Vote Medford 2005

Q12: My Initiatives & Leadership

If you are currently on the Medford School Committee, of which specific initiatives on which you assumed leadership are you most proud?

Please mention initiatives you have initiated and led rather than something you simply voted for or against.

If you are not currently on the committee, what leadership, initiative or new ideas would you bring to the school committee?

Blackburn: Q12 - My Initiatives & Leadership

Ms. Blackburn declined to take part in this questionnaire.

Brady: Q12 - My Initiatives & Leadership

I have been very active in promoting substance abuse policies for our schools. I believe that if our schools are safe and secure our young people can be less distracted and more focused on academics. To this end I have been a leader in promoting Project Safeguard, Peer Mediation, and the Whole Child Initiative. I have also taken a strong stand on class size and providing basic academic resources.

Cincotti : Q12 - My Initiatives & Leadership

I am running for a seat on the Medford School Committee because I believe there is an immediate need for new visionary leadership. If elected I will fight for the strengthening of our vocational education programs to ensure that our future students are well equipped to enter the workforce

I believe we need a new vibrant energetic leadership for the youth of the city with an out of the box approach.  As your voice on the Medford School Committee Carl Cincotti will fight to

• RESTORE FISCAL STABILITY TO THE MEDFORD PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM
• By pursuing state and federal grant funding opportunities
• By producing a balanced and timely school department budget
• By eliminating wasteful spending
• DELIVER BETTER EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR CHILDREN
  • by fighting for smaller class sizes
  • by improving the cleanliness and maintenance of our school buildings and grounds
  • by improving student safety
• INCREASE NECESSARY SUPPORT SERVICES TO HELP OUR STUDENTS SUCCEED
  • by expanding after school programs to keep our children off the streets
  • by increasing the number of paraprofessionals in our classrooms
  • by expanding MCAS tutoring services

Cugno: Q12 - My Initiatives & Leadership

The leadership I will bring in is that of a strong, committed person that knows not only what needs to be done, but to get it accomplished. Right off the bat as a member with children in the school system I would be bringing in ideas from a parent's point of view. Where I participate at the elementary, middle, and high school levels I would be bringing new ideas and concerns from parents and students. Also, working as a substitute teacher I bring in a unique and different perspective. Ideas that I will work on are classroom sizes, maintaining our schools and grounds, proper placement of children with special needs and putting the budget back on track.

DiGiantommaso: Q12 - My Initiatives & Leadership

Building of new schools. Kids Corner - employees day care, which is self-sustaining. Vocational School - Construction program and new health programs.

Kulik: Q12 - My Initiatives & Leadership

I think that the Medford School Committee should take a more proactive role in investigating ideas to improve education rather than relying on the superintendent to supply the initiative.

The two major areas that I will push for are better parental connection to the schools, and better recruiting and continuing training for our teachers.

Specifically I would implement or introduce the following:

• Meeting with parent groups on a regular basis to better understand the issues they are facing.
• Setting policies that encourage greater parental contact with the classrooms and knowledge of the curriculum.
• Setting hiring policies so that recruitment of teacher is done earlier and is more aggressive.
• Encouraging teachers to keep up with current best practices and to implement them within their classrooms.
• Providing a range of teaching styles at each school and elementary grade level so that students can be placed into different learning environments based on the desires of their parents and recommendations of their teachers.

Over the past two years of attending school committee meetings and monitoring issues, I would also like to address the following:

• Aggressively pursuing solutions to bus discipline problems that continually come up.
• Examining the current elementary school districts to provide better balance of population while retaining choice.
• Examining whether the current distribution of sports programs is truly serving the most students.
• Putting in place a plan stating the priorities and estimated budget required to bring the Medford High and Vocational Schools up to date.
• Make sure that school committee minutes, reports, and policies are available on line so that parents and members of the general public can more easily see what has been decided.

Finally, there are issues that need more consideration and discussion within the community before being implemented. I would like to explore the following:

• Changing the December entrance cut-off date so that it is in line with the majority of the school districts in the country.
• Pursuing grants that will allow the school day to be extended beyond the current number of hours.
• Modifying the school calendar so that there are fewer vacation days within the year, allowing school to finish sooner in the year.
• Modifying the school schedule so that elementary school starts earlier, while middle and high schools start later.

Pompeo: Q12 - My Initiatives & Leadership

As a member of the school committee, my "initiative involvement" has been legislatively driven (Education Reform Act, NCLB, and IDEA Acts) and those administratively sponsored.  Some time ago, as Director of Guidance, I introduced the advanced placement exam program and established the first occupational career center in Massachusetts.

Skerry: Q12 - My Initiatives & Leadership

During my tenure on the committee I have never walked away from issues and I believe that a collaborative sense for the betterment of the school department exists. I am never one to seek headlines, I just want to continue to foster a school environment that is safe and secure for our students and staff. I have fought for initives that make our public schools the best that they can be.

We as a committee agree to disagree but it is always done in a professional manner.

I have worked behind the scenes on many issues to assure a positive outcome for our students. Among these are continued Art and Music course, advanced placement programs, worked to strenghten curriculum and work within state mandated programs for the betterment of our schools, I am proud of the fact that we have some of the smallest classroom sizes in the state, was proud to intoduce on line computer course and place kindergarten aides in classrooms, be sure that each school building has a nurse, foster a comprehensive substance abuse policy, a strong NO weapons in school policy, a day care center for staff and faculty/s children, a program to stress no bullying of our children, I have constantly fought for adequate funding for MCAS support tutoring and a full athletic program, City WIDE school transportation at no cost to families and in conjunction with the YMCA, an after scool program. I have also tried on numerous occaisions to develope interest for a "on call" tutor at channel 16, to help students at home with their home work and to bridge a gap between home and school.... I ask that you consider ROBERT EMMETT SKERRY JR. for one of your six votes on November 8th, 2005.

Thank you and GOOD DAY!

Van der Kloot: Q12 - My Initiatives & Leadership

It is the responsibility of every school committee in the Commonwealth to make policy that governs the school district. In Medford, the school committee makes policy but it is not accessible to the public which I believe is just wrong. In order to rectify this, I led the initiative this year to have the policies assembled in a coherent manual. School committee members have now received the manual and must meet to review and update the policies. I will continue my leadership in this area, insisting that the work progress in a timely manner and that once updated, the manual be readily available in a variety of forms including on the school district website and at the Medford Public Library.

A second initiative was my call for a unified program for anti-bullying education. As I listened to our Principals, I became aware that while programs and events were held in various schools around the issue of bullying, there was not a consistent language or program throughout the schools. As our children grow from elementary to middle to high school, I believe it important that all our students have a common language around conflict resolution and are schooled in techniques that promote positive social interaction. This year, the Professional Development day for our teachers will be dedicated to introducing the Second Step program systemwide.

I also want to mention my call for new lockers at the High School. Current lockers have been "bandaged" to the max. This initiative was not funded because of the constraints of the regular school operating budget. The Phase 3 Building Committee studied the High School in detail and outlined specific needs of which the need for new lockers was paramount. It is my intention to work with the Mayor, my fellow school committee members, and members of the City Council and put together a bond proposal so that that the financial impact on the community will be spread out over multiple years while the problems will be addressed. We have had a very successful building process in Medford which is envied though out the state. It is essential not to let the current building phase falter and as a member of the school committee, I won't let our high school kids be forgotten.