On The Issues | Education

Strengthening our Schools
My wife and I are the proud parents of two daughters who've gone through Northampton's elementary schools and are now both at JFK Middle School. I have been a board member of the Northampton Education Foundation for more than 11 years, and have helped raise and distribute hundreds of thousands of dollars for our city's students and teachers. I know how important Northampton's schools are not only for our kids' futures, but also for the overall social well-being and economic strength of our community.

I have been a strong supporter of our schools during my three terms on the City Council, and as Council President I revived the long-inactive City Council/School Committee Conference Committee to create better communication and advocacy on education issues.

As Mayor, I will continue my strong support for education and high-quality public schools. I am committed to ensuring that every child in Northampton receives a first-class education. I will work with our Superintendent and School Committee in striving to make our public schools the best in the state. This includes keeping Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School - our state's oldest and finest vocational school - strong and vibrant.

The advent of school choice and charter schools has created increased educational competition, with many Northampton families and dollars leaving our system. We need to do a better job of promoting and marketing our great schools. As just one example, our district needs a more effective website that provides current and prospective parents with better information about our schools and the exciting learning that goes on in them every day.

We need to reexamine the outdated statewide funding formulas that have worked against Northampton for so many years. I have lobbied for school funding and tax equity reforms at the state level as a City Councilor, and will continue to work with our state representatives on these issues as Mayor.

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