Two years ago I ran for the Cambridge School Committee based
on a desire to help improve the quality of our public schools.
My goal was to make sure all children have the chance to become
well-educated, caring, and productive citizens. This has been
for me an engrossing and rewarding experience and there is
much on the school committee's upcoming agenda to improve
our public schools which I would like see to fruition.
I therefore am committed and excited to continue my service
to the wonderful children and families that make up our schools.
With my twelve years as a middle school teacher and two years
on the Cambridge School Committee, I now have experience both
in the classroom and in the boardroom
WHY I DESERVE YOUR #1 VOTE AND SUPPORT
My
first term accomplishments highlight the benefit of electing
a School Committee member with experience as a teacher as
well as an ability to collaborate successfully with colleagues.
Some of my accomplishments include:
•
As Co-Chair of the Mayor's Middle School Youth Commission,
I worked with Vice-Mayor Sam Seidel to secure outside
funding to develop a strategic plan and improve program
quality and participation to best support our middle school
youth. Our primary focus is on how our schools, city agencies,
and community partners can collaborate to improve middle
school youth participation in meaningful out-of-school
programs. Beyond the work itself, I am particularly proud
of this unprecedented working relationship between School
Committee and City Council.
•
As Co-Chair of the FY2010 Budget, I worked with
Luc Schuster and the administration on a thoughtful, transparent,
and inclusive budget process. We closed a $2 million budget
gap without cutting a single classroom teacher, and initiated
the process to create more transparency in the budget
process and document.
•
As Chair of the Goals Committee and the Curriculum,
Instruction and Assessment Committee, I advocated for
a focus to move beyond test scores and emphasize skills
that will best prepare our students for a successful future.
Such skills include having students demonstrate critical
thinking, collaboration, problem solving, global awareness
and communication. Another important goal for future work
in the school district is to ensure safe, nurturing and
healthy school environments.
•
As Chair of the Superintendent Transition Committee,
I am committed to maximize the opportunities having
our new superintendent represents. Together with Dr.
Jeff Young, we are working on a transition that is smooth,
productive, and successful to best benefit the Cambridge
Public Schools and our children.
Other initiatives include:
•
Advocating for an energy savings pilot program
at the Cambridgeport School where 50% of any energy
savings will be shared equally between the school
and the district.
•
Representing the School Committee on the city's
Healthy Children's Task Force.
•
Serving as a member of the Middle School Committee,
Governance Committee, School Climate Committee,
and the Collective Bargaining Team to negotiate
with all union employees, as well as the Co-Chair
of the Mayor's Green Schools Commission.
•
· Continuing to communicate with my constituents
by writing informative newsletters.
With your re-election support and #1 VOTE, I will continue
working to:
•
Promote academic rigor for all our children.
•
Ensure students become well-educated problem solvers,
collaborators and critical thinkers.
•
Advocate for strong leadership in all our schools.
•
Focus on recruiting, retaining and supporting excellent
teachers.
•
Fight to improve the quality and consistency in the
middle grades.
•
Push for more participation in excellent after-school
and enrichment programs.
•
Insist the budget is focused on where it is most important
- the classroom.
•
We develop a system-wide strategic plan to facilitate
understanding of where we are, where we need to go, and
how we are going to get there.
I thank you in advance for your encouragement and generous
support. As always, I welcome your ideas, questions and concerns.
My
first term accomplishments highlight the benefit of electing
a School Committee member with experience as a teacher as
well as an ability to collaborate successfully with colleagues.