When my husband
and I first moved to Newton more than twenty years ago (background)
the single most important consideration on our minds was the school
system
and
the quality of public education. Our children, Katrina and Jeffrey,
were about to enter first grade and we wanted to make sure they would
have the best education possible. We were living in
a community in New Hampshire that we had come to like very much,
but the school system just did not measure up - the high school was
not even accredited at the time. As young and inexperienced as we
may
have
been then, the choice was very clear and we 'voted with our feet.'
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,
working
with children with language and learning disabilities, including
autistic children.
After my own children started school I returned to the working world in the business
sector, in training and development. My experience has further strengthened
my conviction that investing in education is an investment in our
future, and that education goes beyond the classroom. That is why
I am a member of the Newton
Child Care Commission, for example, and
am on the Board of Directors of Brigham
Community House.
As a member of
the Board of Aldermen, and Chair of the Programs and Services Committee,
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 High School,
and now the focus is on Newton
North. My own children graduated from
North (class of '95) and I am firmly committed to improving the learning
and working environment at North. As we work through the planning
stage, given the uncertainty of the State budget and availability
of School Building Asssistance (SBA) funds, we will have to be flexible
and open to many different options as we balance the needs of the
school and the concerns of taxpayers.
