I am proud of my work as one of the Budget Co-Chairs for the FY2010 budget and a member of the Budget Committee for the past 4 budget cycles. It is important that the School Committee works closely with the administration on a thoughtful, transparent and inclusive budget process, and during my time on the Committee we have worked hard to make the process more open and transparent, as well as create a budget document that is more user-friendly. If we know where the money is going, then we can work together to make sure it will improve achievement and the enrichment of all our students.

Cutting millions of dollars from any budget causes a great deal of frustration and divisiveness within a community; however, we must be prepared and willing to prioritize and work together. If re-elected, I promise to push for this type of communication and collaboration to continue.

We need to make sure that the school budget remains focused directly on improving teaching and learning. We need to spend money where it will have the most impact - the classroom.