I see the role of the School Committee as two sides of the same coin. First, it’s our responsibility to keep the schools focused on their primary mission, providing students with a strong academic education that prepares them for the future. Second, the committee must build and maintain trust with parents by ensuring that what is being taught in our classrooms is communicated clearly, is age-appropriate, and respects the important role parents play in their children’s lives.   When those two responsibilities are working together, strong academics and strong communication with families, our schools and our community are both better served.

The School Committee is facing a few major challenges right now: rebuilding trust with parents while ensuring accountability, strengthening fiscal responsibility, and improving academics.   First is trust and transparency with families.Recently, about 70% of parents chose to opt out of the district’s Climate Survey. When that many parents are willing to go out of their way to opt out of something as simple as a survey, it signals a real breakdown in trust and confidence. Rebuilding that trust has to be a priority. That starts with listening to parents, taking their concerns seriously, and making sure families clearly understand what is being taught in the classroom and that it is age-appropriate. ​ Because the School Committee is responsible for researching, selecting, and approving curriculum that prepares students for the future, it’s important that parents have clear and easy access to what is being taught. Transparency helps families stay informed and builds confidence in the decisions being made.   The curriculum should remain focused on the core knowledge and skills students need in order to succeed. It should be age-appropriate, academically grounded, and presented in a way that is fair and balanced.     The second challenge is fiscal responsibility.Last November our community showed up in historic numbers to vote on the proposed high school building project. No matter where someone stood on that issue, one thing was clear: people in Burlington care deeply about our schools and about how major decisions are made. A strong majority voted no. That vote was not against our students, and it was not against investing in education. It was a call for better planning, clearer answers, and responsible leadership before asking taxpayers to commit to a $350 million project.   A strong next step for the high school project is securing state grant funding to help reduce the burden on taxpayers. Bringing in a professional grant writer to research and pursue those opportunities should be a priority. ​ At the same time, we need to take a serious look at how our resources are being used. Burlington already spends more per student than roughly 93% of school districts in Massachusetts, yet our academic outcomes sit closer to the middle of the pack. That gap deserves honest evaluation. Improving student performance should be just as much a priority as improving our buildings. ​ And finally, Academics. We need to focus on improving academic outcomes. Burlington invests heavily in its schools. According to data found with RADAR and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Burlington ranks in the top 7% (in MA) in what we spend per student, but our academic rankings are only in the top 47% in math, 41% in ELA, and 42% in science. Those numbers suggest that our spending is not fully translating into the academic results our students deserve. This is worth investigating and improving.  ​ This isn’t about blame. Our teachers work hard and care deeply about their students. But academic excellence has to remain the core mission of our schools. We should regularly evaluate our curriculum, strategies, and priorities to make sure we are helping students build strong skills and improve academic performance. If the School Committee can focus on rebuilding trust, being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars, and remaining accountable to the community, we will be in a much stronger position to serve our students and families well.

My wife and I are very grateful to have the opportunity to homeschool our children. My wife is their primary teacher, and we chose homeschooling because 1) it’s something she has dreamed about doing for many years 2)our work life suited homeschooling best 3) we deeply value being involved in our kids education. ​ We recognize that not every family has the ability to homeschool, which is exactly why strong public schools are so important. Our public school system exists to serve families across the community. That’s also why I believe it’s so important for the School Committee to listen carefully to parents and to keep academic learning at the center of its mission.

Everyone who serves in public office brings values with them — whether those values come from faith, family, or life experience. ​ My faith has taught me the importance of honesty, responsibility, and serving others. Those are qualities most people actually want in leaders. But the role of the school committee is not to impose beliefs. The role is to provide oversight, transparency, and accountability so parents know what is being taught and schools stay focused on educating students well. This is what I'm prepared to commit to.

The state ultimately sets the standards for what can be taught in our schools. The responsibility of the School Committee is to ensure the curriculum is academically sound, age-appropriate, and transparent to parents. ​ Schools should focus on education and learning, while families remain the primary place where deeper questions of values and worldview are shaped. I think that balance is important for maintaining trust between schools and families.

Yes, of course. Every student is unique and deserves equal opportunity to get a great education and to be treated fairly at school.