My Priorities

1. Academic Excellence; math, reading, writing and science 

It is important that we maintain the current excellence of our school system. Academic integrity that includes math, reading, writing and STEM should continue to be areas of focus. This year US News & World Reports ranked Westwood High School #12 in the state of Massachusetts. In 2010 WHS was ranked 11th. How can we improve our students? Where can we offer support? I enhance all types of learners' performance, neurodiverse students.

2. Fiscal Responsibility 

Fiscal responsibility is critical to our school district’s future. Currently 85% of the town’s budget is allotted to education. We need to be mindful of how we spend taxpayers' hard earned money.  

3. Social Emotional Wellness 

Another priority for me would be the social-emotional well-being of all students. The pandemic created a mental health crisis for kids across the country. We need to provide support for ALL students. To help achieve this I would like to bring The Science of Well-Being Project (https://www.drlauriesantos.com/science-well-being) to Westwood Middle and High Schools. 

4. Teacher Retention 

Westwood schools have some of the best teachers in the country.  We need to make sure they stay here.  Hiring qualified teachers, paying them well, and retaining them is key to students' success in Westwood.  

5. Diversity Equity and Inclusion

I support DEI in Westwood Schools. As the Westwood Public School website says "We believe that every student who attends school in Westwood deserves to reach their full potential...." I could not agree with that more, I want ALL students to be given the tools to succeed in life.  As a district we need to be open to learning how we can do better,  to make sure everyone feels included. The district recently conducted an equity audit, some of the priority recommendations that came out of that audit were creating an Equity Communication Plan and hiring a Director of Human Resources.  I look forward to hearing more about how these steps will help create a learning environment for ALL students to feel welcome to learn and thrive. We can always do better as a community, and working together will help us achieve great things.