VOTE411 Voter Guide

I am one of five town-wide elected Select Board members for the Town of Brookline, finishing my three-year term. I have chaired, co-chaired, or liaised with over ten committees and commissions on the Select Board, including the American Rescue Plan Act funding. Before that, I was a Town Meeting member for precinct 13 for two terms. I cut my teeth as the Hayes School PTO treasurer and board director for the Hayes extended day after-school program. My son is a Junior at Brookline High School, and my daughter is a freshman. I am a retired emergency medicine physician who now works full-time, running an anti-racism research program at the Harvard Kennedy School. I am also a mom to two dogs, Nori & Blue, who you will often see join my meetings.

On the Select Board, I co-chaired the American Rescue Plan Act (APRA) committee, charged with distributing some $40 million in funds. I was determined that the process by which we made decisions would be fully transparent and publicly engaged—every step of the process allowed for community input and participation. I will take the same approach regarding curriculum and budget decisions. All discussions should be open to the public. There needs to be an opportunity for the public to provide input during multiple stages of curriculum and budget development, not just before final decisions are made. We should ensure we communicate well in advance when these conversations are happening and what will be discussed, and we should provide background materials so the public can be well informed. Finally, it is essential that we use data and science, when available, to make informed decisions.

Jesse is a forty-year resident of Brookline, a Town Meeting Member (2022-present), and a member of the Pedestrian Advisory Committee. He earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry and retired from a 35-year, scientific and technology career with Verizon in 2019. Jesse is married to Brenda, a Brookline native and a Special Needs educator. They raised their children in Brookline and have 2 grandchildren who are students in PSB. Jesse is active in community-facing non-profit organizations. His team-focused approach is to work collaboratively and decisively on complex tasks by building consensus, utilizing data and metrics to inform decisions, promoting fiscal accountability and transparency, and following through with tasks to their conclusion.

Prepare cogent summaries of School Committee deliberations involving curricula and budget similar to what I currently prepare for Town residents for Town Meeting proceedings. Ensure that these summaries sufficiently explain decisions, including their rationale, and how they align with PSB goals. Consider other communication channels like PSB website announcements, newsletters, and social media platforms. Residents with questions should be provided with a streamlined process to get answers. Provide budget breakdowns and reports that demonstrate financial transparency and accountability. Finally, encourage community involvement in the decision-making process through advisory committees, community feedback sessions, or feedback surveys.

Sarah has been a resident of Brookline since 2004 and has a wealth of experience that she brings to the role of School Committee member. She was chosen by the Select Board and School Committee to fill a vacancy on the School Committee in November. When she joined the School Committee, she signed up for the Finance and Capital Improvement Subcommittees because decisions on funding are how to make the most of our schools.

From 2004-2023 Sarah was a middle school French teacher at Ridley, Hayes, Runkle, and Lawrence. Sarah and her husband Paul have three children, the youngest is a 7th grader at the Lawrence School. Sarah is seeking her first full term on the School Committee this May.

I read every email addressed to the School Committee and respond as appropriate. We have ensured that all of our meeting materials, such as the initial budget proposal and the meeting presentations, are online at the School Committee page on the town of Brookline's site and our School Committee meetings' and subcommittee meetings' videos are hosted by Brookline Interactive Group.

I’ve lived in Brookline for 14 years. I've been a PSB parent for 13 years (and counting) - from Kindergarten at the Baker School through to 9th and 12th grade at BHS today.

Community and local government experience: Baker School PTO, Brookline Education Foundation (BEF) board, elected to Town meeting three times since 2016, and appointed to the Advisory Committee (AC) in 2022, where I served on the Schools Subcommittee.

I have a Master’s degree in education from BU (Literacy, Language, and Cultural Studies).

I've worked as a teacher of English as a second language, and with educational and social service groups including Fair Test, the Asian American Civic Association, and Jewish Vocational Service.

Our school system relies on public support, and I want our schools, and town, to thrive. Public support is built on robust understanding of the district’s choices. I am committed to:

1. Engaging stakeholders in decision-making: seeking input through live forums, surveys, etc., and integrating community values into decisions.

2. Providing clear and detailed information about the budget, including specific inputs such as non-contractual / discretionary choices.

3. Transparency on budget additions (not just cuts) and multi-year look-backs, so we understand trends and the compounding impact of choices and the ideological and practical direction of the district.

4. Ensuring the district articulates rationales and connections between its investments and educational goals, and measures progress toward those goals.