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PROBLEM SOLVING AND KID WISDOM

September 7, 2023

My fifth grader shared the quote above with me yesterday. He heard it from some YouTuber and it resonated with him about why math has always been his favorite subject.

I had the pleasure of working as a Math Interventionist at Cunniff last year. One of the most rewarding aspects was witnessing and supporting all the different strategies students could use to arrive at the same answer.

Problem solving at the district level can be viewed in the same way. There’s usually not one way to arrive at a solution as long as you persevere, double check your work, and recognize that we all have different strengths, perspectives, and approaches.

EQUALITY vs. EQUITY

August 28, 2023

While visiting my parents at the Cape, my 8 year old loves to help my mom fill up her various bird feeders (a passion of hers that really ramped up over the course of the pandemic). My daughter came back inside this morning and announced, “I’m really glad that Yaya treats the birds here equitably.”

The elementary teacher in me was intrigued and asked her to elaborate further.

She continued, “I mean, if we only put one type of seed outside, that would be treating them equally because they’d all get the same.”

However, she went on to explain that not every bird likes the same seed or can even eat them. Most birds like shelled sunflower seeds, but the cardinals can crack open black sunflower shells with their beaks and other birds can’t. Woodpeckers like peanuts, but finches like the thistle seeds. Then the hummingbirds drink sugar water. There’s even a feeder with a cage around it that only the smaller birds can access, otherwise they would only be able to eat the scraps on the ground left by others.

“Different birds need different food and making sure they all have what they need is equity.”

My ten year old looked up from his iPad and chimed in, “Right… it’s like if you bought a new pair of shoes for everyone in the house, but you got everyone a size 7. That would be treating everyone equally, but they’d only fit me. What would be the point of doing that?”

I am so grateful to see how our district has evolved over the years and for all the work done in our schools on a daily basis to help instill these values. It was an honor to participate as a member of the WPS District Improvement 2.0 Team this past winter, where the aim over five months was to embed equity in all aspects of the next strategic plan for our children’s education.

I would love to showcase student learning around DEIB to the community, in conjunction with the School Committee and Diversity Councils. This could be accomplished through independent or group projects, holding public events for student presentations, and by collaborating with local cable access. Our students have so much insight to share that is pure and authentic and we have the ability to empower them and disseminate their lessons widely for as many people to enjoy as possible. I look forward to continuing to partner in expanding DEIB efforts within the district in whatever capacity I hold moving forward.



MEET THE CANDIDATE

August 14, 2023

I'm excited to announcement this community outreach initiative!  My campaign is very much centered on the same three values as 2021: community, communication, and commitment.  I will be putting them all into action with my "Park Tour 2023" plan (see image below).


Truthfully, I may have been a marketing major as an undergrad and I'll certainly do campaign literature drops, but I'm not a cold caller.  The idea of showing up at someone's door unannounced is rather anxiety-provoking for me (yet speaking in front of hundreds of people who are expecting to hear from me about topics I'm passionate about isn't unnerving at all... I have a lot of layers).  I absolutely respect those who choose this method of campaigning and I understand that it's very much a part of politics, but I'm not claiming to be a politician.  I view my candidacy as an expression of my desire to serve the public.  I plan on running my campaign accordingly and staying true to myself in the process.


The tour will officially kick off with a few days this month (August 17, 20 and 24).  Then throughout the month of September, I will be visiting a different park throughout the city EVERY Thursday and Sunday.  If necessary, I'll schedule rain dates in early October.


Please feel free to bring your family or a friend!  If you already know me and you'd just like to hang out or have your kids burn off some energy for an hour, please feel free to join.  My kids will be running around and would love to play.  Also, everyone in the city is a stakeholder in our public school system so please know that you do not need to be a Watertown parent to attend.  


My aim is to demonstrate my commitment to community outreach and open communication, while displaying the level of availability and approachability that I plan to maintain as a member of Watertown School Committee.  I would love the opportunity to meet and get to know one another.  Stay tuned for park location, date & time details at the start of each week!


Up first: 


I'll be wearing my bright red swag so you won't miss me.  Hope to see you there!


Jen


WHY I'M RUNNING

August 6, 2023


“You’re brave.”

“Good for you for putting yourself out there again.”


“I’ve seen some of the comments and I don’t know how you do it.”

These are three quotes that I’ve heard in the last 24 hours alone.  There have been countless more like it over the past month.

I don’t have particularly thick skin, but rather a history of pretty severe social anxiety.  I’m not running for School Committee for any specific agenda or because I aim to be a politician.  I’m running because I believe I can make a positive impact.  I have the passion, time, and level of dedication needed to serve our community in this capacity.  I care deeply about public education and I want to do my part to ensure that everyone knows their voice is being heard. 

 

Another factor in my decision to enter the race is about modeling self-advocacy, which is a skill that I’m working to help my own two children develop.  Two years ago during election season, I didn’t stand up for myself or my family.  I listened to advice about local politics that I wish I hadn’t: to keep my head down, not make any waves, and let it all blow over.  It still stings that I let false narratives circulate without setting the record straight.  This time, win or lose, I’ll be the one telling my own story.

I understand I can be pretty wordy at times.  I actually set a goal for myself to be more succinct during this run, but I feel that it's important to paint a clear picture of who I am and what strengths I bring to the table.

 

I spent my undergraduate years at Boston College as a member of the Carroll School of Management, studying Marketing and Human Resources.  I chose this field of study in large part due to my high school years, during which I took every TV and radio elective that was available at Watertown High School.  I co-hosted the “Raider News” (with Ryan often behind the camera or in the control room).  It’s been a surreal experience serving on the Board of Directors for Watertown Cable Access this past year in the same physical space as I took those classes from 1999-2003 (WCA-TV opened its studio space in the basement of Watertown High in 2004).

As a child, I always thought about teaching and answered that it's what I wanted to do when I grew up.  My teachers at Cunniff would give me their old grade books and extra copies of worksheets to take home and play school with my younger brothers and cousins.  As I got older, I loved to babysit kids in the neighborhood and I coached basketball during college for elementary-aged children at Coach Harrington’s summer camp every year.  When I heard that WPS was looking for daily substitutes during the summer before my junior year at Boston College, I decided to apply.  I started substituting at all three of our elementary schools nearly every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (after arranging all of my college courses for Tuesdays and Thursdays and after 4pm the rest of the week).  It didn’t take long for me to know that teaching was what I wanted to pursue.  A week after graduating from BC, I started taking classes towards my Master’s in Elementary Education, which I earned in 2010.  I had the opportunity to complete my student teaching at Hosmer in a multi-grade 1 and 2 classroom with an amazing mentor.  I was hired the day after my 22nd birthday to teach 1st grade the following September.  I went on to be a 3rd grade classroom teacher for four years before the birth of my first child and making the decision to become a stay at home parent.

My plan was to return to teaching when my youngest child started kindergarten, but that was put on hold due to the onset of the pandemic.  My daughter has a chronic immune condition that had not been accurately diagnosed as of 2020, and along with the added risk of my husband’s career as a first responder, we opted to have our children attend the virtual route for most of their kindergarten and second grade school years.  In 2021, I had the pleasure of returning to the field of education as part of the Cunniff staff, where my own children attend.  Most recently, I was a part-time Math Interventionist during the 2022-2023 school year.  I’m at a juncture in my life where I believe I can combine my background in Marketing/Human Resources with my experience as an educator and put it all to great use as a member of the Watertown School Committee.  The opportunity to serve the community in this way would be incredibly fulfilling for me and all of the moving pieces in my life have aligned just right for me to take another shot this November.

Engaging the public is a passion of mine as shown through my volunteer work with various organizations in the city.  Since 2017, I’ve been an active member and three time Co-President of the Cunniff PTO.  I am also grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the important work that Watertown SEPAC contributes to our district as a Co-Public Relations Officer.  In addition to Watertown Cable Access, I also serve on the Board of Directors for the Watertown Boys and Girls Club.  Last year, I was also a member of the WPS Strategy 2.0 Team, where I took part in creating the foundation of the new district improvement plan.  Being a part of the culmination of minds that came together to help propel the district forward in a positive direction only further cemented how much I would love to continue to do this kind of work.

My campaign is centered on my commitment to increasing public participation within our school district.  As a School Committee member, I will continuously work to find additional approaches to meaningfully engage the entire community and actively promote public dialogue.  Every Watertown resident is a stakeholder in what happens in our schools, and as such, I would love to see more citizens share their input and feedback on a regular basis.  I have already outlined a proposal that I am committed to holding regular open forums with the public, similar to the new Charter requirement for our City Councilors.  I’ve also released my first video preview of upcoming meetings that I continue to commit to putting together at least twice per month.

I believe in the old adage that “it takes a village” to raise a child.  It would be a honor to be a member of the village for all of the children in WPS.  My vision for Watertown Public Schools is one where every student is actively engaged in critical thinking, core skill development, and feels the sense of belonging be an integral part of the community and continuously grow as a learner.

The future is bright for our students and I've seen the proof firsthand... from kindergarteners giving quiet smiles and polite waves in the hallways to watching last year's impassioned WHS Senior Class President rally his peers in support of Watertown Educators over the spring.  I'm excited for the election season ahead and having the opportunity to meet more community members and further discuss my aspiration to serve on Watertown School Committee.  As always, I look forward to supporting our schools and the greater community in whatever role I hold moving forward.


Thanks for reading!


Jen