Providing a Voice for Families. Helping to Create a Shared Vision for the Future
Hi neighbors! I’m Joe Ganno, a lifelong Watertown resident, graduate of Watertown Public Schools, a father of two current Watertown students, and someone who deeply values fairness and community.
I’m running for School Committee because I want to help develop the leaders of tomorrow today, by supporting every student, advocating for every family, and building on the progress the School Committee has made over the last few years. Our community and our children deserve leaders who listen, lead with integrity, and never stop trying to improve the services offered by the Watertown Public Schools.
With 15 years of operational leadership in the materials management field, I’ve learned how to build strong teams, improve systems, and make processes more effective. I currently oversee more than 50 employees, and their safety is always my top priority. I encourage a “see something, say something” culture where everyone feels empowered to speak up if something isn’t right. I plan to bring that same philosophy to the school committee: when issues or concerns arise, they should be brought forward, discussed openly, and resolved through clear communication and collaboration.
I’m proud to serve on the Storm Water Advisory Committee, Board of Directors for the Watertown Boys & Girls Club and Watertown Youth Hockey, and to be co-president of the Hosmer PTO and active youth sports volunteer.
My goals for this campaign are to meet as many families as I can to not just share my experiences and opinions, but more importantly, to hear what you have to say. Whether you feel the School Committee is aligned with your family’s needs or if you have ideas for improvement, I want to hear it! I want you to feel that your voices are valued and that someone is listening.
What you can expect from me as a committed school committee member:
Open Communication – Families, students, teachers, administration, community. All these stakeholders have an invested interest in the school and all should be encouraged to share their thoughts and experiences to achieve a greater good. On the flip side, honest, clear, consistent communication from the school is critical and I plan to work with administration to ensure this happens regularly.
Operational Excellence – I understand the nuances that have been going on with enrollment numbers and capacity at the schools, as well as the lack of access to after-school care. The Committee has been hard at work on their Building the Future initiative, and as a true operations professional, I plan to take an unbiased look at these challenges and continue this good work.
Creative Solutions – Safely adopting AI as a way to enable our students to achieve higher goals and be ahead of the technology curve. It’s imperative that we as a community understand the risks associated with any new technology and how they may affect our children. Education around AI and creating policies for students to have safe exposure to these tools will benefit not
only families, but Watertown as a whole.
Watertown Public School’s values are equity, excellence, and community. I believe by creating a space where all students feel welcomed, included, and safe they can express their brilliance. Let’s keep moving forward together. I’d be honored to earn one of your three votes for Watertown School Committee!
Feel free to reach out to me directly at Ganno4wsc@gmail.com and be sure to visit my Facebook page for all updates.