Sunday, January 15, 2012

::Why I'm Running

Time and again, Lexington Public Schools have served as an example of excellence for teaching and learning across the state and across the country.  Our schools are the pride of our Town, a key component of our quality of life, and why so many of us choose to live here.  As a leader and champion of our schools, I am proud of my contributions and of the gains we have made:
  • We are closing learning gaps between all students;
  • We lead the state in program efficiencies and fiscal responsibility - over the past three years, the School Department has saved over $4.6 million dollars as a result;
  • We continue to be recognized nationally, most recently as a leader in fostering collaborative Professional learning Communities, and for our Professional Development programs.
But, our work is not done.  With your support, I will keep working on the challenges before us:
  • Continue to address the issue of teacher morale across the district
  • Stabilize a maintenance plan for all school facilities
  • Increase classroom technology
  • Collaborate with our Town and unions to reduce health care costs
  • Begin to restore programs that have been lost in past years, like additional high school science labs and elementary foreign language.
I will continue to engage a broad constituency, advocating for what our schools and students need.  I will continue to listen and understand diverse perspectives and work collaboratively to find positive solutions.  I am eager to continue to both exercise the skills I've developed as a school committee member and continue to bring my broad knowledge of issues advocacy, policy, and budgeting from my work at the State-level to bear on the work ahead for Lexington.