At the top of almost
anyone's list of what makes Newton the desirable community that it
is will be the quality of public education and the
school system. Clearly, such benefits come with a price - the School
budget is far and away the single largest category of city expenses.
And in the current economy many communities are having a very difficult
time paying for even the bare minimum of municipal services. We need
to continually balance the preservation and enhancement of one of Newton's
greatest assets, its public schools, while making sure that taxpayers
get a return on their investment.
The Carr School has been fully renovated and updated to serve as a
'swing' school - students from Angier are the current cohort housed
here.
Education has been a lifelong personal and professional commitment
for me - my undergraduate and graduate degrees are in education.
I spent five years as a classroom teacher in a public elementary
school.
After my own children started school I began working in the business
sector. My experience both as an educator and human resources professional
has further strengthened my conviction that investing in public education
is an investment in our future, and is a core value for Newton residents.
As a member of the Board of Aldermen, I am actively involved
in the Board's role in the school budget process. Over the
last several
years we have seen the completion of several major projects
including the
renovation of Newton South and Newton North High Schools. The
focus now is on a sweeping and ambitious renovation and construction
program for our elementary schools, beginning with Angier, Zervas,
and Cabot. We have begun the process of acquiring
Aquinas with
the
plan to move
Lincoln-Eliot to this space, renovating Lincoln-Eliot to become
the “swing
space” and moving Horace-Mann students to Carr. This
is a win-win for all.
