Why I'm Running for School Committee- Julie Morgan

This letter to the LongmeadowBuzz blog was submitted by Julie Morgan, candidate for election to the Longmeadow School Committee.

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Longmeadow’s public schools are a critical part of our town. We entrust them with our children’s future. We support them with our tax dollars. For many of us, they serve as our closest connection to the rest of our community. When our schools flourish, our town does too. That’s why it’s so important to have leaders on the Longmeadow School Committee who know how to sustain and improve our public schools, building a school system that provides a great education for all our kids.

I’m running for Longmeadow School Committee because I have the experience and expertise to help our town navigate the challenges it faces and to make sure our schools are the best that they can be. I have been working in education policy for over a decade, helping shape policies that improve educational quality and access at both the k-12 and higher education level. I have taught education law and public policy at Boston College, researched education policy at think tanks, and served as a senior education counsel in the U.S. Senate helping write some of the very laws that govern our schools today. I currently work on higher education issues at the U.S. Department of Education.

These experiences have given me a strong background in many of the issues facing our schools. I understand the kinds of choices school systems need to make to improve educational quality and to create a safe and nurturing learning environment for all students. I have also worked on school funding and managed organizational budgets, and I’ll be ready to help Longmeadow navigate tough choices about how to invest in our schools. Most of all, my experiences have taught me how to bring together people who have opposing views to find common ground and move forward together, and how to engage in inclusive decision making so that we can all be confident that our views are represented.

I’m also a parent. I have two children in Longmeadow schools, and being an LPS parent helps me better understand the strengths and the challenges of our school system. My kids have had great experiences in our schools, with caring and supportive teachers who have fostered their love of learning. Through my kids, I spend time with other LPS parents and get to hear about their experiences too. Many parents are happy with their childrens’ experiences, but they have real concerns. Parents worry about the impact of the last two years on their childrens’ mental health and academics. They worry about the intense pressure kids face, particularly in the upper grades. They worry that our schools are not adequately preparing Longmeadow’s students to participate in an increasingly diverse society. And they worry about the big changes that may be coming our way, like the future of our middle schools.

I believe it is critical for the Longmeadow School Committee to address these concerns and more over the next few years. In doing so, I can promise that I will approach every decision by thinking about three factors.

First, what will best meet our kids’ needs? This may seem trivial, but when facing complicated issues that involve funding, logistics, and other big considerations, the impact of School Committee decisions on students’ learning and wellbeing can get lost in the shuffle. I won’t let that happen.

Second, how will a decision impact our community more broadly? The decisions that affect our schools affect the rest of the town as well, and vice versa. To me, it’s critically important that we consider the broader impact on the town and surrounding community when we make decisions about our schools, including the overall effect on the town’s budget, the environmental impact, and the downstream effects on the town over the coming years. I’ll work closely with the Select Board and other town boards and commissions to make sure we are working together toward our broader goals.

Finally, I will make sure to look closely at how our decisions support Longmeadow’s educators. The teachers, school leaders, support staff, and other school personnel in Longmeadow have made it through unthinkable challenges in the last few years, and I continue to be in awe of their commitment. I will make sure that we take their needs and opinions into consideration, and I will ensure that they continue to get the support they need so that they can deliver the best possible educational experience for our students.

The School Committee election will take place on June 14. I hope that you will consider voting for me when you go to the polls. If elected, I will work hard for you and for all our residents to make sure we have high quality, safe public schools that we can all be proud of.

Julie Morgan