Incumbent Lynn School Committee member Jared Nicholson is running for re-election in this year's municipal election. Here he answers questions regarding his thoughts on the issues facing LPS.
One of the major issues facing the Lynn Public
School System are current budgetary issues. What are your thoughts on the Foundation
Budget review Commission's recommendations? Do you believe that the
current funding formula needs to be revised?
I believe that the
funding formula needs to be revised and I support many of the Foundation Budget
review Commission’s recommendations. I especially support the recommendations
to change the formula rates for English language learners, low-income students
and special education students. We need more help from the Commonwealth to
support the educational needs of those students.
I am not optimistic
that the Commission’s findings will be adopted by the Massachusetts legislature
in the immediate future. But I am more than willing to help our state
delegation understand the challenges that the current formula creates for Lynn
and advocate for change.
In my first term, I
worked with my colleagues on the School Committee and the Lynn Teachers Union
to write and send a letter to our state delegation on a change the state made to
the definition of low-income students in the school funding formula that had
hurt Lynn. I think it is important for the School Committee to speak up on
issues that affect our public schools, even when those issues are beyond the
scope of the School Committee’s formal authority.
Outside of changes to the funding formula, how
else do you believe that the funding issues surrounding LPS could be addressed?
Beyond state funding,
the city needs to improve its fiscal situation. In the long run, the best way
to do that is to grow our commercial tax base. Responsible, inclusive growth
will allow the city to make the investments it needs to make not only in
education, but also in public safety and other crucial city services.
Another important
source of funding is grants. We need to continue to push to find available
grant funding. For example, when we started a middle wrestling team at Marshall
Middle School, we were supported by private funding.
Finally, it is
important that we make sure that the city meets its commitment under state law
to adequately fund our schools. That is something that my colleagues and I on
the School Committee have advocated for and something we expect to achieve this
year. But it requires our focus and follow up.
In what ways, do you believe that LPS is
doing well? In what ways is the district in need of improvement?
LPS has so many
terrific educations, and there is a lot to be proud of in what those educators
help our students accomplish. We are a large district with diverse needs, and
consistently perform well in relation to our urban peers. In the long run, we
need to keep pushing ourselves to improve to the point that we can say that we
perform well in relation to all peers. That is a lofty goal and not something
that LPS will accomplish by itself. But LPS has to lead the way.
Specific ways that the
LPS is doing well include our expansion of programs to build pathways to
college and jobs for students. We launched a program at Lynn Tech for students
across the district to learn job skills after school and have expanded an Early
College program at North Shore Community College that offers LPS students the
opportunity to take free college courses for college credit. Lynn Tech has
added vocational programs in IT and healthcare, two areas for which we know
employers need people. Other examples of specific ways that LPS is doing well
or is making progress is beginning to roll out a new social-emotional learning
curriculum and targeted interventions to address the opioid crisis.
Specific areas that we
need to improve include solving the problems we have with the physical state of
our schools and the resulting overcrowding. Overcrowding is a strain on our
teachers, who are asked to achieve more learning even as class sizes rise. It
is also a logistical challenge, given the difficulty finding physical space in
the city and resources in the city’s budget to build new schools. But the
physical state of the schools in a community reflects the priority that it puts
on education, and I know that our community cares more about education than the
physical state of our schools would suggest. Other examples of specific areas
to improve are reversing the decrease in the dropout rate and offering more
after-school programs.
Why should Lynn voters
elect you to a second term on the Lynn School Committee?
I believe that voters
should elect me to a second term on the Lynn School Committee because I
continue to bring a fresh perspective and have built a record of leadership in
my first term.
For example, in my
first term, we started a wrestling team in Lynn. We launched a program at Lynn
Tech for students across the district to learn job skills. We have begun to
roll out a new social emotional learning curriculum. We have been strong
advocates for the full funding of our schools. We came to an agreement with the
Lynn Teachers Union that is fair to all sides and moves the District forward.
The District also faces
serious ongoing challenges that require leadership today, chief among them
rising enrollment and financial instability. I feel like I have a lot to
contribute to work on those issues as an attorney with a business background.
Finally, as a
Spanish-speaker who is accessible and responsive, I believe that I have a lot
to offer all members of our community in listening to their concerns and
helping to find solutions.
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