WHY I AM RUNNING FOR REELECTION

Like many people who move to Brookline, I came here for the schools. Shortly after my first daughter was born, my family and I left Cambridge and moved near Coolidge Corner where we have lived for almost twenty years. I quickly fell in love with Brookline’s unique urban/suburban environment, and, for the most part, I was very happy with Brookline’s schools and services.

However, in the early 1990’s, it was becoming apparent that our schools and other services were becoming seriously under-funded. We needed either to find ways to provide services more efficiently or increase funding or both. I volunteered to serve on the Financial Planning Advisory Committee (FPAC) and was chosen by the Selectmen to be co-chair.

FPAC was charged with reviewing all aspects of the Town’s financial and administrative structures and to make recommendations for changes in our financial practices, areas where efficiencies could be achieved and, if necessary, for the structure of a Proposition 2½ override. The committee met regularly for five months and made recommendations in all three areas. The Selectman placed on the ballot an override similar to the one we recommended. I worked with other political leaders to present the override to the voters, and in May 1994 it was passed by the voters.

Shortly after that, Nancy Heller, the chair of the Brookline School Committee asked me to serve on a planning committee for the Brookline High School renovation. I designed the bond issue for the renovation and helped present the proposal to voters who overwhelmingly supported the bond issue through a Proposition 2½ debt exclusion in December 1995.

John Hodgman who chaired the School Committee’s finance sub-committee announced that he would not seek reelection when his term ended in 1996. Several members of the School Committee believed that my background in economics and knowledge of municipal finance would be valuable to the Committee and urged me to run.

Upon my election, I became Chair of the finance sub-committee. I used my expertise to help the Schools and the Town make better use of state funding and develop better capital policies. But my fellow Committee members soon realized that I was passionate about a number of issues. An account of my positions and role in the major issues during my first few years on the Committee can be found here. In brief, I championed ongoing program review for all programs, allowing students and parents to determine the level (standard, honors, advanced placement) of the courses students take at the high school rather than allowing teachers to exclude students from more challenging courses, and revising the health/physical education program to relieve the time burden on student athletes. You can find more information on the positions I have taken by clicking on “speeches and older documents” on the menu to the left. You can learn more about my positions on current issues by clicking on “Policy statements” on the same menu.

There are a number of issues and concerns that have pushed me to seek reelection this time. The first is that we still need to solidify the process of program evaluation. During my first two terms, we evaluated most of our programs over a three-year period. While we learned a great deal from the process, there were also significant shortcomings in the way we undertook evaluation. After a two year hiatus, we began developing an improved evaluation process two years ago. This year, we are beginning the first round of the new evaluations, starting with mathematics and the gifted and talented program. I still have concerns about our evaluation process. As a professional researcher engaged in program evaluation, I want to work with the school administration to continue to refine what I believe is an essential element of a process of continuous improvement.

My second major reason for running is that I want to ensure that we maintain the necessary support, both political and financial, for Brookline’s Equity project. For some time many of us have been concerned about disparities along racial and economic lines in the achievement of our students. In the last few years, we have begun a serious and sustained program to raise the academic performance of all students, and particularly of African-American and disadvantaged students. I want to ensure that the effort is continued and to use my research expertise to support these efforts.

Finally, we are in a period where having experienced School Committee members is going to be unusually important. If I chose not to run, the majority of the new School Committee would be members serving in their first term and working with a Superintendent who arrived in Brookline less than a year ago. The Superintendent needs the support of School Committee members with knowledge and experience of Brookline and its schools. Moreover, we face challenging financial times. It is important to have School Committee members who have demonstrated their ability to work effectively with the Town administration and political leaders.

I offer you my passion, my experience and my academic expertise and would very much appreciate your support on May 3.