I submitted my name for re-election to serve on Greenfield’s School Committee. If given another term, I will do my best to help steer the ship and support success of our new superintendent. I am not running for any one reason except my concern for the School Committee, our students, and personnel.
Most governing bodies include people who know their industry. You won’t find a real estate board, nursing board, or accounting board with no members from that profession. If I am re-elected, there will be one person other than our mayor with a school industry background on our School Committee.
As a community, we share certain broad goals even if we differ on some details. We probably agree our youngest children experience grade 1 and grade 2 only one time and need to master reading fundamentals in these early grades. We probably agree we need to help our youth learn 21st-century citizenship. And we probably agree that students have different goals for their lives after age 18 and we should try to assure our schools prepare students with different interests for their next steps.
Knowing we are focused with priorities and goals and using our hard-earned tax dollars to best advantage is my interest because it best assures these key issues where we agree and other goals and priorities are met. Each student’s success is my interest.
The School Reform Act of 1993 removed administrative decisions from school committees. We set and oversee goals, policies, and budgets and influence the system in this way. With a few exceptions, school committees have no day-to-day role in the administration of the school district — only as we supervise and give feedback to the superintendent.
Having a rural background, I am actively involved in the sustainability of rural schools. My record will show I look at details and try to assure our budget supports the supplies and technology our teachers and students need, reading literacy through the grades, programs appropriate for students who need remedial or advanced accommodations, and robust athletics and arts programs that are fee free. I support information-sharing and planning that keeps the school system from tumbling into huge chaos and turmoil as happened in 2008.
School systems seem to keep going, year after year, no matter who is on the governing body or what the actual budget is. But districts can fall backwards and we should prevent this, because it is so difficult and takes years to recover. The recipe for a great school district includes a school committee that has goals for continuous improvement, careful planning, industry understanding, and oversight.
Please consider this when you vote. Wishing everyone a year of good health.
Susan Hollins, Ph.D., a former Greenfield school superintendent, is a candidate for re-election on the Greenfield School Committee.