LIVE BLOG: Don Taggart Appointed New School Committee Member

Tonight at 6:30 in the Memorial Building, there will be a joint meeting between the Framingham School Committee and Framingham Selectmen to appoint one of the three to the School Committee until April 2014.

The seat is the remainder of the term for last month.

The candidates for School Committee are:

• Bob Berman
• Rich Shapiro
• Don Taggart

At the meeting, each candidate will be given the opportunity to make an opening statement and then there will be time for Q&A between the candidates and the School Committee and Selectmen.

Afterwards, there will be a public roll call vote in which each current School Committee member and Selectmen will announce whom they would like to appoint.

The candidate that receives 6 votes will then be sworn in as the next School Committee member.

Framingham Patch will be live blogging

***

6:25 p.m.

School Committee and Selectmen members have arrived. Still awaiting a few. All three candidates are present.

6:31 p.m. just waiting for one SC member to arrive.

Dennis Giombetti - chair of selectmen calling the meeting to order

Beverley Hugo -- chair of the School Committee speaking -- elect a candidate who obtains six votes. 3 Candidates stated statement of interest and all three have been confirmed as a registered voter in town.

5 minute introduction and Q&A and then roll call vote

Thanks the 3 candidates who have come forth - 3 highly qualified - wish we could take all three.

***

Elect a chair for the joint meeting -- Charlie nominates Dennis

Dennis is the chair of the meeting

First candidate -- Bob Berman -- make his statement

Statement of interest letter ... focus on areas that differentiate me

first is my educational background - masters degree in leadership studies.

second impact is in the area of technology

district response to DESE says a technology plan will be created

1-1 for students, district improvement plan remote access learning opportunities.

In business life I focus on technology integration

3) strong relationship at the statehouse ...

Look forward to using response to help district as an advocate for equity and funding

as local level - sever on Town Meeting for many years -- worked with every town department. I understand how the schools fit in the overall town picture.

Look forward to rebuilding to school department

Make something perfectly clear -- I have no intention to run for the 3-year seat. Only interest in the interim. I have a spouse in the district. Personally, I would like to put my wife in an awkward position during the contract negotiations.

Contract already settled. At conclusion of term. Electorate make a clean decision on whom serve the town without an incumbent in the race

care deeply about the town of Framingham. I can make a difference quickly. I can hit the ground running.

One campaign promise -- chocolate chip pancakes option on lunch menu to son.

*** Selectmen and School Committee can't agree on procedure of meeting

6:41 p.m.

Richard Shapiro -- resident 18 years, married, 3 children all in Framingham Public Schools, started at Barbieri.

Wife is a special educator in neighboring district. Former Town Meeting Precincts 1-4 I can contribute to SC.

Experience as being a parent in the schools and from my mother and wife who were teachers.

want to keep the Framingham Public Schools strong. School system unique

Co owner of local mortgage company.

day job advocate for town and schools

Framingham has done much for my family and would be an honor to give back to the town.

***

Third candidate -- Don Taggart speaking

I have the ingredients to create a recipe for success.

first the main ingredients - strong successful background as an educator. Experience in contract negotiations. Involvement with leadership in local and state level.

Critical to add the extra spices -- make for a satisfied consumer --dash of listening to do new ideas, support, sprinkle of collaboration and trust, pinch of humor, shake of vocalization, mix these totterer with care and apply to follow menu items

Dr Scott's vision of FPS ...

Critical side dish -- financial issues

side dish -- school safety issues

side dish - rebuilding of relationship between schooland FTA

as with any recipes -- judged by those willing to try what was offered.

Work to satisfy as many -- willing to give this recipe for success a try.

Bon appetite

**** now Q&A

Hugo -- how to define vision of advocacy for the FPS?

Berman -- being advocate for parents they can call and need something, be advocate for students and parents and being an advocate for Framingham - legislature knows what is going on here ... important part of my role.

Shapiro --advocate should be invested in the system - three children -- schools are an unpolished diamond. Just exposing what is great about the schools

Taggart -- entire career based in education as a teachers. Writing many hundreds of recommendation letters for college at Weston. Parents in the community - have to boys in the school system. Active in their roles. professional staff and teachers -- feel a real bond with the things they want to accomplished - listen fairly and mesh them with the SC

Question -- Carol Phalen - have known all 3 of you... three very intelligent, dedicated, thoughtful people .. very hard vote. anyoneof you will do an amazing job. Wish we had three open seats. this is only a numbers issue.

Question -- name one thing high of FPS and a low of FPS (most concerned about)

Shapiro -- high is the AP situation at the high school. One of the few high schools offer as many AP courses.

challenge with a transit population - makes Framingham unique.

Taggart speaking -- diversity of the schools is the high and the low point. Moved here due to the diversity ... opportunity for our children to mingle with various children of various backgrounds. Diversity is a reason why many people don't come here. When scores come out -- facet is blamed for the poor scores ... listen to principal Welch - 10% of population is new every year to the building ... part of our challenge.

Berman -- Think the high -- programming at the high school - incredible impressed with high school - theatre and academic. Major high

Low -- most part -- major cuts -- walking on stilts on many area. Cut outstanding programs at middle school and elementary levels. getting by as staff is excellent. Many children left in the cracks.

Selectmen Mike Bower speaking .. district facing challenges -- DESE report -- 1 month in role -- one issue and one problem - passionately work on to improve in next year.

Taggart -- one issue for me looking at the how we fare on our assessments at the state level. state testing program flaws. Average voter and Town Meeting memebr can see we are trying to produce students who achieve at the highest level.

Berman -- things passionate about 1) DESE report -- stuck out to me the need for leadership across the board and bringing people into position left often. See work Dr. Scott has done -- that we do fill the important position -- replace principals -- being a member of Stapleton school council -- see that process how school council work -- used to be a group at each school and share ideas -- lot of it has turned into and filling out form and passed into school committee and mostly focused on achievement through MCAS ... like to see process improved.

Shapiro -- release everything from the state and do what we want to do here. Reporting & testing and continuing ed -- that teachers have to do -- like to see worked on.

HUGO -- parent runs into you at grocery store about a staff member how handle situation?

Berman -- first thing call chair and let them know about the conversation but have a discussion with the chair first.

Shapiro -- best thing to do listen, absorb and understand . Suggest the hierarchy they go to and then speak to chair and supt.

Taggart -- depend on what aisle of the grocery story -- joked. Been there in other situations. Refer the person to the building principal or where employed. Discuss with department chair, principal, etc... and follow the chain of command. There is a ladder . I have been on the ladder. Start where the problem occurs. More cautiously.

7:02 p.m.

Giombetti question -- three main roles of SC member should play

Shapiro -- oversee policy, support superintendent, advocate for the children. It is not so hands on. Have to be involved and have to know what is going on.

Taggart -- listener to all constituents parents, town voters and educators

secondly, open to discussion with other school committee members and administration that arises

third -- me personally, let teachers know I'm on that school committee that they can look to sharing ideas with and as much support that I can give.

Berman - first and foremost it is a policy board, second advocacy for the town and parents and students.

Eric Silverman question -- who are we not listening to and not paying attention to..

Taggart speaking first -- don't think fact not listening -- perception - listening but not hearing. From attending SC meetings, perception - busy attending the policies and procedures and not caring and thinking about the bottom line touchy-feel issues. Concerns about safety and respect  Has to be continued effort -- opento you to provide input, information, data as collected it from factual sources...functions as group open - willing to listen and willing to engage

Berman -- I don't know of anything that the SC is dropping is not pursuing -- love to get rid of the bus fees and sports fees, just don't have the ability todo that as of yet. Clear answer is public relations.

Shapiro -- Echo Bob -- haven't heard of much not being done. Wife is an educator. I think maybe with the calendar ... blow back on the calendar .. perhaps from the calendar on the Internet. No one went to meeting and express interest at meeting. maybe express parents welcome to attend meeting.

Andy Limeri -- end of this need a three-sided coin ... question .. problems have in last few years -- don't have enough money to fund a level service budget .. this year can fund a level service budget -- of what of the 8 million things that we want to do do we do?? what cuts - worst case - would you make??

prioritize financial decisions

Berman -- put first priority not to cut - essential services children need to learn. Think the other piece -- there is other ways to look for saving money -- still look at service both providing -- that you could merge together ... technology support ..  the two department work together -- one phone number, purchasing power .. need to keep digging even when times are good.

Shapiro -- asked to have the question re-read ...

Shapiro speaking - education first. has to be the classroom education.

Taggart -- Dr. Scott's budget - he prioritized expenditures in concise ways - noting needs in the system ... I'd look at that first on what needs to be paired back. Personally, opposed cuts in students support services, guidance, nurses, social workers, etc..

7:14 p.m.

Giombetti -- going over the vote -- 11 members -- 6 votes needed

Lowest vote getter drops out ... then re-vote says Giombetti

Limeri -- nominate all three candidates

Silverman -- Taggart

Connolly - Berman

Miles -- Berman

Hugo -- Berman

Phalen -- Taggart

Limeri -- Berman

Smith - Taggart

Bower - Berman

Giombeti -- Taggart

Lee - Taggart

Charlie -- Taggart

Don Taggart is the new School Committee member

Town Clerk Valerie Mulvey swore him in after he wrote a resignation letter from his Town Meeting seat.