June Post

It is hard to imagine the school year is almost over. We have gone from beautiful autumn days, to a long winter of blizzards, to a well deserved spring and now... we are on to summer!  It has been another positive year in Medfield and I thank you for your continued support of the Medfield Public Schools. This entry will highlight our FY16 budget, the district wide survey, two completed teacher contracts, a summary of the Elementary Day Committee and the release of the Dale St. Music Pilot study. 


A special thank you to the School Committee, teachers, administrators, and staff of the Medfield Public Schools for their dedication to the children of Medfield. Thanks for all that you do!

FY16 Budget is Approved at Town Meeting

Thank you to the residents of Medfield for approving our operating budget of $30,362,385 for next year. This 4.4% increase allows us to maintain programs, expand technology, and purchase a K-5 Mathematics program for the district. In addition to our operating budget, the town meeting supported some of our capital budget requests including: Wheelock boiler replacement (with a 39% reimbursement to Medfield), security upgrades, and a town wide athletic field study. The School Committee and I value the positive working relationships we have with town officials and the Warrant Committee. We truly appreciate Medfield's ongoing commitment to education.

FY16 Budget documents can be found at the following link:

http://www.medfield.net/district-offices/superintendent/budget-information.html

District Survey Deadline-July 3, 2015

You should have received an email earlier this week asking you to participate in our survey. We partnered with Panorama Education to develop, manage, and analyze the survey. Please take some time over the next two weeks to participate in this important survey. The survey will provide data for us to target areas of improvement, as well as data for our strategic plan initiative next year.

Two Successor Contracts Completed with Medfield Teachers'Association

The School Committee and I are pleased to report that two agreements were reached with the Medfield Teachers' Association. The following is the joint press release:

The Medfield School Committee and Medfield Teachers’ Association have announced an agreement of two successor contracts; one for 2014-2015 and another for 2015-2018. The parties reached the agreements on May 1st without the assistance of a third party mediator. The contracts have been ratified by both School Committee and the Association.

“As a committee, we entered this process with two major goals: to recognize,encourage, and preserve the amazing work our teachers do every day and to reach a long-term financial deal that Medfield can afford.  This contract accomplishes both objectives. It was not always an easy process, but the end result--a contract that works for both sides--was worth it.” commented School Committee Chair, Chris Morrison.

"Association members are very pleased with the outcome and believe the agreement with School Committee to be fair. While the process was challenging at times for everyone involved, it is encouraging to see both sides moving forward and establishing future relations in a positive manner.” said Brendan Hughes, Negotiations Chair.  

“I am proud of the Medfield teachers; many of whom, for the first time, stepped-up in solidarity to become an integral part of the collective-bargaining process. Their resolve positively impacted the outcome." said Joan Dion, President of the Association.

“ All parties worked diligently over the course of many months to reach a favorable contract for all stakeholders. We are confident that the results of the process are very positive for all involved.” added School Committee Negotiator Maryanne Sullivan.

“I am very pleased with the results. The many important language changes are focused

on improvements that will ultimately benefit our students”, added Superintendent Jeffrey Marsden.

The details of the first contract include a 1.5% increase in the current school year, along with numerous language changes that focus on increased meeting time for teachers, increased communication, equity and more efficient procedures.

The second contract features an increase of 1.5% in 2015-2016, 1.5%  and increased longevity amounts in 2016-2017, and a 2% increase for all teachers and an additional .5% increase for top step teachers only for the 2017-2018 school year.

Elementary School Day Committee

The Elementary School Day Committee spent the past year working toward the possibility of extending the school day in our PreK-5 schools. We identified our current instructional needs, examined models and schedules from other school districts, and then developed and administered a survey to all elementary teachers. Next year we will continue to explore the feasibility of a longer school day and adjusted start and end times for all three schools. We also hope to bring the Wheelock start/end times more in line with the other two elementary schools. Our goal is to have a recommendation in place to implement for September of 2016. A special thanks to committee members for volunteering countless hours to this project: Parents-Sarah Waters,Tania Manuel, Jessica Reilly, Claire Shield, Chris Potts, Kim Price, Kristen Careau, and Jessica Kemp. School Committee- Anna Mae O'Shea Brooke and Tim Bonfatti. Teachers-Ryan Dexter, Susan Cowell, Kelli Mahoney, Julie Colantoni, Julie Lowerre, Leanne DiPesa, Emily Callahan, Sarah Murphy, and Joan Dion. Principals- Missy Bilsborough, Donna Olson, and Kim Cave.

Dale St Pilot Study Released

In September we made a schedule change and moved the ensembles outside of the student school day. As with any pilot, the before school model was used to gain more information prior to a more permanent decision. In the end, inconsistent attendance and lower participation prevents the before school model from being a permanent change. Special thanks to the parents and teachers that participated in this study.

The details and report can be found at the following link:

http://www.medfield.net/district-offices/superintendent/elem-music-pilot-evaluation-report.html

In 2015-2016 watch for....

• PreK-12 Strategic Plan Initiative
• Envision 2.0 -K-5 Mathematics implementation
• Elementary World Language Committee
• HS/Town Field Project