Why do you want to serve on the School Committee?
I had the distinct honor of serving on the School Committee 2020-2023, through the challenging COVID-19 pandemic. I see other equally daunting challenges just ahead in the next 4 years: economic uncertainty, anxiety, and social unrest are reported in the news daily, and public education is being devalued and pushed aside, furthered by diminishing federal funding. I am passionate about public education and preserving the important role it plays in this nation! Education can be a great equalizer, if we commit to combatting bias, supporting mental and physical health, removing barriers for students and families with challenges, and fostering creativity and curiosity within our schools. I want to rejoin the fight to improve Watertown Public Schools and lift up our students to be successful in their life journey after high school, including if that journey is on a path that does not immediately include college or university.
Tell voters about your background and qualifications for being a School Committee member.
My wife and I moved to Watertown almost 29 years ago. We fell in love with its small town feel, its proximity to Boston (and how many high quality amenities Watertown had!), and our friendly neighborhood. Our one child attended Watertown Public Schools K-12, graduating in May 2020. She is now a thriving 2nd year high school Biology teacher, which I attribute in part to her Watertown education. I was trained to be an educator also: I received my Secondary School English teaching certificate out of college. My path diverged from public school teaching, though, and the only formal classroom time I had was several years as an Adjunct Faculty at the Questrom School of Business at Boston University. Nonetheless, public service has been my job for the last 30 years. The 4 years I served on the Watertown School Committee during the pandemic compacted more experience into that term than any period prior. I served as chair of the Buildings and Grounds Subcommittee, and I was a member of both the Policy and the Budget & Finance Subcommittees. I also chaired the ad hoc committee created to explore career and technical education (“CTE” – you might have called it “vocational education”) opportunities for our students when there was no more space at Minuteman Regional Technical High School for them. I also spent the 12 years prior to my time on the School Committee as a member (and sometimes the chair) of the Lowell Elementary School, Middle School, and High School Site Councils, in connection with the school building my daughter was attending. Many folks know that my previous experience and dedicated work over the last 18 years (including the 2 after my School Committee term) – literally thousands of hours of meetings, research, advocacy, and leadership – will help me hit the ground running and do the job Watertown needs. The experience and history I bring to the School Committee will provide an important perspective to deliberations.
How can the district make sure that all students and their families feel welcome, and are getting the most from their experience in the Watertown Public Schools?
First, we must meet each student (and their family) where they are when they arrive at our door. By doing that, we show respect and understanding; we honor their journey. Our schools have lots of educators, curriculum, programs, supports, and structures in place to help make every student’s learning experience successful. But less than half of our students still report that they do not have an adult in their school building that they can trust. This is a specific area to focus on. And, while Watertown celebrates its diversity, we sometimes need to be remember to be sensitive to cultural needs. Which is why I have also been working during the last 2 years to help resuscitate and reorganize the Watertown Anti-Bias Coalition, in support of the diverse needs and cultures of our students. The mission of the Coalition is “…to promote equity and inclusion through transformative conversations, education, and activism for children and their caregivers in Watertown.” (Watertown Public Schools – Anti-Bias Coalition)
Watertown has an opportunity to completely renovate or rebuild Watertown Middle School and use the temporary school currently at Moxley Field. How would you like Watertown to proceed with this project?
Originally, I wanted the Middle School rebuild (or, at least, renovation) to be the next step in the progression of our school building projects. Then, the cost estimates came in, and coupled with the City Manager’s calculations for what it would take to proceed, I began to doubt that the project was feasible. Some still assert there is a path forward, which gives me hope; but I also know that Watertown has invested millions of dollars over the last decade in new windows, air conditioning, and renovations in support of the modular high school. That being said, the roof between the auditorium and large gym will need to be replaced soon, the fire alarm system needs an upgrade, and some safety features that were built into the new school buildings would be important additions to the Middle School. I’d like to investigate with the Middle School community other possible, low(er)-cost improvements to support greater educational advances. I’d also like to make the school and its grounds something to be proud of, and consider opportunities for energy efficiencies and alternative sources (like solar) to help defray those costs until a new Middle School is economically feasible again.
The district is considering a policy banning use of cellphones and other personal electronic devices from the beginning of school to the final bell. Would you support this policy, and why?
Yes, I support this “bell-to-bell” electronic device policy. I think that it is also likely that the state will also provide similar regulations in the very near future. The School Committee has already built policy that will not only provide this ban, but will be easy to adapt to any changes that might come in the future. And, just to be clear, this policy is also supported by many families and students, not to mention the mounting research that these devices are not only distracting but actually harming our students’ learning (in many cases). Family communication is important these days, but distracted learning is almost as detrimental as distracted driving. However, I do want to make sure that we provide exceptions for those electronic devices that we know are instrumental tools for helping certain students to navigate through their educational challenges.
The budget has been tight in recent years, but if the district had an opportunity to add programs, which one would you choose first?
I would choose to add a Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway program in one of the “hard trades” (like plumbing, electrical, and automotive). Many know that I have worked very hard for the last several years, on and off the School Committee, on a problem that appears to have no solution – how to expand CTE opportunities for our high school students who might not choose college right after high school. Watertown has many electives that are CTE-based (which we are expanding down into the Middle School), but we will only have 5 three-year CTE certificate pathways after the new high school opens, and none of those will be in a “hard trade”. Part of the problem is that the state’s system of regional technical high schools has no capacity for new members, like Watertown. And, to compound the problem, I just read in the news this week that Shawsheen Valley Technical High School in Billerica is probably closing its auto repair program and shop, due to declining student demand. Unfortunately, I suspect that the increased median age for auto mechanics today (58) is likely going to cause a shortage of workers for repair shops and garages in the years to come.
During your campaign, what was the biggest issue or concern for voters when you spoke to them about the Watertown Schools?
I think that elementary school and preschool/pre-K families, especially those who weren’t lucky enough to get a slot in Extended Day through the WPS lottery, struggle most with childcare after the school day ends. We are starting to see some new, creative solutions appearing at the Boys & Girls Club and in the private sector, but even in those solutions, transportation remains a very large issue for parents. I know that many great minds have been working on this perennial problem since before my daughter started in WPS, with no full solution in sight. Perhaps the City should explore opportunities to purchase and/or build a facility that could provide overflow for families that need a better solution?