Joe Barnes:
My entire 38 year professional career has been in public education. I was a high school English teacher, a department head, a high school and a middle school principal. My last seven (7) years were spent as principal at Pollard. I believe I am a problem solver and one who is able to see all sides of an issue. As a principal, I have often brought opposite viewpoints together and managed to reach consensus.

Connie Barr:

• I have a deep interest in the welfare of the children, the residents and the Town of Needham, developed over the 23 years I have lived in Needham, during which time my husband and I have raised our 20 year old son ( a third year student at Northeastern) and 17 year old daughter (a senior at Needham High School).



• I have a 15 year history of participating actively in the schools, beginning with helping to develop the original PTC when Newman Elementary reopened, and then participating in the Pollard School Council (3 years), Needham Education Foundation (4 years) and the Child Assault Prevention Program (12 years). For the last seven years I have been Co-President of the Needham High School PTC, during which time I have worked for two overrides for the new NHS building, helped welcome several new administrators and many new teachers, developed our email communication system, helped support the school during our multiple tragedies and participated in applying for a large substance abuse grant.



• Trained as a Child Abuse Prevention Program facilitator in 1993, and participate in that program presenting parent and classroom workshops in each of our five elementary schools each year (12 years).



• Member of the School Health Advisory Council.



• Recipient of a Superintendent’s Service Award.



• Member of the Search Committees for the NHS Principal in 2003 and for the Superintendent in 2005.



• I have experience in Town boards and budget analysis and prioritizing as a six year member of the Board of the Needham Youth Commission (appointed by Park and Rec).



• I am active in the greater community, interacting with citizens of all ages and stages, including on the Board of Directors of the Needham Community Council Board (current president), on the Board of Directors of the Needham Historical Society, and in my church.



• I am a physician and have been practicing Primary Care Internal Medicine at Dedham Medical Associates for more than 26 years and bring the skills and knowledge of this profession. If elected, I would be the only health professional on the School Committee.



• I am a member, since 2000, of the 12 member Board of Directors of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.



• Through work on multiple boards, including a corporate board, I understand the relationship between a Board and management, which is the relationship which a School Committee has with the School Administration.



• I understand the need for data, discussion and collaboration to drive thoughtful decision making, and am able to participate effectively in these processes. I have used networking amongst many constituencies to gather information, communicate and solve problems. I have a long track record of hard work to support our students, teachers and town residents.

Marianne Cooley:
I have two children currently attending Needham schools at the middle and high school level. Throughout the time my children have been in school, I have worked actively as a parent volunteer, served on the board of the Needham Education Foundation including a year as its co-president, been co-president of the Pollard PTC, and now served on the School Committee for three years, most recently as Chair. For my school activities, I’ve been part of two teams that have received Superintendent’s Service Awards. Working with a team on behalf of my neighborhood, I learned about enrollment trends during redistricting. I gained significant knowledge and understanding of school funding and the budgeting process through my involvement in Citizens for Needham Schools. I chaired the successful “Support our High School” campaign to re-build Needham High School.

On the School Committee, I have worked particularly with our buildings as the representative to the PPBC for the High School project and the representative to the Townwide Facilities Working Group. This year, I worked hard with our Superintendent to build a more open budget process with the Finance Committee and Board of Selectmen. Both of those groups feel that those efforts were successful and that we’ve come a long way this year. There’s more to do next year!

For a more complete description of my background and priorities, please visit www.MarianneCooley.com.

Holly Horrigan:
- parent of three elementary-aged children
- PTC volunteer
- Active participant at community meetings; have fully reviewed and understand the School Committee and Finance Committee budgets and procedures
- Proposed and participating in Newman Math Task Force to improve student proficiency in mathematics
- B. S. Economics from MIT, graduate fellowship in Econometrics at U.C. Berkeley
- 12 year career building statistical models to manage investments and investment risk
- U.S. patent for investment choice model awarded in 2002
- Co-authored article in Journal of Business 2005
- Details and positions at www.voteHH.com

Kori Rogers:
I am knowledgeable and passionate about educational issues.

Last year, I spearheaded the successful $211,521 Campaign to Save the Science Center. This campaign highlights some of my key strengths:

• I’m proactive, have excellent communication skills, and work well with people.
• I have strong organizational abilities and I’m able to develop/adopt effective problem-solving strategies.
• I stay on task to get a job done even when there are significant obstacles.

My current volunteer activities include:

• Parent Representative on the Newman School Council.
• Parent Representative on the district-wide K – 8 Science Curriculum Review Committee.
• I have attended all but one School Committee meeting during the last two years.
• I regularly attend Finance Committee meetings.
• I occasionally attend Permanent Public Building Committee meetings.

Through my volunteer activities, I have gained valuable insights into the key challenges facing our school district. If elected on April 10, I am prepared to hit the ground running. You can learn more about me and my priorities by visiting my website at www.votekori.com.

Kim Marie Nicols:
Personal – My two daughters are enrolled at Hillside Elementary School, Parlee (4th grade) and Jenny (1st grade), and we are pleased with the education and services they are receiving. I volunteer in their classrooms and on fieldtrips, and am actively involved with the PTC and the Program on Disabilities.

Education – I have earned a Bachelor in Education, a Master in Social Work, and a Master in Educational Administration & Supervision. I also attended the Labor Guild where my coursework included labor relations, contract negotiations, and labor laws. This past fall, I participated in the Citizen’s Legislative Seminar offered by the Massachusetts State Legislature. My educational experiences would be beneficial as the School Committee assesses programs, negotiates contracts, advocates for state funding, and writes policy.

Professional – For the past five years, I was employed as a middle school counselor for a collaborative program in Newton Public Schools. This gave me an intimate perspective on student and school needs and a deeper appreciation of teachers and curriculum development. Previously, I worked for thirteen years as a Case manager in a Massachusetts State agency, where I also assumed leadership positions in the employees union and worked on contract negotiation teams. I am currently on sabbatical and have the time to devote to School Committee concerns, utilizing the skills I developed in my professional career.

Community Involvement – I have been active in Needham in numerous ways. Since 2003, I have served as a Town Meeting Member. I am involved with the Citizens for Needham Schools and with the Yes for Needham override campaign. I have been the Hillside PTC secretary for the past five academic years. I also have performed with the Needham Community Theatre, am a volunteer American Sign Language interpreter for several organizations, and assist with my children’s sport and community activities. I enjoy my interactions with a large cross-section of Needham residents.

For further information about my skills and experiences, please visit my website at www.kim-marie-nicols.com

John O’Leary:
I am a 1980 graduate of Needham High School, hold a BS from MIT, and an MS from UMass Amherst. I have extensive experience in making public sector organizations work better, and my ideas for improving government have been published in The Boston Globe, The Wall Street Journal, Education Week, and Governing magazine. I have overseen a public agency with a $75 million annual budget (the Division of Unemployment Assistance). As the Commonwealth’s Assistant Secretary for Administration and Finance, I was responsible for bargaining with 40,000 unionized state employees. As a manager with KPMG, I consulted to many public entities, including the Boston Public Schools. See my website www.joleary.com.

Connie Barr:
The seven years I have spent a President (2 years) and Co-President (5 years) of the Needham High School PTC have been a pleasure, a challenge and a learning experience. My tenure began when my older child was a freshman at NHS and will finish in June 2007 as my younger child graduates from NHS.

The most rewarding part of this position has been meeting and working with so many students and staff at the High School as well as our central administrators. Through this work, I have developed an understanding of the various roles and responsibilities in the school system.

Important experiences were many.

• Learning about budget, reimbursement, communication and town relationships to be an active participant in the two override campaigns to build our new high school.
• Being a member of the Principal Search Committee which ultimately resulted in the arrival of Mr. Richards and then helping as he and several other new administrators acclimated to our new school.
• Developing an email communication system, much needed at the high school level, where newsletters no longer go home in backpacks.
• Participating in the current Public Art Project for the high school lobby and Public Art Course.
• Changing the format of PTC meetings to better meet the needs of high school parents.
• Helping where possible as multiple tragedies have occurred which have deeply affected students and staff at NHS.
• Working with so many NHS staff in small and large ways and realizing their dedication to our students.
• Networking with community agencies to help the educational experience at the High school.
• Participating as a member of the search committees resulting in the arrival Dr. Gutekanst as the Superintendent of Schools.

Through these experiences I have developed an increased understanding of staff/student/administration and parent relationships and reporting responsibilities and of the importance of straightforward and clear communication between all parties. I have an increased interest in the ways our students learn (particular curricular areas) and develop through the years in our schools, from math and Responsive Classroom in first grade through Calculus and resiliency in 12th grade and see the importance of an overall plan and transitions between schools. I see the importance of our children having an opportunity to experience multiple disciplines during each of their Needham Public Schools experiences, including languages, arts, traditional academics, physical education and athletics as they differentiate into the adults they will be. I have an increased understanding of the extensive and invaluable roles our school nurses and guidance counselors play in the lives and welfare of our children, in spite of how stretched our staffing is in these areas. I see the difference an appropriate learning environment (our new high school classroom wing) makes, and would like to see all of our schools have environments that fully support learning.

Marianne Cooley:
One? Just one? Truly when I think of all my children’s experiences at school to date and the many teachers who have been able to provide the right words of encouragement and challenge at the right time, I feel blessed to be here. From the Bug Breakfasts to the character lunches to the Civil War Museums to watching all those eyes focus and that calm descend in that moment before the Treble Choir starts to sing, to a team that has worked well together, to the latest in a science or English class, our family always has plenty to talk about around the dinner table.

In terms of impact on the schools, I was most excited about my involvement in the Needham Education Foundation (NEF). NEF is an organization that looks to fund the possibilities – the ideas that a teacher, administrator, or parent has to reach students in new ways and to “make learning come alive.” Over the years, NEF has tried to align grant monies to help accomplish system wide goals, provided the seed money for new ideas like Responsive Classroom, and, with the annual grants, made possible smaller things like author/artist visits, writers workshops and literature circles, new technology, or good old science fairs. It is a wonderful feeling to be able to donate dollars that can be used in meaningful ways to benefit our children’s education.

Holly Horrigan:
With three elementary-aged children, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in many school activities, from SpringFest to grant writing for Newman’s international dance event. The most rewarding experience has been my involvement with the Newman Math Task Force. Formed as a sub-committee of our School Council, it is comprised of volunteer teachers, administrators, parents and community representatives. It is clear that when all stakeholders have the opportunity to sit down together and set mutual goals, great things can happen in our schools.

I will strengthen School Councils. First mandated by law in 1993, School Councils were modeled from research showing that the best way to build strong support for schools is to involve all stakeholders in site-based decision making. School Councils are responsible for budgeting, school improvement planning, and school policies. According to the Massachusetts DOE, professional and lay members have parity in decision-making. All meetings are open, so it is a great forum for parents to bring ideas, questions, or concerns to those responsible for school planning.

The School Committee has oversight of School Councils, granting policy-making privileges and approving the public School Council election process. Unfortunately, School Councils have not been utilized as intended under the law. Newman Elementary didn’t even hold meetings. Despite being required by law, the current School Committee did not review School Improvement Plans for every school. At the High School, forty parents put their name in for the election, but no results were ever released, even in response to requests for results.

Kori Rogers:
Last year, I spearheaded the successful $211,521 Campaign to Save the Science Center. This grass-roots effort was a community building experience that brought together a wide range of people from students to seniors, and included folks who had supported the override as well as some who had not. I was heartened by our ability to come together in service of a common goal—providing Needham’s children with an outstanding science education.

The impact of this effort has been significant in many ways, including:

• We learned that the Science Center is highly valued by students, teachers, parents, and community members alike.
• We enabled Science Center staff to continue providing students with exceptional science programs while providing teachers with essential resources for teaching science, including quality professional development, science kits, supplies, and materials.
• We focused attention on science education and provided time to review our science program with an eye toward making it even stronger.

Joe Barnes: As the principal of Pollard, it is difficult to name one activity that stands out. I was always impressed at the intelligence and professionalism of the Leadership Team (Central Office and Principals). I worked with this group regularly when developing budget, leading professional development activities, and hiring staff. I was always very proud to be a part of this very capable team.

John O’Leary:
I attended the Needham public schools from Mitchell Elementary through High School graduation. In 2005, I was awarded Needham High School’s Distinguished Career Award as an outstanding alumni. I had the chance to participate in a discussion and Q&A with the junior class. It was a real thrill to address these students in the same auditorium I had sat in a quarter century earlier. It was inspiring as well, to hear these students as they strive to create their own futures. (As my children are not yet school age, I have not participated in other school activities as a parent.)

Kim Marie Nicols:
Utilizing my expertise in the field of Deafness, I have re-written Hillside’s Program on Disabilities curriculum on hearing loss. My lesson plans and materials have also been shared with the Eliot School. This year I hosted two orientation sessions for parent volunteers and presented the hearing loss unit to two Kindergarten and three Second Grade classrooms. It has been gratifying to see teachers, parents, and students respond so positively to my curriculum. They are learning to accept and value people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, exhibiting a greater understanding of some of the struggles to communicate and an eagerness to use American Sign Language.

This collaboration between the PTC, which funds the Program on Disabilities, the willingness of the parent volunteers, and support of the teachers and administration, adds to the unique culture at Hillside and the children’s educational experience.

Marianne Cooley:
The biggest challenges right now are in the areas of budget, buildings, and curriculum.

In communities with growing enrollments (like Needham), there is no way to keep a budget structurally in balance. The tax revenues from the Town can’t support it, and the State has also been unable to keep up with the needs of growing communities. It is important that we continue to lobby the State for increased funding because Massachusetts communities received some of the least funding from the state nationwide. However, we are also going to need to continue to manage costs carefully, and to be clear with the voters about what we can, and can not, do. We want to do that while preserving the classroom connection between student and teacher as much as we possibly can.

After more than twenty-five years of disinvestment in our facilities, this generation of taxpayers is paying the piper. That is frustrating to all of us. This comes at a time of seventeen years of steady and unrelenting enrollment growth which adds to the pressure on our facilities. We are quite fortunate to already have our renovated and re-built high school underway. The costs of contemplating such a project with today’s construction realities would be truly staggering. Having said all that, we do need more space, and I will discuss the current plan more in question six.

Finally, the challenge in curriculum is to expect improvement but not to lose the opportunity for those “deep” rather than “wide” curriculum experiences. The opportunity for a child to really get into a topic often results in the excited learning that we all like to see. Even more, giving our children the opportunity to edit their writing so that it is effective – rather than just produced – is also important. I do not wish to see us become a test-driven culture, but we need to understand and acknowledge the testing environment we live in. Hopefully, that environment will evolve to offer some better accommodation for the more challenged academic learners in our schools. As a community, Needham should be quite proud of our academic achievements, and sometimes this gets lost in the discussion.

Holly Horrigan:
Budgeting: It is not efficient to begin with a performance budget and make cuts from there. I would move towards a bottom-up approach, or if possible, a zero-based approach. Here is an analogy I use to compare the two different methods of budgeting:

Suppose your closet is flowing over with stuff, but you must get the door closed (guests will be arriving).
- Top-down budgeting (current method): put everything in. Then, reach into the closet and discard items until you can just get the door shut. This method works. But there is no guarantee that you’ve discarded the least valuable items… you may not have looked at everything tucked away in the corners or under piles.

- Zero-based budgeting (proposed method): with this method, take everything out of the closet and start with a bare floor (zero). Put items back one at a time in order of importance. With this method, you are forced to evaluate the relative worth of every item, both in terms of utility (educational impact) and in terms of space consumption (dollars). You are forced to evaluate both existing and new items. Eventually, you can add no more, and you shut the door.

Of course, with either method, you may still have insufficient room for a few necessary items, in which case you must acquire a bigger closet (an override).

If, as the Superintendent and School Committee originally said, teachers are the highest priority, then using the zero-based approach, there should not have been any teachers left lying in the discard pile. The Finance Committee was able to give the schools a big enough closet to fit all the teachers ($38.9M), but not big enough for restorations, increased enrollment, or other new additions.

Why did teachers get crowded out of the budget? As it turns out, there are portions of the budget that were not reviewed by the School Committee, and teachers were removed while new items, restorations, and other discretionary expenses remained in the budget. This is precisely why the top-down approach to budgeting is sub-optimal.

Curriculum: I would like to establish a clear, objective methodology for evaluating curriculum adoptions and revisions. In recent years, many changes have been made in the curriculum, many in core subject areas. These adoptions have been expensive and it is not clear if the changes have had any positive educational impact. Methods of evaluation have been inconsistent and sometimes contradictory, and the motivations for the revisions are unclear. The Investigations mathematics program adopted at Newman five years ago has had a significant negative impact on math proficiency. Criticized by educators and mathematicians nationwide, it is time to reassess the use of Investigations as the foundation for our elementary math program. For statistics and research on this subject, visit the math page at my website, www.voteHH.com.

The School committee has responsibility for setting academic goals and for evaluating the schools’ success in achieving them. The School Committee also sets direction for curriculum, and can change the focus of curriculum and/or textbooks with a 2/3 vote. This responsibility is clearly granted under Massachusetts law.

Public Dialog: I will encourage more public dialog and participation at School Committee meetings and School Council meetings. I disagree with the School Committee’s current policy of “non-response” to public comment (the School Committee adopted a formal policy prohibiting themselves from responding to questions or comments at the public meetings). This policy is neither necessary nor desirable. I disagree with Ms. Cooley’s recent proposal to require pre-registration for the public comment period. I also disagree with the School Committee policy limiting comment to items not on the agenda (for example, the budget has been on the agenda at every meeting for months, eliminating the opportunity to make a public comment about the budget at the start of the meeting. That doesn’t make sense. Folks show up for agenda items that interest them, but are not permitted to comment on the issue unless the Chair chooses to recognize them in the middle of the meeting.

Kori Rogers:
I believe we have four significant challenges that need to be addressed:

• Increasing enrollments resulting in overcrowding and stretched resources
• The annual budget crisis
• Teacher turnover
• The need to strengthen core academic programs—especially in math and science

I do not come with a set of answers for these challenges. Rather, I bring a set of problem-solving skills. If I am elected to the School Committee, I will start addressing these challenges through a strategic planning process, working with all stakeholders to:

• Establish and prioritize measurable short-term and long-term goals.
• Identify and implement effective strategies that have been used by other high-achieving school districts to deal with these challenges.

Joe Barnes:

1. I believe that the 6th Grade Center is the very best option available to the students of Needham at this time. I want to insure that the facility is the best possible site and that the transition for the students and teachers who will be there is smooth and successful.
2. The 6th Grade Center is a temporary solution to the overcrowding at Pollard. The 2nd middle school is the ultimate solution. I will continue to lobby for its need and eventual construction.
3. The education of our children takes place every day in our classrooms with well educated and well trained teachers. Being able to attract and retain these teachers is vital to the continued success of the system. I will work hard to negotiate a fair and equitable contract for teachers while recognizing that there are fiscal restraints within the town. I recognize that there are other departments that need the financial support from tax dollars.

Connie Barr:
The two biggest challenges have not changed for several years and will be present for the foreseeable future: (a) a budget that must increase with increasing enrollment in order to maintain our high quality system, but which is not matched by available revenues and (b) the problem of adequacy of our school buildings in supporting the excellent educational experience which our children deserve. A third major challenge, because it also directly affects the basic experience of our children in their classrooms, is the continued evaluation and revamping of the curricula used in our classrooms.

1. Budget: We need to keep the classroom experiences of our children paramount, communicate chosen budget priorities carefully, build trust, continue an excellent track record of thoughtful use of limited resources and maintain relationships with the residents of Needham and town management. We need to seek out alternative sources of funding to continue excellent relationships with our State legislators and continue to press the State for more appropriate funding for our educational system.
2. Buildings: We need to work with town officials to prioritize infrastructure support and to prioritize needs for buildings while maximizing access to whatever state reimbursement is available to Needham. We need to provide for our burgeoning middle school population, pursue a second middle school for grades 6-8, support an expected increase in elementary school population with a renovated High Rock, find a space for KASE, and work toward needed and postponed renovation of the Mitchell and Hillside schools
3. Curriculum: We need continued evaluation of curricula in terms of state mandates, No Child Left Behind, consistency across our elementary schools, differentiated learning, supporting our SPED students, and preparation of our students for a global economy and a life after Needham and Needham schools. Some of this work is ongoing, and I would support the positions of Math and Literacy Curriculum leaders, as well as on-going and future task forces in each of the curricular areas.

A critical part of our curriculum is teacher support in the areas of mentoring, professional development, time for collaboration and the support of district-wide curriculum specialists. It is also critical that we work actively for teacher retention to build on the effective teaching which needs to go on in our classrooms.

Kim Marie Nicols:
This is a challenging year for Needham Public Schools as it seeks the voters’ support with an operational override and a debt exclusion override on the April 10th ballot. Drawn by the reputation of our schools, families move into Needham, but more children in the school system increases educational costs. Failure to pass both overrides could have catastrophic consequences on the quality of education offered in Needham.

1. The greatest challenge is the effect of rising student enrollments on class sizes and school facilities. For the past fifteen years approximately 2% new children annually enter the Needham School System. For the past five years, an additional 440 children became Needham students, and that number is the equivalent of one elementary school. Furthermore, enrollment is estimated to increase by 80 students next year. Many of the younger students are taught in large classes, despite research studies concluding that the optimum elementary classroom should have fewer than twenty students. I want to work with a committee of parents, teachers, and administrators to re-evaluate the School Committee’s policy on class size, which was approved twenty years ago. Of course, class size changes would be contingent upon having available classroom space. At the Pollard Middle School, there is not enough classrooms or space in common areas, leading to the use of add-on modulars, non-core teachers carting materials around to their classes, and the prohibition of backpacks in the hallways because they would take up too much space. Because of the overcrowded cafeteria, lunch has to begin at 10:30am and the library functions as an additional lunchroom. These issues have led to the proposal to convert the High Rock School into a 6th grade center in September 2009. I want to work with other town departments and Needham residents to identify an appropriate site and plan for a second middle school, and would advocate for increased funding from the Massachusetts School Building Authority while exploring alternative funding sources.



2. A second challenge is retaining and attracting high quality school personnel. Despite the fact that staff salaries are lower than those in the surrounding communities, it is the reputation of Needham schools and the supportive atmosphere established by the administration that appeals to educators, including over 500 applicants at the recent job fair. The School Committee is in the midst of negotiating teacher and administrator contracts that will expire in 2007, and the contracts for assistants, secretaries, and cafeteria workers will expire next year. These salaries represent 88% of the total school operating budget. We need to negotiate fair collective bargaining agreements that recognize their professionalism, experience, and creative ideas, provide them with professional development opportunities to keep their skills current, and pay them a just wage, all while being cognizant of the Town of Needham’s financial resources and limitations. I have received professional training in collective bargaining from both sides of the negotiating table, and would like to be part of the School Committee’s negotiation team.



3. Maintaining the quality of our school programs and curriculum is a third challenge for Needham Public Schools. Last year’s failed operational override resulted in the elimination of the Science Center (restored through private funding) and Spanish instruction in the elementary schools, and a reduction in the media/library, technology, physical education, art, and music programs. The full day METCO/Kindergarten at Hillside was also discontinued. There is not an equitable distribution of technology amongst the seven schools in the system, nor do all the schools have the electrical and wireless infrastructure to support current and developing technology. However, this is all needed to prepare our children to be well-rounded individuals capable of functioning in a diverse, multi-cultural society in the 21st century. As a member of the School Committee, I would advocate for the restoration of these programs in future school budget decisions.

John O’Leary:
I see three key challenges that need improving: budget transparency, middle school overcrowding, and the social/emotional stress levels on 6th through 12th graders.

1. The School Committee has asked for a $1.1 million dollar override. While I support this override, I feel the School Committee can do better in presenting a clear, compelling budget that enable voters to make an informed choice.



2. With respect to middle school overcrowding, this problem has been foreseeable for years and better planning could have avoided the current space crunch. I believe in making decisions with the interests of children as the highest priority. That is why I have little enthusiasm for the proposed High Rock 6th Grade Learning Center, which will have children attending four different schools in five years. However, given that Pollard is at the bursting point today, I support the override to address this pressing need.



3. The recent tragedies in Needham (and Wellesley) are symptomatic of a larger set of societal pressures on our young adults. The rise in substance abuse, promiscuity, eating disorders, and other various forms of self-harm are signals that MCAS scores do not measure everything of import. I can’t offer any solutions and I am aware that strides are being made in this area, but I do see this as a continuing significant challenge.

Holly Horrigan:
With my background in economics and Statistics, I have a specific interest in improving the budgeting and planning process. I am also interested providing the highest quality teaching and curriculum possible. Please see my answers to question #3 for details, or visit my website at www.voteHH.com.

Kori Rogers:
To answer this question, I think it is important to understand the role of the School Committee, which is threefold:

• Set the direction of the school district by establishing clear goals and policies
• Hire and supervise the Superintendent
• Review and approve the school budget

These are big-picture responsibilities. As stated above, if elected, I plan to apply my skills to helping the district develop a strategic plan with clearly defined, measurable short-term and long-term goals.

I am also interested in improving communication and building public trust. Our district has done a good job of making information available on-line and making it possible for community members to email their concerns.

However, information cannot replace communication. We need public dialogue. I can help facilitate improvements in this area. For example, I would make the following recommendations:

• Hold more than one public hearing for major school decisions.
• Change the School Committee Public Comment policy so that School Committee members respond to public comments at the time they are made or agree upon a future time to respond so interested parties may plan to attend the meeting.

I also have a good understanding of teacher contracts and collective bargaining. I am currently part of the SC negotiating team and would like to be part of the team as we begin negotiating with other negotiating units as they seek a new contract.

And lastly, I have played an active role in providing and/or orchestrating professional development for teachers. I would like to see the Task Forces that I initiated at Pollard (Grading, Homework, Social and Emotional Learning, Differentiated Instruction) be incorporated into the elementary professional development plans.

Connie Barr:
I have a particular interest in the mental and physical health and learning of our students. Needham Public Schools have paid much attention to these issues, with a Social and Emotional Learning Program at the elementary schools, work with community service and bullying initiatives, and the beginning of work with stressors for our children at the high school. The elementary schools incorporate the Child Assault Prevention Program at three grade levels each year. About three years ago the School Committee approved a comprehensive Wellness policy particularly addressing issues of food service and physical education and health education offerings; school personnel are in the process of evaluating how well the schools, as currently staffed, are able to implement this policy. A School Health Advisory Council (on which I serve) has been implemented. The school system is an integral part of the Needham Coalition for Suicide Prevention. An initiative to work with our children to develop global competency is in development at the high school. Community Service is emphasized at all levels. Balance in one’s life through use of relaxation and exercise techniques is taught at the high school. A substantive Substance Abuse initiative has begun at the middle and high school levels.

All of these are critical to our children’s wellbeing and, I think, to their future success. These efforts need to be coordinated and to be consistent across schools and between grade levels from K through 12. As teacher turnover occurs, new teachers need to be trained and mentored in ongoing initiatives. We need to work to prevent further cuts in PE, health and guidance staffing. We need to look at the oft raised issue of transition between schools and grades and optimize our children’s experiences (transitions are an opportunity to learn to manage what will be repeated often in life). We need to continue the work into stress at the high school, and on mental health and depression, and on substance abuse.

As a parent and as a doctor, I have a great interest in supporting ongoing initiatives, evaluating their efficacy, following how wellness policies are implemented, working to ensure that all teachers are trained and supported as they deploy initiatives, and integrating community and school resources to the maximum benefit of our students.

Marianne Cooley:
As a parent of a child born in 1990, I have watched her class go through the system without art or music rooms at the elementary level, into a very crowded middle school before the portables were added, and head for a high school that would be under construction all four years that she is there. I would like to see us do a better job for the next group of Needham children in providing adequate and appropriate educational space than we’ve done for the children approaching graduation now.

I appreciate that we are a data-driven school system. I expect that we will continue to use that love of data to inform our instruction and to strengthen our curriculum. Not so that learning becomes dull, but rather so that our children are excited learners at all levels of the school system. I don’t want to see our children lose that love of learning.

I am also interested in seeing the school department make further improvements in system-wide communication with parents. We’ve come a long way over the past few years in enhancing our use of the website to communicate information to parents and with email for real-time communication. The School Committee has made it easier for parents to communicate with us using the single SchoolCommittee@needham.k12.ma.us address. In addition, we tried out a free-form Saturday morning coffee where parents could drop in to discuss what was on their minds. I expect that we will do more of this in the future.

John O’Leary:
As noted above, the presentation of the budget is an area I would like to work on, and having been responsible for a $75 million budget, I have experience. I would also seek to build better consensus with the town’s Finance Committee on the budget analysis.
Also, the “Investigations” math curriculum is a costly program that has produced declining test scores. I would seek to reassess the use of this program ASAP, and my math background is a plus in this area.

1. As the mother of two children in elementary school and a member of various community organizations, I would like to establish better communication and relationships between the schools, homes, and the community. Many Needham parents are deeply involved in their children’s education through creating environments at home that value learning, by volunteering in the classrooms, and attending school events. Extra effort is needed to involve the parents who are not active in the schools except when there is a ‘hot topic’ or problem. Likewise, more outreach to town residents who do not have children in the schools, businesses, and other community organizations could establish stronger links with the schools and bring recognition of the exciting things happening within its walls. Increased community participation and awareness would add a new dimension and dynamic to our children’s education.



2. My studies and professional career have been in the field of Deafness, and I am deeply concerned about special education issues. Funding for SPED students at the state and federal levels are inadequate, which creates financial burdens on cities’ and town’s school budgets. The need for a special education contingency fund in the Needham Public School’s budget is a source of disagreement with the Finance Committee. If elected to the School Committee, I would join with the Special Education Committee of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, to bring special education issues, including transportation costs, to greater legislative attention. I am also concerned that the MCAS requirement for graduation penalizes many SPED students who have the ability to do well in post-secondary education or training programs and enter into meaningful careers, but are barred because of the lack of a high school diploma.



3. There are several educational programs that I would like to see developed or enhanced if there were available resources. This would include Life Enrichment Courses, a Gifted and Talented Program, and Transitional and Vocational Supports. Recognizing that with our current fiscal situation existing curriculum is being cut and new things cannot be added, I will keep these ideas in the back of my mind for now and refer people to my website www.kim-marie-nicols.com for more information.

Kori Rogers:
My priorities are simple and straightforward:

Students
Provide all of our students with an outstanding education that engages and challenges them, and prepares them to succeed as citizens of the world once they graduate from our schools.

Teacher-Student Connections
Maintain small class sizes to ensure that teachers have the opportunity to get to know all of their students and their individual needs. Given overcrowding, I hope to explore creative solutions successfully used by other high-achieving districts. For example, we might consider mixed-grade classes.

Teachers
Provide a stable environment for our teachers so they can focus on their students’ educational needs. Teachers belong in our classrooms, not on overrides. We cannot hope to attract and retain the best teachers unless we offer job security.

Joe Barnes
Budget plans are presented to the School Committee in early December. Over the course of the next 2 months, we hear from the superintendent and other central office personnel on the “hows” and the “whys” of the recommendations. My first question is always… “How will this request or recommendation impact the teaching and learning in the classroom .”

There were some difficult decisions to be made this year. The failed override of last year continues to have a reverberating effect on the system. It was not an easy decision to put teaching positions on the override and not other items, like the Science Center or Literacy Specialist. Unfortunately, this program and this position are an integral part of the system’s infrastructure. Many classroom teachers and ultimately, our students, will suffer if these key items are not part of the base budget next year. My thinking also focuses on what will provide the greatest good for the greatest number of students.

Connie Barr:
A budget of which 88% consists of personnel costs leaves relatively little leeway for management. Increasing student enrollment means that this percentage will remain high and perhaps climb. The classroom experience of our children must always come first, and this means that teachers and their salaries are a top priority. The curriculum specialists and building administrators are necessary to support the teachers in teaching and the students in learning.

Allowance for SPED costs and for meeting state mandates cannot be ignored. A strong Central Administration staff to support our Superintendent and our schools is critical to continued excellence in our schools. And, while academics are the schools’ major focus, we must remember the importance of the guidance staff and nurses in helping with the everyday wellbeing of our children, allowing them to learn and grow.

The charge to the Superintendent is to develop the most efficient and appropriate budget to meet the needs of our students. We are fortunate to have a Superintendent who plans the budget carefully, putting the needs of the children first, but mindful of the needs of the community. The job of the School Committee is to examine that budget and its primary building blocks, to ask thoughtful and searching questions, and then to bring that budget forward to the community with the ability to communicate the choices made.

Marianne Cooley:
I agree with the approach taken by the Superintendent and School Committee. Each year, the Committee considers the needs of the upcoming students. They have worked hard to preserve core services and subjects so that the impact on students is minimized. This year, without the override, there will be loss again – as there was last year. We’ve continued to nibble away at underlying support for teachers and we’ve had to make more compromises than in other years about class size and course loads. Fundamentally, schools do exist for teaching the three R’s, but I hate to see the arts, language, or wellness programs disappear. We have also learned that social and emotional learning skills benefit students in acquiring academic knowledge as well. Each child is different, and one never knows what is going to make learning click for each individual.

Holly Horrigan:
Our dollars need to be carefully targeted where they can have the greatest educational impact. We need to stay focused on core curriculum, level service, safety, and maintaining a high-quality teaching staff. Because the public hearing for this year’s budget took place before it was known to the public that discretionary items were prioritized ahead of teachers, I would vote to reopen the budget and discuss these prioritizations further (School Committees have line-item authority over the budget even after it has been “voted”. They can reallocate funds at any time). If the override fails, and I am on the School Committee, I will not cut teachers.

Kim Marie Nicols:
The provision of a quality education to all students enrolled in Needham Public Schools should be at the center of every budgetary decision. Therefore, all the factors that determine a school budget need to be carefully analyzed. As the School Committee works with the Superintendent to develop a proposed budget, I would ensure that the focus remains on the needs of the students and their classroom teachers.

I recognize that the current members of the School Committee are committed to serve in the best interests of the students, and they agonized about putting fourteen teaching positions on the line if an operational override does not pass on April 10th. However, the school budget has been trimmed down over the past few years to the point where there are no other places to make cuts, and fixed costs, mandated services, and rising expenses led to their difficult decision. Simply saying ‘cut programs, not teachers’ cannot solve the budget deficit. The Science Center, for example, supports teaching throughout the school system and its loss would severely impact the ability of teachers to deliver a quality science education.

John O’Leary:
I believe that cutting teachers should be a last resort.

I generally prefer schools to focus on core academic subjects such as math, science, history, and language arts.

Joe Barnes:
I am supporting both ballot questions. The operational override contains needs that directly impact the education of our students. As I have said before, you cannot offer a first rate education to our community with a 2 1/2 % increase each year. If you are able to do this during a particular year, it will certainly catch up with you in subsequent years. The school’s leadership team has done an excellent job in identifying the schools’ needs and communicating this to the SC and the viewing public.

The $21million request for the High Rock Project is one I also support. The project has been well designed and thoughtfully crafted. It offers a temporary solution for the overcrowding at Pollard while providing for the space needs of the elementary level once a 2nd middle school is built.

Connie Barr:
I support both of the school ballot questions planned for the April election.

The debt exclusion override for the renovation of the High Rock School as a Sixth Grade Center needs the support of the town in order to house our current fourth graders as they enter middle school. Pollard does not have the room to accommodate this group of students and a hoped for second 6-8 middle school is several years away in planning, funding and construction. Many solutions were discussed and I support the decision of the School Committee to build the Sixth Grade Center as an interim solution.

I strongly disagree with the idea that we should reopen the budget deliberations depending on the outcome of the override. First, this would constitute a “bait and switch” for voters who are voting based on the information given them before the election if it is changed depending on the outcome. Secondly, saying that teachers do not belong in an override may be a catchy sound byte, but removing from the budget even more funds for teacher support such as staff development, secretarial and curriculum support will weaken academic performance at all levels. Our highly qualified administrators and teachers should not be spending their time photocopying, completing forms and fixing their own computers because staff support is no longer available. Teachers should be spending time with peers, with students and with parents.

Marianne Cooley:
I will be supporting both overrides in April.

Since the last override passed, and considering next year’s expected enrollment, we will have added nearly 400 students to the Needham Public Schools – the equivalent of an additional elementary school. As those students have arrived, we have prioritized additional teachers to support enrollment for the three prior years at the expense of other items which support all teachers and students in the budget. For next year’s budget, we found that we really needed to hold on to – and even improve – the systematic supports for all teachers. Our budget has not increased at a rate that allows us to absorb all the new students while preserving – or reviewing and improving – the curriculum and services that we offer. Without the override, we will face deterioration of our ability to meet citizen’s expectations for educating Needham’s children.

As the enrollment has grown quickly over the last four years, space is at even more of a premium. It is critical that we provide for additional classroom seats for students in grades K-8 pronto! In the next five years, we anticipate enrolling another 300-400 students. If we do not increase the number of classrooms, then class size and class loads will have to go up. There is no other option. The sixth grade center at High Rock is the most cost-effective option for the Town to add classrooms the quickest. In addition, it is a building that we need for the long term. Having a renovated and expanded High Rock gives us the most flexibility for making future building needs decisions.

Please vote to keep our schools strong.

Holly Horrigan:
Yes, I am supporting both overrides. The failure of last year’s operational override coupled with rising enrollment makes it difficult to maintain level services without an override this year.

I also support the capital override for High Rock. I would continue to request that consideration be given to the k-6 option. With the addition of four more classrooms at High Rock, all elementary schools (including the renovated High Rock) could convert to k-6 and Pollard would be 7-8. This would alleviate overcrowding with a single building. If we decide to fund a two-building solution at some point, it makes sense to consider building an additional elementary school and using Newman and Pollard as two 6-8 middle schools. It is important to keep an open mind as we move ahead. If new ideas are presented that are feasible and educationally sound, they should receive consideration.

Kori Rogers:
I am supporting the operational override. Our community benefits from having a strong school system and our economy depends on having a well-educated workforce. With enrollment increases and the failure of last year’s override, we saw increased class sizes, the elimination of elementary Spanish, and the near-closing of the Science Center. While I believe we must strive toward developing an educational model that is not dependent on annual overrides, we need an override this year to establish some stability.

Nonetheless, I am concerned that having teaching positions on the override sends a confusing message to voters about our district’s priorities. If I am elected and the override fails, I will vote to open the budget and look for ways to keep teachers. While some incumbents have stated that such a decision would undermine the School Committee’s credibility, I believe our greatest responsibility is to our students.

I am supporting the debt-exclusion override for renovating High Rock. We must provide adequate classroom and infrastructure space for our students to ensure their safety and ability to focus on academic work.

However, one of the reasons I’m running for School Committee is that I believe the process that resulted in this option for relieving Middle School overcrowding has been deeply flawed. The use of High Rock was first proposed as a very temporary, inexpensive space for students entering Middle School in 2008 because the planned new Middle School would not be complete until 2009 or 2010. High Rock is now planned as an expensive elementary school to be used to house sixth grade students until a new Middle School can be built, possibly in 10 or 15 years. While the incumbents are spinning this as a flexible use of space, I consider it a failure of leadership.

John O’Leary:
I support both overrides. On the $1.1 million override, there is a compelling case that enrollment growth has outpaced the operating revenues, impacting some highly desirable offerings (Science Center, elementary Spanish, etc.) However, I do have concerns about the size of the override—the larger the requested override the more likely it is to fail.

On the debt exclusion override, as noted above Pollard is at the brink, and while I think better planning would have been preferable, this is the only solution that is being offered that will address students heading into 6th grade in the near future.

Connie Barr:
The ability to network and collaborate across groups is one of the great pleasures of being active in schools and community, and provides many opportunites to hear and understand the viewpoints of others and to serve many constituents. The community groups in which I am active have worked together in many ways. The following are several of the collaborations in which I have had an active role. The Child Assault Prevention Program has now come under the aegis of the Needham Community Council (of which I am currently President of the Board) and one result is in an increasing number of Needham volunteers training to present CAP in our schools. The Needham Community Council provided the initial funding for the Needham Coalition for Suicide Prevention, and is currently organizing to be the back-up non-profit for the Coalition. Just last week the Youth Commission (on whose Board I also sit) and NCC shared in one of the major initiatives of the Suicide Coalition. The Youth Commission and NHS PTC (of which I am co-president until June) have worked together with the high school at times of great student need in recent years, to provide support. Most recently our NHS PTC collaborated with the Youth Commission on a very successful Internet Safety presentation (200 attendees) at the high school, initiated by Dr. Hogan, an NHS Assistant Principal, brought to the PTC to organize, and then shared with the Youth Commission as they were providing the Safe Surf program to Pollard students. A current project is the collaboration of the Public Art Committee at the NHS with the Needham Open Studios artists to initiate the Open Studios weekend and a major fundraiser for the Public Art Project. I am very proud of a very simple but effective collaboration between the NHS Media Center and Special Education departments and the Friends of the Needham Public Library (brokered by our PTC) to bolster the Media Center and Special Ed book and tape collections.

My approach to building collaboration is to listen actively, be open with ideas which are potentially of cross-over interest, introduce active participants to one another, support a dialog, and work hard to bring pieces and people together. Active and honest communication are critical to the process, along with a fair amount of leg work and wrapping of loose ends.

Marianne Cooley:
I’m not sure that it’s so much about building collaboration as it is about building consensus – and collaboration is one approach to doing so. For the last two years, I have been intimately involved in working through a process to secure additional classroom space for Needham children. As the process started, there were a number of issues. First, there was tremendous skepticism outside the school department about whether additional space was needed. Second, the Massachusetts School Building program (MSBA) was on hiatus. Third, the Town had just convened a Townwide Facilities Working Group (FWG) to evaluate building needs, and there was tremendous concern about the School Department being “in front” of the task force and pushing their own agenda to the exclusion of all others. Fourth, there is a real shortage of build-able space for a school.

Despite these challenges, I worked as the School Committee’s representative to the FWG to help other stakeholders in the community understand the immediacy of our needs. I worked with the architect to flesh out as many options as we could for the community to consider and we debated the merits in the FWG, the Permanent Public Building Committee, and the School Committee. We welcomed input from parents along the way. We have continued to keep the MSBA apprised of our progress to set the stage for possible reimbursement. To me, it was a given that we would likely need to work with the High Rock School to do something quickly and relatively inexpensively for the Town. I would not have predicted where our grade configuration discussions would have led. And I am thrilled with the work of our architect, staff, and PPBC that led to the all permanent construction option rather than modular construction for the High Rock addition. All of those changes are the result of collaborating with various groups to gain consensus about how to go forward. Our children are the winners.

The High Rock School, as a sixth grade center now and elementary school later, is a good, flexible, long and short-term decision for the Town.

Holly Horrigan:
The School Committee has not collaborated well with the Finance Committee this year (though I think everyone made a concerted effort). I attended the meetings of both committees. I was at the Finance Committee meeting when the School Committee agreed with the Finance Committee on the amount of money needed to maintain current staff and meet mandated increases. The Finance Committee was able to allocate this amount. Then, the School Committee, at their next meeting, stated that they had no choice but to cut teachers….. leading to the headline “FinCom butts heads with School Com” and a lot of confusion at the public hearing on the budget.

I will work to bridge the communication gap between these two boards. Members of the Finance Committee have financial expertise and share a common interest in the schools and in the town as a whole. As a member of the School Committee, I will treat the Finance Committee as a great resource.

Earlier in my career, I was a research associate for a leading financial consulting/software company. This company, while successful, struggled with internal communications between its departments: development, finance, research, marketing, etc. Realizing this, I proposed, organized, and implemented the first-ever firm-wide training program, specifically designed to bridge communication gaps between departments. The effort was embraced by senior management and became an annual event. It was recorded and made available to international satellite offices.

I have held a wide variety of jobs, from cafeteria staff in college, to Sailing Director/Camp Counselor in the summer, to Financial Engineer, to stay-at-home Mom, to Inventor/Co-Author. Throughout, one of my strengths has been listening and learning from others, and working with the people around me. I look forward to doing the same while serving the Needham community.

Kori Rogers
The successful $211,521 Campaign to Save the Science Center is just one example of my ability to work well across groups. This example reflects collaboration and consensus-building skills I developed as a student leader in college and as a successful fundraiser working primarily in higher education. I understand the demands of serving different constituents, ranging from donors (who are, in many ways, like taxpayers), to consumers, including students, faculty, staff, and parents. I respect and value perspectives that differ from my own and I’m particularly good at bringing people with different views together to serve a common goal.

The keys to building collaboration are Involvement and Communication. I admire Stephen Covey’s work on leadership and believe that commitment only comes when stakeholders are truly involved in decision-making. I am skilled at facilitating stakeholder involvement. To learn more about me and my priorities, please visit my website at www.votekori.com. Thank you.

Joe Barnes:
As the middle school principal in both Hopkinton and Needham, I had the opportunity and need to bring staff, parents, and often community members with divergent views together.

In the early 90’s, I lead a Task Force in Hopkinton whose charge was to transition their existing junior high model to a middle school model. This was a very challenging job as many in the community (and the schools) believed that the current mode of operation was just fine. I provided research, welcomed current practitioners, visited other systems, and gave all who were part of this TF an opportunity to speak and to be listened to. Over the course of a year, the transition occurred smoothly and Hopkinton now boasts a very successful middle school.

In both Hopkinton and Needham, I have worked very closely with my School Councils. Members of these councils have not always agreed on the needs of the school or the goals that should be established. It was always important to value varying points of view, welcome input and to listen to all concerns. The work of School Councils that I lead was always the result of the contributions of many individuals.

Finally, as a member this past year of the Steering Committee for the Coalition for Suicide Prevention, we welcomed members from across the community spectrum. Each and every individual on this committee had something very valuable to offer. Tapping the wisdom and experience of these members helped to produce a working document that will help to insure the health and safety of the youth of the town.

Kim Marie Nicols:
In my professional roles, I was well respected for my ability to bring people together that have diverse backgrounds and different interests so they could work towards a common goal. I served as the team leader in hundreds of case conferences and collaborative efforts, promoting team building and timely and accurate information sharing. I believe that information is power, and empowering people means giving them the information they need to make good decisions.

The School Committee functions most effectively when it works in conjunction with Needham’s boards, committees, service agencies, and residents who are concerned with our students and schools. They all have different mandates, but that does not mean they must have adversarial relationships. By working together, they can articulate and achieve their common goals, including developing a school budget that provides for the educational needs of the students.

I interact with Needham residents in numerous capacities, including serving as a Town Meeting Member; participating at Hillside Elementary School as the PTC secretary, in the Program on Disabilities, and in my children’s classrooms; as a volunteer American Sign Language interpreter for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Observance and with the Needham Health Department’s Volunteer Medical Corp; as a member of Citizens for Needham Schools and the Needham Historical Society; as a performer with the Needham Community Theatre; and as an involved parent in my children’s sport and community activities. I would like to continue my service to the Town of Needham by being elected to the School Committee, and would utilize my collaborative skills and community involvement. Please refer to my website at www.kim-marie-nicols.com for further details and contact information.

John O’Leary:
I believe that respect and civility in public discourse is essential. It is healthy for elected officials to hold differing views provided that it does not decay into rancor and discord. I have served with excellent success on several government boards, such as the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission and the Civil Service Commission, which comprised members from a wide array of political views. If I ever felt a need to publicly vote against a position, I would reach out beforehand and speak privately to explain why and prevent any public surprises. In short, I have found that basic courtesy and respect work pretty well.