Summary: In which Menin reminds Newburyport of the Forum tonight
See you at the Nock Mick Middle School auditorium tonight at 7 pm. Expected to be there listening will be in Michelle Norman, Director of Policy for the Governor's Committee on Education, Julie Ryder from Senator Kennedy's office, State Senator Steve Baddour and Representative Mike Costello. Congressman John Tierney has been invited, but his attendance or that of a staff member or his staff haven't been confirmed.
A special thanks to Dick Sullivan, Jr., whose advocacy for education didn't end with his tenure on the School Committee.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I suspect your advocacy for eduction-for kids, will not end either--even if you are not re-elected to the School Committee.
While I certainly hope you are re-elected, let Al Gore be your example--never forget that more often than not, you can actually accomplish a great deal--sometimes even more--as an engaged citizen than as an elected official.
So hang in there--no matter what the election brings!
SV
Just so that there is no misunderstanding--notwithstanding my previous comment (which clearly was aimed at bolstering Mr. Menin during what is surely a grueling election campaign), make no mistake about it--- if Mr. Menin is not re-elected to the School Committee--the kids lose their staunchest advocate on the deliberative body that decides their future.
If Mr. Menin is not re-elected, the Committee loses its admittedly irreverent 'pain in the you know what.' And we all know that the Committee needs a 'pain in the you know what' to make sure issues are addressed in a manner that is both thorough and thoughtful so that all sides are explored and all approaches considered.
So while it is a certainty that regardless of the election results, given his passionate commitment to finding a way to provide kids with a truly meaningful educational experience, Mr. Menin will continue to work in whatever capacity he can to make the Newburyport schools the best they can be--he nevertheless belongs on the School Committee so that he can continue to move things in the right direction, whether it's curriculum issues, budget priorities and funding options/sources or the ongoing increase of the transparency of the Committee's process of decision making.
After all, whether you have agreed with Mr. Menin's decisions/approach during the past six years, no one can argue that there is anyone else who would serve on the School Committee who is more knowledgeable, more creative, yet practical. It is clear that no one is more willing to 'do the right thing' even when it is painful, that there is no one who advocates more passionately for what is best for children--while always considering the impact on the entire community.
Mr. Menin, who is an active member of the community with two young children, also has the training and experience of an educator. This background, together with his six years of service as a member of the School Committee, gives him a very much needed multidimensional perspective on all of the issues that the schools will face in the coming years.
So, in the end, if you care about the kids, the schools, the community, don't let Mr. Menin off the hook--keep him on the School Committee. Don't do it for his sake. (While he obviously is a glutton for punishment, he actually could probably use a long overdue sabbatical from public service). Do it for the kids!
SV
Post a Comment