RESPECT – to show regard or consideration for: to respect someone, proper acceptance or courtesy; acknowledgment: to show consideration for; treat courteously or kindly
Try to put aside your politics or the notion that I am defending a “friend” and see if you can be honest with yourself.
If you have worked at a company for 5, 10, 15, 25, or 30 years, you have seen great change and not so great change. You have witnessed how evaluations and raises have been done and then when you come up, for the first time ever in the history of that company not only is a change happening suddenly and without any notification, your value and worth is being discussed among not only your bosses but in front of those who work for you. Is your contribution valued at 2% – 3% -0%? Really answer the question how would you feel? And don’t give me the political BS that it’s Taxpayers money we are talking about.
This was the highest amount of disrespect shown to any public sector authority figure in the entire Merrimack Valley and the Greater Lowell Technical School Committee should be embarrassed.
This isn’t about Transparency or fairness or ‘the Team” Look at this statement: “The rest of the team got 2 percent all the way down the line. Why is it that we don’t follow the team and why do we need more than the team? How does the rest of the team feel? That’s why we have culture problems,”
Where was ‘the Teams’ contract and raise given? BEHIND CLOSE DOORS then voted on in Public. If that’s good for ‘the team’ why isn’t good for the team leader?
Has anyone else noted that the Committee member talking about ‘The team” and who actually with a straight face said ‘We need open government,” has been the recipient of the taxpayers money his entire life and yet doing a Google Search and search of the Sun and Lexington Minuteman, I cannot find 1 article or story where he publicly lobbies and fights for his or any of his family members on the public payroll, positions ever to be negotiated in public.
The same old political Bull S*#T of “Do as I say, NOT as I do!” Yet no one calls him out on this hypocrisy. Search it yourself and send me any published article you find. I didn’t find 1
Paul Morin was a teacher for many years and isthisclose to the union. Look who became head of contract talks and settled the teacher’s contract. Find me 1 time when he advocated negotiating his evaluation or contract in public when he was a teacher or represented the school committee? He said nothing after giving the Supt. a positive review but voted NO anyway. WHY?
Fed Bahou has shown multiple times by his gender biased comments and his advocating for his friend what his position is. It’s personal, he has to stock shelves and work long hours but a 30 year employee with a master’s in education who attends night meetings and puts in 10-12 hour days deserves a HIGH FIVE not a raise.
Dave Conway would be tarred and feathered but Paul and Fred get a pass?
The 2% raise was fair; I have ZERO objections to that. It is the manner in the way the committee did it that I find appalling. It showed ZERO respect for a 30 year employee.
Those that though Ray Boutin was a bad choice because he supports the Superintendent must be relieved, he made the motion. Maybe the committee member who told me they had 2 of ‘our guys” ready to run against O’Hare and Boutin may reconsider that now.
Let’s see IF they have to hire a new Superintendent if they will advertise the fact that negotiations will be done 100% in public. Will they refuse to negotiate the “teams” next contract behind closed doors? Isn’t that the line they set? Think the union will go along with that?
And YES I know I am the only one making a big deal of it. Not the first nor last time that will happen.
Onto other things…
Senator Eileen Donoghue is pleased to announce that the City of Lowell will be receiving an increase in funding this year through the Shannon Grant program. The Senator Charles E. Shannon Community Safety Initiative (Shannon CSI), commonly known as Shannon Grants, is a state grant program administered by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. The City of Lowell will receive $518,000 in Shannon Grant funding this year; this represents a significant increase over last year’s funding of $450,000. During the FY13 budget, Senator Donoghue fought to secure increased funding for this line item. Due in part to her efforts, the FY13 Shannon Grant line item saw a $750,000 increase over the previous year.
The Column mentions that LOWELL SUPERINTENDENT of Schools Jean Franco submits a quarterly report of her progress on School Committee motions and that Bob Gignac waited 11 months for a response. Why isn’t there a weekly agenda item (or bi-weekly in their case) similar to the City Council?
Communications from City Manager—Responses to City Council Motions and Requests and Informational Materials?
Also why aren’t old motions listed on the School depts.. website, so the public can see what is still not responded to?
I missed the 2nd half of City Life on Tuesday when Connie Martin joined Kristen Ross Sitcawich and the Savior of the Latin Lyceum Victoria Fahlberg. Apparently something was said about a motion regarding Report Cards that the committee passed and it hadn’t yet been enacted on by the Administration.
I hope Kristen or Connie can email and explain what that is. George gave me homework of getting an answer to what was it the committee passed and why hasn’t the Administration followed up on it and why hasn’t the school committee demanded an answer themselves?
Speaking of the Lyceum, after listening to Dr. Fahlberg mention she has spent so much time and isn’t paid for all her work that I think a little stipend should be offered or maybe a scholarship named in her honor. I’m also concerned that the Lyceum may collapse and go away after she leaves at the end of the year because she no longer has a child there. Who will keep it going?
If you listened closely on Tuesday it appears that the Lowell High School Headmaster will not be getting a new contract.
Great tease in Kendall Wallace’s Saturday Chat yesterday “The other dynamic to watch in the council race is the potential of two young professionals, one male and one female, running. I had a pretty strong indication that both are poised for a campaign this fall.” So far names of potential candidates have been few.
It’s only early January and I’m already tired of hearing the same old tired talk about Plan E versus Strong Mayor. Who is finally going to stop talking and actually do something? I also liked Mr. Wallace’s suggestion that maybe we look into amending the charter to have the ceremonial mayor elected by the public, rather than the nine city councilors selecting one of their own. The current system has caused some major splits among councilors that generally starts the new term off in a very ugly mood.
Can a citizen ask the council to put forth a binding referendum? Can a council pass a motion to get something on the ballot?
The Butler School Site will be sold if the council approves the motion on Tuesday’s Agenda. It is being sold for $265,000 and the developers plan on putting up 2 buildings that will contain food service, office and retail businesses and includes a new public roadway connecting Gorham and Ellsworth to Livingston and Newhall streets. This was not the highest bid ($325,000) was but that proposal was for 1 building which was to be used as a Supermarket / Restaurant /Function Hall but didn’t include the road or convey the possibility for more economic development around the area and had a longer construction schedule.
You’ve spent 690 words, in utter ignorance of the protocol of negotiation. At the very first meeting of any process, GROUNDRULES are established.
If the process is to be held in open session, in full view, both parties must agree. It’s not fully clear what compelled Supt. Santoro to continue? Or, Mr. Olsen, for that matter. Once the vote failed to obscure the negotiations under the cloak of Exec Session, could either Santoro or Olsen pulled the plugged, right then and there?
Apparently, $171,564 is worth eating crow with a hefty slug of “travesty” to wash it down.
So, please, attempt bending your ominous powers of political divination on discovering a way to get the Union negotiators to agree to public negotiations. IF you can conjure such a revelation, please then pause to consider, if they SHOULD be held in public. I lean towards a ‘hybrid’ process that issues joint press releases, as milestones are reached.
Further, why is it that the CM negotiates, with little to no fanfare, a wide variety of contracts with the City’s locals? Is it because there is no pry bar to put a Plan E City Manager against the wall on Election Day?
Jack,
I’ll go slowly since apparently you have some misunderstanding about the word negotiate.
Dictionary.com – mutual discussion and arrangement of the terms of a transaction or agreement: the negotiation of a treaty.
2. the act or process of negotiating.
I’ll even explain the word Mutual for you – of or pertaining to each of two or more; held in common; shared: mutual interests.
This WASN’T a negotiation, it was an EVALUATION to discuss salary which is stated in the contract. NOWHERE in that contract nor past practice says it would be done in open session but since you only want to defend your pal you ignore THE FACTS.
Negotiations indicates SHE had a say to accept or reject that raise.. SHE DID NOT! Did you read anywhere she objected or agreed to this? NO ! Because she COULD NOT NEGOTIATE IT WAS A TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT EXPERIENCE.
She had no choice but why let facts get in your way..I didn’t ignore anything you just have your own agenda and want to try to muddy the truth YOU ARE wrong here.
So before you lecture me, get the FACTS Right! And by the way, show me anywhere in the past 6 years were ANYONES EVALUATION was discussed in PUBLIC and NOT BEHIND CLOSED DOORS FIRST.
THIS WAS A TERRIBLE UNPROFFESIONAL ACT OF DISRESPECT FOR PETTY POLITICAL REASONS!
PS: her original Contract was done in Executive Session so based on your logic (?) since the committee did it at the begining they should have continued doing that.
Very good. You understand that the Supt. situation is very different than, say Morin’s and Gitschier’s, whose time on the “public payroll” was tightly wrapped in a process controlled by others. I’ve listened to enough Republican Union members moan about their “sad” condition, to know that there aren’t a lot of heroes fighting the paradigm.
For several hundred words, you were confused.
Supt. Santoro’s evaluation was completed, before this last meeting. She got a “B” or 83%. The purpose of the Executive Session, as stated in the Agenda was “… conducting contract negotiations with non-union personnel … ” The purpose of the, so called, “negotiation” was to translate the evaluation grade into a dollar figure. Olsen felt a “B” was worth 3%. Boutin suggested 2.5%. The agreed value was 2%. Well, Bahou and Morin did not concur a “B” was worth that much.
I’m not positive what principles Supt. Santoro or Mr. Olsen COULD have stood on. After some pouting, the offer was taken.
The next step is for you to offer, as FACT, what I think, why I speak and what I seek. While you have a dictionary handy, look up “Straw Man.”
Any changes should begin at the top and then move towards the bottom. Good for the members on the Greater Lowell School Committee who supported the change and good for the the superintendent who did not fight the change.
Negotiating in public should begin with the top of the organization; in this case the superintendent, and then move down the chain of command. The Lowell School Committee made changes to our superintendent’s contract regarding sick leave by back. We canot expect the teachers union or other unions to make the changes before Sr. management makes tthe change first…
It takes both sides to make positive changes, and often at the beginning the changes being made are not wanted because it is different and not the usual way of doing things. No doubt that the pain making this change will lead to positive results down the road.
Note, the Latin Lyceum will continue to be offered at Lowell High School (“LHS”) because it is a very successful progam for our students. There is not only one person working to keep this and other programs going at LHS…There are many, many folks who work hard and much more important, work successfully to ensure that all the students at LHS are receiving a high quality education. Changes have been made to LHS in the past few months and changes will continue to be made throughout this year and next. Frankly, changes will continue forever when needed in order to ensure that we continue to provide an exceptional education for all the students who attend LHS
Lastly, I agree w/your comments regarding pending motions should be on the school web site..We do have a portion of each meeting responding to outstanding motions, which begin a couple of months ago. I will see to it that pending and resolved motions are on the school web site going forward. Thanks for the space and go Pats!!
Jim, I am curious as to how many students Ms. Franco oversees as Superintendent of Lowell Public Schools. Also how many students does Ms. Santoro oversee at the Tech School? Are the salaries in sync for the amount of students and staff both administer to? Just wondering if anyone has that info. availabe.
The Lowell school Supt. makes approx. the same as the Tech Supt.
The Lowell Supt. oversee’s many more buildings, teachers and students which is why there is 1 Asst. Supt./Principle at the Tech but a Deputy Supt., 2 Asst. Supt. along with 20+ Principals and Vice Principals in Lowell. Lowell is a lot larger than the Tech.
Gerry, you are not the only one making a big deal of the GLTECH’s most embarrassing meeting. Lots of people are talking about it, you are merely doing it openly and publicly. Good for you.
Brenda, Gerry pretty much hit the nail on the head. Here’s a some contrasts; just for fun….Lowell High School has about 1,200 to 1,800 more students then the Greater Lowell Tech does (depending on the day, month and year etc). There is no points system to get in. You live in Lowell you get to go. Greater Lowell Tech is totally based on a points system. Not enough points you do not get to go. Bill Samaras left as Headmaster of LHS three years ago making about $133K. Ed R., the current LHS Headmaster, makes about $120K. There is no way that the Greater Lowell Tech Superintendent (or any of her peers in the region tech schools) should be making more then the town of Dracut’s Superintendent (which is also a lot larger school district then Greater Lowelll) never mind the city of Lowell’s Superintendent…
I found it interesting that some GLTHS members did not think a comparison to local school districts was a fair comparison for salaries. As Jim mentioned, this one school has less students then Lowell High. Was this raise in the Superintendents contract?
OK, we have seen the path we have travelled (last post and this), but what is the path to the verdant upland pastures? And, does the trek include the current Superintendent? The clock is running down and this is not a one handed game.
Regards — Cliff
Did it ever occur to anyone that maybe the Supt. in lowell and the surrounding communities might be under paid? Just thought I would put that out to start a discussion.
What did Pangi say, “We are reaching a point where the private sector can no longer afford the public sector.?” When did he say that? Like 4 years ago?
Mr.Cassin is utterly tone deaf. That should come as no surprise, as GLTHS’s “formula” cannot be haggled. The member municipalities must pay the vig. Period. How GLTHS spends it, is up to them. Mr. Cassin’s favorite way, was payroll for Admins?
How do you measure someone’s worth? Quality of work? Pay of others in similar jobs? Pay of what the Sun thinks is correct?
Jack, I don’t know what you do for work, but do you think you should be paid more than you currently get?
I would never say no to more money. That said, I am compensated, fairly.
Further, I don’t blame you for seeking the contract that you got. I blame the committee folks that gave it to you. Especially the one’s whose family members were hired, soon there after. But, as you know, we have been weeding those committee members out, election cycle after election cycle.
Now, just to send the current Supt. off into the sunset, hire a well qualfied outsider and build on the competent foundation that you and MJS have built.
Regarding pay for education leaders, I am with Mitch Daniels. Maybe some should go down, rather than others go up. Everyone should be fairly compensated, but we shouldn’t get on some never ending escalator. Taxes are going up for the average person. However, I am not against a bonus for a job especially well done, as long as it is a “bonus” and doesn’t become part of the base pay package.
Just a thought.
Regards — Cliff