Congratulations to both sides.

This contract makes Westford Schools the type third rate dump that only a fool would want to teach at.

LEAVE!

So I guess a lot of folks feel like a personal day Tuesday coming on?

Might be a sick day as this agreement is making feel nauseous right now

I don't understand why this makes pursuing the whipsaw charge undoable.

And no teacher has yet to give me an answer on if they were paid steps as they legally should have been under the contract for the first couple days of this last school year? Because I don't' think they can put you on step and then take you back down. There are still legal issues that I would pursue or the SC will think they can get away with it.

We have such dedicated teachers here in Westford. I am saddened that this contract does not convey to them how important they are to our community. We want to be a top tier district...we need to pay accordingly.

@ Alex-
No teachers did not receive any part of a step increase this year. Pay is exactly the same as last year

If I were the union I would pursue that, as the first day or two you were under the old contract, which would put you at your new step and you should have been payed as such. Then they would have to take you down a step, either way I don't think it's legal, this should be pursued along with with the whipsaw and all other legal issues. If the whipsaw is out for whatever stupid reason, I would pursue this. This SC and superintendent cannot be allowed to continue like this. They don't appreciate teachers, their sacrifices, or any other civil servants. The money is there, they just don't want to spend it on people.

Goodwill has been replaced with animosity. Just because this deal was ratified doesn't make everything go back to the way it was; it really is true you cant go home again. Maybe the community can fully persue the huge drug issue that's been covered up this far. Because the same leadership that has walked all over your educators is covering up the severity of drugs in the high school- seems to be zero accountability

The day of the drug dog raid there were easily half dozen or so students down at the guidance office who had been found with drugs in school that day, the SC chair first swears nothing was found and then comes back with the 'correction' that upon further research there was one student.
What is going on? Outright deception or is she being mislead? Either way something is rotten in Denmark

I want the teachers to know that I'm one more resident that thinks this whole contract renewal was a stinking mess. Shame on the school committee for taking such a Scrooge-like position and then playing it all out in the press... the very definition of tawdry! So we "save" a few bucks, lose a few good teachers, and created a hostile environment going forward. Job well done... NOT!

The agreement I voted YES to was presented WEA would drop the Prohibited Practice Charge for failure to give steps. The Whipsaw ULP was NOT part of the deal presented to membership. IF WEA also drops that, without making that clear to membership or even mentioning it in this release, I intend to take legal action that this vote is illegitimate and will need to be done again.
Oterwise, I hope the WEA intends to pursue the Whipsaw ULP charge because that one is clear as day what happened and the SC kept opening their mouths and making the case stronger and stronger...

So they still get to pursue the whipsaw charges?are you sure about that?

I was saddened by the outcome of the vote yesterday but u I understand that the younger teachers couldn't risk the other possibilities. I'm other words, I was saddened by the vote but because the sc and super played the teachers with tactics considered dirty enough by an initial court to warrant a trial, and that makes me mad. I would never hold anyones vote against them and hopefully everyone would do the same. But if there is still legal means that can be pursued against this sc and the union doesn't take them, I'm not even a teacher and Inwould be ripped. They did nothing but play hard and dirty with you, any means you have now to take them to task MUST be done, if not for justice, just to get these people voted out.

As far as the goodwill, IMO, right now, I don't see how it could ever be repaired

Alex,
I honestly don't know if that can be pursued, all I know is the 2nd ULP, wasn't mentioned to members and if you read the press release that one isn't mentioned either. This current WEA leadership wanted a yes vote so badly though it was probably just not mentioned.
I hope the lies the SC told which can be proven start to leak out and come to light so teachers won't fall for more of the same in a year when this begins again AND so residents can see who played dirty so to speak. You want to hear about negotiations? former SC chair started the whole negotiations process by telling the teachers set to negotiate 'we are going to keep on saying No to everything you come up with, you can keep talking and we will keep saying no, you might as well talk to a wall' THIS is what negotiations mean to the town of Westford and why that whipsaw charge would have been so easy in court

I wonder if we were under the old contract for the first 2 days if WPS teachers could start a class action lawsuit against the town even with the WEA dropping their ULP
At least the town would be on the hook for 2 days
It's true WEA rolled over too easy and teachers will remember this next time they are asked to go above and beyond . I wish the NEASC visit was this year wow how different that's gonna be this time

"I wonder if we were under the old contract for the first 2 days if WPS teachers could start a class action lawsuit against the town even with the WEA dropping their ULP. At least the town would be on the hook for 2 days
It's true WEA rolled over too easy and teachers will remember this next time they are asked to go above and beyond . I wish the NEASC visit was this year wow how different that's gonna be this time"

Thats what I've ben trying to say. No matter that they breached contract by not paying steps for those two days. They may have broken some labor rules by then taking you down a step. Even if they agree to drop the ULP charge unless the ULP charge was inclusive of every infraction they made (I doubt it) they can still pursue the other charges. And I'm not sure that you can even agree to drop the charge. It would have to been explicitly worded in one of your documents.

Based on the leadership exhibited by Supt. Olsen on contract negotiations with the WEA, I has a very long time resident taxpayer believe he should be given 15% performance bonus from leftover FY12 funds.

If Olsen gets any bonus or raise over .33% Teachers will bring back Work To Rule for the next 2 years till the next contract. Straight Fact

I am under the impression that management sets the rules and the worker complies.
Have labor relations in the Westford School system entered into an Utopian era?

"Finally a Westford School Committee and Superintendent with the cojones to show the WEA and the hired Finnegan's the path to enlightenment."

Third time, I was not hired by anyone. Should I assume that because someone else's view opposes mine that they were hired by the town?

The path to enlightenment you speak of. Do you know that olsen makes almost 3x more than a teacher with the same amount of education. Has gets 15 sick days, can accumulate 150 for a buyout. same pension, insurance, a yearly bonus up to $4k. He gets $24k when he leaves. 5 Weeks vacation, 13 paid Holidays, 2 personal days, 1 more for religious leave. $250 a month for gas, a $3,750 signing bonus, $1,000 to attend conferences, $2500 reimbursement for purchasing life insurance or short tern disability insurance, and he makes circa $175k a year. 5000 Students, and he has an assistant Superintendant. I don't have a copy of this contract but I now his total compensation package equals $190k. The super is paid far above average, but you are probably are ok with that right? His total compensation costs $275k. His pension will cost 2-3x what a teachers will, all with the same education, tax payer funded etc. No one has a problem with that?

"Based on the leadership exhibited by Supt. Olsen on contract negotiations with the WEA, I has a very long time resident taxpayer believe he should be given 15% performance bonus from leftover FY12 funds."

I thought the town was dry?

"I am under the impression that management sets the rules and the worker complies.
Have labor relations in the Westford School system entered into an Utopian era?"

Nope, you have it right, so can you explain why the 3 days the teachers worked, August 29, 30 and 31 2011 under the contract that expired August 31 2011 they weren't paid as the contract stated? So who broke the rules?

I live in Acton and we are laughing at pretentious Westford this year, what a joke of aDCL school that teachers now resent the town they work in all in 1 year. Westford should leave the DCL and go back to playing its peers like Ayer

This is a direct quote from you

"Now, Westford will have big problems, the negotiated FY12 pay increases cannot be paid and FY13 increases can be funded only with massive (15 to 20% )reduction in staff."

So are we dry or not? And you include over hiring to be part of you superior super's performance?

Teachers get new steps starting the first day of every school year. They started the new year August 29 which means they worked 3 days under the old contract and should have been paid at the new step. That is how it works. Do you include breaking legally binding contracts as part of his superior performance too?

Olsen has a Masters in Business Administraton, Teachers have a Masters in Education. Same level of education. Do you see why teachers are not going to continue to get the education that underpays. It sounds like you base the super's performance on being able to underpay the teachers w/out considering the long term effects of it, or how he did it. Would you be happy giving him the 15% raise only ro realize that he cost the town $80k in fines?

As far as most teachers are concerned these days the only tradition we now have is a stab in the back as our contract is violated by the Super who claims to be very supportive of teachers (choke choke) the animosity created by saving a few bucks on the teachers backs is the kind of thing that often comes back to haunt ten fold in places like increased use of sick time...I don't mean teachers staying out when they are not sick, I mean teachers who came to work sick and now won't consider that, working in classrooms with sick kids most teachers can legit be sick a dozen days a year. That's just one example, this will end up hurting for years in ways the SC is too aloof to comprehend now

"An average MBA makes about 60% more than a teacher."

First off, you didn't answer any of my above questions.

Olsen makes much more than 60% of a Westford teacher at top pay. What does it matter what the average MBA makes, we are talking about Olsen.

The master's degree was mandated by the state. It doesn't matter that the teachers think of it. It automatically increases pay. What if we start requiring PHD's from teachers but don't change their pay? What do you think will happen? Will teachers continue to put out all that time and $ and investment in education for a job that isn't going to pay? (Answer please) I'm sure you've heard of the law of supply and demand.

A masters degree is a masters degree. A master's in Business Administration, Engineering, Early Childhood education, it's all the same level of schooling. The fact that you compare it to a job at Mcdonalds shows how extremely little you know about childhood learning and brain development.

" they actually believe that their Masters in Education degrees qualifies them for jobs requiring skills above those found in Mickey D. "

It does. A master's degree is required to teach in MA, it is not however required to work at Mickey D's. Think before you speak.

You think it's honestly that simple why don't you cruise through and get your masters, and MBA perhaps and get a super's job?

So there is only one Everett? A first and last name would border on criminal impersonation, a first name only? That's a biiiiiiiiiig stretch unless we mean Elvis Madonna Tupac and I don't think Everett is there just yet

Everett,

Given the sensitive nature of this topic and the fact I have not seen you on here before, I figured it was better safe than sorry. I've seen several people with user names similar to notable figures in stories that don't comment on stories outside of those with figures that they seem to impersonate.

You claim that 30% of the Westford teaching staff is inept. Who do you think hired or is keeping them? There is a plan in place by which teachers are assessed yearly and can be placed on a timeline to bring themselves up to the standard or they can be gotten rid of. So if there is 30% incompetence, it's the result of you over achieving super.

MA is #1 in the united states, so the countries' slide is not because of us, and certainly not because of Westford. So your point is moot.

I have read "A nation at risk", and am very familiar with the oecd site if you want to get into that. Being as educated as you say you are, I'm sure you know that comparing countries involves a lot of adjusting. What is your degree in if you don't mind me asking?

#1 Teacher Tenure does not matter if they do not meet the standard

#2 MA is #1 in the US. You challenged that argument straight away w/out anything to prove otherwise. We also have some of the best charter schools. No matter what study you find, MA is top 3.

http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-500172_162-10008953-52.html

http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/neighborhoods/school-district/ratings/top100/

Enough with the eccentricities stick to the subject matter.

How many tenured MA teachers have been fired for incompetency in the last 10 years?

How many tenured MA teachers have been fired for drug dealing in the last 10 years?

How many tenured MA teachers have been fired for statutory rape in the last 10 years?

The CBS report quiet clearly states that the article is on performance on the 4th grade tests. The PISA tests measure performance at the 10th grade.

The neighborhoodscout web site used the same old metrics to prove that the US is !, yet OECD tests place the US in 25th place on international tests.

Were #1, were #1, were #1, say it long enough and loud enough and the parents will really believe it, open up their pocketbooks and lavish outrageous salaries on a poorly trained, inept and incompetent group of malcontents.

Pretty good scheme much like the 2006 and 2008 state and national elections.

Just like Stephen Stills sung in the 1960s "Battle lines are being drawn..."

It sounds like you have not read "A nation at risk" It was also Jesse James that told me to read it, but you have read it too? It's a fairly obscure book. I understood it perfectly, It sounds like you didn't. I fundamentally disagree with most of the book, as should you. You always tout finland the Korea, who have shorter school days. S. Korea pays teachers very highly as the book recommends (competitive). ALl ideas you are against.

Once again, you didn't answer any of my questions.

"How many tenured MA teachers have been fired for incompetency in the last 10 years? Doesn't matter this is Westford so probably very few, it's one of the best school systems in the state.

How many tenured MA teachers have been fired for drug dealing in the last 10 years? You can't terminate someone who resigns. Don't' know if she was tenured or not but what about Jessical Palkes, Rosemarie Pumo?

How many tenured MA teachers have been fired for statutory rape in the last 10 years?" Again you can't fire someone who resigns, But there was one, I can't remember her name. The kicker in all this is is all the result of your precious SI and school committee, teachers have nothing to do with those regulations.

MA does not matter, this is westford. It's part of the Westford contract, I have no idea if it's part of anyone else's contract. So if all those teachers were terminated or resigned will you admit you were wrong?

Why do we have charter schools, if our public schools are #1? Because some people like to have choices.

Does the #1 ranking of our public schools retain its standing when compared to the various private and religious schools in MA?

It doesn't matter, compare the states however you want. Massachusetts stacks up very well. Westford stacks up very well.

Saying the U.S. is 25th in the world means nothing when there are 49 other states dragging MA down. How does MA stack up to the rest of the U.S. I've given you numerous examples none of which have been been up to your standards. Why don 't you provide them. Just MA, public private, whatever you want. You might find the studies you desire are not that easy to find.

You aren't happy with any of my stats, evidence, studies. lets see your relevant ones showing how terrible MA schools are. Being 25th in the world means nothing when you have 49 plus the territories averaging MA down.

Okay, deleted one comment that insulted another user somewhat surreptitiously and deleted another that insulted another user more bluntly.

C'mon people, knock it off. It's too hot for this.

Thats the truth