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We must continue to ensure that curriculum is appropriately rigorous. I ran for School Committee saying that MCAS scores alone could not measure if our approach to subjects like math and language srts is as successful as possible, but that we needed another systematic approach.

During my term on the School Committee, the administration began just such an effort with its first regular district-wide curriculum assessments.

These studies, on a subject-by-subject districtwide basis, look at what we teach in comparison to what students need to know, how we teach, and how we should teach. They include 360 degree input and a great deal of thought and attention. It's a complicated, new process improving year by year, and classrooms are already seeing very important changes. Regardless of cuts, It’s critical that this approach be strengthened and supported into the future.

We must also ensure that language, literacy, and the arts don’t get lost in the very important fight for excellence in science, technology, and mathematics.