ACCOMPLISHMENTS ON THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE

I want to start by saying that I have had the responsibility and privilege to serve on the School Committee responding to everything from a once-in-a-lifetime crisis to the "regular" challenges and opportunities to develop policies that support and improve a district plan.

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• I bring people together with various points of view and data considerations, and come up with ways to move forward. 

  • For example, as chair of the building & grounds subcommittee, I listened to our community members to help put together the district’s COVID-19 health & safety manual, which enabled us to bring our youngest and most-at-risk students back to the classrooms safely earlier than many other districts. 

  • In the face of community anxiety about the decision to close the Kennedy-Longfellow school, I managed conversations with the families and community members reassuring them that the plan is to open a new school after the building’s renovation.

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• I endeavor to be an independent thinker by respectfully but forcefully voicing different views to the other members when necessary.  

  • For example, I repeatedly stated my frustration about not doing a national superintendent search in 2021.  This led to the School Committee agreeing about the importance of the national search currently underway.

  • Based on expert advice, I advocated mathematics acceleration in high school.  Since we adopted acceleration in middle school, I have asked that we monitor the policy’s impact on all students and address any unintended consequences.

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• Lastly, I have used my professional experience to ensure long-term considerations are fully incorporated in the School Committee’s decision making. 

  • For example, as co-chair of the budget subcommittee during the last six years, I have helped move budget discussion from focusing only on new initiatives to how to adapt and course-correct based on the monitoring and evaluation of our programs and shifting funding landscapes.

  • I have continued to highlight the importance of experiential learning as an important way to engage students and ensure they are ready to graduate from high school. We should also investigate how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to better meet students’ needs.