Issues
There are many issues critical to the success of our school system. The following are some of the most important that we as a community will need to deal with both short and long-term.
The Impact of the Economy and Rising Enrollment
While our town has weathered the economic downturn better than many other surrounding communities, we still face many challenges. Budgets remain tight, and yet our student population is growing. How we deal with those two competing forces will have a significant impact on our schools for the next several years.
My priorities will be:
- Minimizing the impact of budget problems and rising enrollment on students in the classroom. This means working to find ways to save money in the system so that we can keep as many of our qualified teachers as possible.
- Insuring that we launch the new High School on-time, on-budget, and properly equipped for 21st century learning. The taxpayers of Natick did the right thing by voting to build a sorely needed new High School, now the School Committee must do the right thing to make sure that we get the most out of that bold investment.
- Encouraging and supporting school-parent partnerships. Each school and every child in our district benefits from an engaged and active parent community. In the years ahead these partnerships will become more critical as we look for creative ways to supplement how we support our schools.
Educating for the 21st Century
I grew up and went to school in Natick and live here today. Yet in my work life I regularly interact with people all across the globe—from Europe to India to Japan. My experience is hardly unique. Our kids won’t need to leave this town to be part of the global economy. The fact is our children are inheriting a world far more complicated than the one we grew up in, and they’ll need new skills to succeed. Skills such as:
- Teamwork, teambuilding, and team leadership. Working constructively with others and leadership skills are already critical to success in today’s workforce.
- Analytical and flexible thinking. That means not just knowing how to solve problems, but the ability to determine—in a complex world—what the problems actually are.
- Intercultural understanding. One thing we know is that many of the students in the Natick school system will eventually interact with colleagues from across the globe, from China to Argentina to India.
- Fluency in more than one language. According to various sources, English is only the third most widely spoken language, behind Mandarin Chinese and Spanish, and closely followed by Arabic and Hindi. The most common languages for English Language Learners in Natick schools today are Arabic, various dialects of Chinese, and Russian. The world our children are being educated for is multi-cultural and multi-lingual. Let’s make sure we’re teaching them what they need to succeed.
Effective Local Government
In town government, we all have to live together as neighbors when we leave town hall. Building and maintaining constructive working relationships is as important to governing as policy and budgets, and is one of my priorities. As an example, during my time as Chair I have established a regular series of meetings with the Chair of the Board of Selectmen, the Town Administrator, and the Superintendent of Schools. These meetings are designed to insure that the top administrators in town, and the major policy boards to whom they report, are aware of each other’s initiatives and ready to take advantage of any opportunities to cooperate.