Framingham Teachers, Union Question Leadership at High School

Scores of Framingham High teachers attended Tuesday night’s School Committee meeting looking for answers on the leadership at the high school. The Framingham Teachers Association co-presidents also spoke and asked for answers.

Earlier this month, newly-hired principal Adam Goldberg announced he was taking his second medical leave since starting at Framingham High in July 1.

Framingham Superintendent of Schools Stacy Scott has placed the other finalist for the Framingham High position Elyse Torbert as interim principal until Goldberg returns.

Goldberg, in a memo to staff, parents, and students, said he would need a minimum of a 3-month leave.

Framingham Teachers Association co-president Sarah McKeon said until Goldberg’s memo on January 4 to staff, parents and students, many high school teachers had not heard from him since Dec. 13. When McKeon spoke, teachers from Framingham High in the audience stood in support.

Framingham Patch first reported on Goldberg’s second leave of absence on Dec. 23, when we started hearing from students and parents about Goldberg not being seen at Framingham High.

“It’s a story that’s really hard to stomach,” Framingham Teachers Association Co-President Mike Koziara said.

Many staff don’t believe Goldberg’s leave is entirely due to medical reasons, added Koziara.

He said staff is not willing to take sides between Goldberg and Torbert, but that administration is creating a bad work environment.

“We’re all concerned about what that does long-term at the school,” said Koziara.

Goldberg replaced Michael Welch, who had been principal at Framingham High for a decade. Welch left to become of Superintendent of Schools in Dedham.

Torbert, when not named as Welch’s replacement, was given the newly-created position of Associate Principal at Framingham High by Scott in August 2014.

Last night, after the Union spoke and the scores of Framingham High teachers left, Scott said he has hired Dr. Irwin Blumer to mentor Torbert in her role as interim Principal.

Blumer is the former superintendent of schools in Newton and Concord, and father to former School Committee member Adam Blumer.

When Framingham Patch asked Scott after the meeting when Blumer started. Scott said he has yet to sign a contract. He also said it was not an “unusual” move to hire a consultant to be a mentor.

Goldberg was not given a consultant as a mentor when hired in July. Torbert and Goldberg were the only two finalists Scott announced for the Framingham High position last year, before picking Goldberg.

When asked when the district has hired an outside consultant to work with a principal as a mentor in the district, Scott said he has been done before. When asked to give examples. His response: “I’ll have to get back to you.”

McKeon complained that administration plans to hire a new assistant superintendent and creating a new public information officer position, despite a spending freeze and hiring freeze. She said teachers can’t even buy supplies for their classrooms.

School Committee Chair Beverly Hugo told the union and teachers she is taking their “concerns seriously.” No other School Committee members made a statement on the issue. Three of the seven members of the School Committee have students at Framingham High.

Below is the statement made by McKeon during the public comment portion of the School Committee meeting:

We have written this letter to express our frustration with the ongoing situation at Framingham High School. As you know, we have been experiencing numerous challenges as of late with the budget “freeze”, changes in leadership, lack of communication, and swirling rumors that have negatively impacted both our staff and students. We hear about transparency, yet we feel that many decisions made by central administration lack transparency. We are frustrated, anxious, and disappointed by our district’s leadership. We have some questions that we did not feel safe asking when Dr. Scott came to speak to the Framingham High School faculty on January 6.

First, we wonder why our input into decisions, such as hiring a new principal, is routinely disregarded. We know our school, and we have advocated on behalf of our students and staff, but all decisions seem to be made unilaterally. Apparently, the hiring committee never made site visits to the schools where the candidates were previously employed. We are concerned with the district’s hiring process in terms of checking references for all prospective hires. The hiring committee also was conspicuously not allowed to rank the finalists for the benefit of the superintendent, even if they had a unanimous preference.

Second, we wonder why this administration has a pattern of hiring people who do not last long in their jobs. We would like to know the amount of money that has been spent continuing to pay people who are no longer fulfilling the responsibilities of the jobs they held in the district. This includes the previous assistant superintendent, the previous three curriculum directors, the elementary principals who were discharged, and any other employees who were dismissed or reassigned while still receiving compensation for their previous titles, such as the previous middle school principal who was made a “district safety coordinator”.

Third, we wonder why we are subjected to a budget “freeze”, which is preventing us from purchasing basic supplies, library books, and technology. Meanwhile, central administration is spending large amounts of money to fill central office positions, such as the assistant superintendent, and to create new positions for the central office, such as the new public information officer position. In addition, there are consultants hired to assist in various areas of the district, and what are they being paid? What are they actually doing? How do these hires directly benefit our students or schools?

Fourth, we wonder how the district’s new supervision and evaluation system will be carried out in an effective and efficient manner. There is currently a great inconsistency in the way teachers are being evaluated, which puts the district at risk for an increase in grievances.

Fifth, we wonder why we had no communication from our principal between December 13 and January 4.
We are facing questions from colleagues, parents, and students, and we do not have satisfactory answers for them. However, despite all this difficulty and all of these questions, we continue to fulfill our obligations as professionals and to take pride in the many accomplishments and successes of our diverse students. Framingham High is an excellent high school, deserving of its Level 1 ranking by the state, and we deserve district leadership that makes thoughtful, caring, and supportive decisions.