Tonight I attended an annual gathering of the Northampton Education Foundation, which is a private foundation dedicated to resourcing Northampton’s public schools— helping to fill the gap between what’s truly needed and what’s publicly funded.
I attended as a representative of Jackson Street School’s PTO and as the recipient of an NEF grant I wrote for Jackson Street to introduce classical music into the schools.
You can see a photo of the two wonderful classical musicians who teach out of the Northampton Community Music School and who worked with Jackson Street’s students as part of the grant (above).
It was an INCREDIBLE and inspiring gathering–packed with parents, guardians, advocates, artists, scientists, educators, school committee members, and community members of diverse backgrounds—all of us hell-bent on ensuring our public schools in Northampton get the kind of resources our kids deserve.
First and foremost: THANKS and <3 to NEF!
I’d venture to say that NEF supporters and grantees believe as I do that vibrant public education is what’s critically needed for our nation. Good schools—with a diverse student bodies—open young minds and hearts, expand what’s possible for our young people, enrich our communities immeasurably, and pave the way for young people to become passionate and engaged adults. To short change public schools is very simply short-sited.
In the midst of the gathering, I had a chance to talk with Northampton Mayor, David Narkewicz, who’s shepherding the city’s annual budget with his usual grace and tenacity.
I learned a lot from David and here’s one thing that stood out: This year, Northampton’s budget will pay out $2.6 million to charter schools. That’s a whopping amount of money.
With all this in mind, here are some examples of what I’ll fight for if elected:
- A greater investment in pre-K education so that it’s universally affordable.
- An overhaul of the public school foundation budget to address the actual costs school systems face with regard to health insurance, an influx of English language learners and families living in poverty, and rising special education costs. And I’ll want to go farther than that and fight for a greater investment in the arts and sciences.
- Smaller class sizes–we know they’re optimal for all our children.
- Expanded learning time for students who are considered high risk for learning delays including students living with learning disabilities and students for whom English is a new language.
- And, I’ll marshal strong support for a cap on the Commonwealth’s charter schools.
And with regard to higher education:
- I’ll fight for funding to maintain the Commonwealth’s first rate public community colleges, colleges, and universities. According to the Massachusetts Teachers Association, over the last decade, higher education funding has plummeted a shocking 32 percent. I’ll work to reverse that trend and build back support.
- And this also from the MTA, “In FY16, Massachusetts’ spending from state funds for higher education as a share of personal income is approximately 0.4 percent—placing the state 43rd among the 48 states for which data are available.” Surely we can do better in Massachusetts than 0.4 percent for our public colleges and universities. It likely goes without saying, but I’m in strong support of the Fair Share Amendment to the Constitution which asks folks making over $1 million to pay 4% more on their income. Proceeds from the Fair Share funds would go both to our schools and our infrastructure.
My commitment to public education is personal. My father was a public school teacher. My mom and sister, public school librarians. My aunt and cousin, school social workers. My wife is a public school social studies teacher and serves on the Northampton School Committee. Our two children attend Jackson Street.
And for the last six years, as a volunteer at my kids’ school, I’ve worked first to help build an accessible playground (helping to raise nearly $300,000 in state, federal, and private funds). And I serve currently on the JSS PTO leadership team where I’ve continued to help build support and raise resources for projects like a school greenhouse, engaging school field trips, and much more.
I support public education in both my words and actions. Always have. Always will. My desire to be the strongest possible pubic education advocate is the reason I entered the race for State Senate.
Not every community in our district has an amazing NEF to draw from in lean times. That’s why our state legislature must step forward with a systemic overhaul—beginning in the early years and lasting through college.
