EXPERIENCE

Over the past three years, I have learned a great deal about how the schools work, the challenges they face, and the community-wide work needed to maintain their quality.  I believe that this experience, along with my professional work in education policy research, will be useful in continuing to support and strengthen the schools over the next three years.

Highlights from my first term: 

• Pushed for key benchmarks in reading/ writing, math, and college readiness that are now being used in the schools. 
• Helped lead a task force that made the regional payments by the four towns fairer and more understandable. 
• Elected chair of the Amherst School Committee by colleagues. 
• Currently on negotiating team, working on a new contract with staff unions. 
• Represent the School Committee on the town’s Joint Capital Planning Committee and the Master Plan open space & recreation working group.
• Co-write a monthly column, “Amherst Center”, in the Amherst Bulletin, that seeks to bridge gaps and build a common-sense agenda for action on the budget and planning challenges we face as a town.