.

"We love this town and care deeply about our students."

Unfortunately for teachers and the larger community, that love and care were absent in your union president's last two communications.

Your president's menacing letter and survey, as well as his dismissive non-apology, has disgraced your union members, divided our community and, most sadly, set a terrible example for our young people.

Further, until such time as Sam Miskin apologizes properly, or you as union members denounce his reprehensible behavior, it will be difficult to interpret anything teachers have to say as anything other than self-serving damage control.

Then, to help us, please contact the members of the FTA Executive Board, "to let them know you would like this contract to be settled fairly and immediately."

Framingham Teachers Association
1253 Worcester Road #201
Framingham, MA 01701

Telephone: 508-626-1304
Email: ftassoc@verizon.net

FTA Executive Board Members: Sam Miskin, President; Mike Koziara, Vice President; Linda Renault, Secretary; Deb Irvine, Treasurer; Rosemary Jebari; Mary Jean Flanigan; Maria Jimenez; Amy Graff; Shawna Graham; Robin Kanter; Chris Martell; Lisa Zanella.

For those using the argument how good schools help my property values. What is the union going to do about the damage to the town's image caused by the union's 'stress attack' plan? This hit the national news circuit - just one more negative story relating to Framingham.

These days prospective home buys can just google a town that they are looking to buy into.

What happens when they hit this little gem?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5l83M2o-CA

A national news story about union thugs and what they do to people who don't cave into their demands...

Who do homeowners send the bill to for the potential loss in property value this scandal has caused?

Often I hear that other communities' teacher unions wait until Framingham has done its contract - so that Framingham essentially sets the tone. But I do not know how we know actually know this or how many other communities are we talking about? How many other communities are sitting on the fence waiting for Framingham to seal a deal?

Of the 20 signatories to the letter, how many "love" this town enough to live in it and how many only "love" it enough to work in it. How many saw their Framingham property tax skyrocket last year?