Town of Braintree

Thank you Sandra Baler

Spoken like the teacher you are, and nothing said about the private sector not getting raises for years now. No response to 180 working days a year, or what the real annualized salary of teacher's being twice the their posted salaries.
I am all for school competition to get a better product than we have today. I am not wealthy by any means but I decided public edu. was failing, so I mortage my future to send my children to private school and thankful I did. Public schools are full of hack teachers and the unions allow for their incompetence.

By jd

the time has come

to show the likes of Mr.Hubbard the town door as it were.
the way to save Braintree is not
to tax and spend.We should vote the current school comittee out and install
rational people,non teachers.The practice of having teachers on the school comittee is foolish,they get to vote on their fellow teachers raises,you scratch my back and so on.
the total compensation to teachers in this town is more than generous,the state mandated benefits they receive
are payoffs for political support.
all of the budget busting is always spearheaded by the teachers union.

One Man's Opinion

I do not mind people disagreeing with my position and I am always happy to discuss the issues with anyone who wishes, but I do mind anonymous people making stuff up about me to help their own cause. While I always question the point of posting anything on this ?“discussion?” page, I do want to set the record straight...

You are correct on one point when you say I am only one person. In fact, I only have a vote if there is a tie. As I have also said all along, I have no idea how the Finance Committee, as a whole, will come down on this issue if it comes before us to make a recommendation to Town Meeting. There are certainly strong opinions on both sides. I obviously have my opinion and I will continue to try to make my points and arguments, but I will always be respectful of the decisions the full committee makes (as well as the entire town meeting for that matter). Unlike some others perhaps, this isn?’t personal for me?…which brings me to the next point?…

To say I am and against public schools, am always looking to cut their budget, and favor private schools is nothing short of garbage. Nothing could be father from the truth. For those that this might matter to, I am a product of public education?…graduating from a public high school and a state college. My oldest daughter is a student at the Highlands school and my second daughter will start Braintree public schools next year. Last year I supported INCREASING the school budget so that we could hire back 6 teachers. I also supported the debt exclusion override so that we could begin to recover from the years of neglect to our town infrastructure, including school buildings.

I am very eager to see Braintree?’s education system thrive (for the sake of our kids). I don?’t think that is done by giving raises at the expense of positions and programs. It?’s really that simple. I do NOT support spending the limited funds we have (and some we don?’t have) on pay raises at the sacrifice of jobs and services. I prefer a balance that factors in the fiscal climate and reality. I am not suggesting nothing for our employees. I am advocating a responsible level of salary increases that does not put our needs in further jeopardy (especially when we are trying to recover from devastating cuts of a year ago). To me, that is supportive of schools and education. What is better for the education of our kids, spending all our available money on higher salaries or using some of that on teachers, new textbooks, special ed programs, etc?

Lastly, I would like to point out that I appreciate the difficult position the negotiating team and school committee was put in. I know it wasn?’t easy and even ugly at times. My respect and friendship does not always result in agreement. This isn?’t about the schools (I think it is a well run department with many dedicated people)?…it?’s about the contract settlements and the effect they have on our finances and town. It just so happened that the schools settled first and the attention is directed there.

Again, if anyone has any questions or comments, please feel free to email or call me.

Take care.

Ted

By Ted Langill

Read the Ledger article

Joe Hubbard's statement in the Patriot Ledger has me confused. Nowhere is there any mention as to when or where Joe Hubbard made his remarks. I know that the selectmen have not met for the past two weeks.

Therefore, I can only hazard a guess that Joe took it upon himself to alert the media to this matter. Makes me think we have the makings of another ''Liveshot'' John Kerry right here in Braintree.

Apparently, Joe has become addicted to the flashing lights of town politics and has to keep his name in the public eye. What a shame, another politician just out to make a name for himself. Pathetic.

By Fine Print