About a month ago, I read a column in the Milton Times by Reverend R.G. Wilson-Lyons that was entitled, “Tell Me What You’re For.” He starts the piece by stating, “We live in a time where so much of the civic discourse is about what we are against“ and then he asks, “What if instead of defining ourselves by what we are against, we defined ourselves by what we are for?” This has stayed with me, especially when asked why I’m running for School Committee. So, here is my response:

• I am for the inclusion of all children, in our schools and our community, to the greatest extent possible.
   

• I am for fiscal responsibility. We need to balance the needs of our town and our schools.
   

• I am for funding a new school. Our schools are currently over-capacity by 26 classrooms. Our kids and our teachers deserve real classrooms. If funding is approved in the fall, we could have a new school by late 2027.
   

• I am for addressing learning loss and the mental health issues that we still see as a result of the Covid pandemic. This requires staffing appropriately to meet these needs and supporting progress that has been made.
   

• I am for every child feeling challenged. This means a curriculum that is appropriately ambitious for each student.
   

• I am for equity. We need to address the ongoing opportunity gap for students of color and students with special needs. Our graduation rates should not be disproportionate.
   

• I am for respect and collaboration. I appreciate the experience of others and I am open to opinions that differ from mine.
   

• I am for service. I love volunteering and I will continue to give back to a town that has given us so much.