School Committee commends superintendent
By Kate Daly Assistant Editor

Westborough - School Committee members both gave and received glowing reports at their Sept. 5 meeting, including news of a settled contract with 40 custodial employees.

Up for her second annual public review, Superintendent Anne L. Towle received high marks in the School Committee Evaluation, and each committee member gave individual praise during the meeting.

Committee member Craig Harris was involved in the search that resulted in hiring Towle.

"I can say that I'd make the same decision today," he said. "I think that our organization has a great leader. I love that she can make the tough decisions and follow through."

Committee member Karen Henderson agreed.

"I think as the town as a whole, we see the incredible results," she said. "I think it's important for people to know that Dr. Towle's doing an incredible job making sure that we get the most value for the dollars spent. She's a great steward for the school system and the town."

Overall and in seven of nine categories, the committee rated Towle's performance as "exceeds expectations." Those categories were: relationships with the School Committee; staff - hiring, development, supervision and professional relationships; educational leadership; educational results; business and finance; organizational and administrative effectiveness; and personal qualities.

In the remaining categories of community relationships and eff ectiveness achieving annual school committee goals, Towle earned "meets expectations" ratings.

While acknowledging that she finds public reviews difficult, Towle thanked the committee and the people she works with.

"I have to say that while I appreciate being the superintendent, I am only one person in an organization of some very talented people and you're the best committee I've ever had the opportunity to work with," she said. "I have a great administrative team, both at the central office and at the building level, and our teachers and our support staff is outstanding."

School opening

Towle gave her own report on the opening of school that was just as glowing.

"From an administrative point of view and teachers' point of view, it was like school had gone on all summer," she said.

She listed improvements in school buildings, particularly Hastings Elementary School.

Armstrong Elementary School added an additional kindergarten teacher, Towle said, because the enrollment increased by 15 students over the summer. The situation raises a concern, she said, because with only three or four kindergarten classrooms in a building, the district is limited in its ability to expand within a school.

"We may want to look at one building for early childhood learning," she said, for both the district's pre-school and kindergarten classrooms.

Assistant Superintendent Marianne O'Connor gave a review of summer curriculum work at the high school. Two classes will involve co-teaching with English Language Learning teachers. Megan Clancy and Anne Taylor will co-teach chemistry and Justin Richards and Jackie Coelho will coteach algebra I.

Teachers Darrell Potosnak and Karen Apuzzo Langton developed an international business course that will be off ered for the first time, covering international finance, management and trade relations.

Contract

negotiations

Board Chair Rod Jané announced the details of a contract settlement with the 40 members of the School Custodians Employees in the district, represented by AFSCME. The old contract expired June 30.

The contract calls for a 3 percent salary increase in the first year, retroactive to July 1, 2007. In the second year, the contract will give a 1.8 percent increase July 1, 2008, and a 1.8 percent increase mid-year. The third year calls for a 3 percent increase.

The contract also increases employee contributions for Fallon Insurance Plan by from 10 percent to 15 percent as of July, 20 percent as of July 2008, and 25 percent as of July 2009.

New employees hired as of July will begin at the 25 percent level.

"We appreciate the good faith the custodians put into the negotiating process," Jané said. "I think it was a very good and fair process for everyone."

District Director of Business and Administration Dan Hendricks said the district is currently in negotiations with four other bargaining units: teachers, paraprofessionals, secretarial staff and school lunch staff . All the contracts expired June 30.