The last
seventeen years of my life has been fondly spent working as a special educator
in the classroom. Over the years, I have grown as an educator and a human being
because of the invaluable relationships I have forged with students, staff, and
union participation. As a veteran special educator at the Cambridge Rindge & Latin School, I have become acutely aware of
the importance of relationship and unionism. I am the product of shared
experiences both in the classroom and with the rich professional culture I have
been provided as a public school teacher in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
I now look to
serve Cambridge public education in a different capacity. I am running for
president of the Cambridge Educators
Association (CEA) and looking for your vote.
As CEA president,
I will continue to serve the students of Cambridge by ensuring the quality of
its educators’ workplace and a contract that reflects equity and respect to all
unit members of the CEA. With your vote, I will honorably represent your
interests and advocate for your professional needs. As CEA president, I will commit
to strengthening our collective professional voice and impact on education
policy, evaluation, and compensation in the Cambridge Public Schools.
Thank you for
your vote.
Goals:
Top goals for
the next CEA President are to:
· Draft and ratify fair
contracts that respect the professional responsibilities of all CEA units.
· Develop a strong and
productive working relationship with new CPSD Superintendent of Schools, Dr.
Kenneth Salim.
· Strengthen the trust and
professional relationships between CPS labor and management
· Closely monitor the
teacher evaluation system for effective implementation and serve to minimize
impact on workload to teachers and evaluators.
· Forge stronger relationships
with Cambridge families, community organizations, and local labor unions.
· Strengthen CEA
communications capacity to members via improved networking and social media.
· Hit the ground running!
Accomplishments:
ü Served 5 years as
enlisted soldier in the US Army. Veteran of Operation Desert Storm
ü B.A. Psych, University
of Massachusetts, Boston 1998
ü M.Ed., University of
Massachusetts, Boston 2003
ü 2 years as counseling
intern and classroom paraprofessional at Dearborn
Academy, Arlington, MA.
ü 2 years as elementary
and middle grades special education teacher at Somerville Charter School, Somerville & Cambridge, MA.
ü 13 years as a special
educator at Cambridge Rindge & Latin
School
ü 5 years as CRLS School R
CEA building representative
ü Served on multiple CEA
contract bargaining committees
ü Served as CEA delegate
to numerous MTA and NEA Assemblies
ü Vice president of CEA
since August 2014
ü Served as CEA Chair of
Grievance Committee since August 2014 and experienced success resolving
contractual issues
ü Restored Assistant
Principal position for all elementary and upper schools
ü Proud son of a public
school teachers
ü Proud father of Eli and
Gabs. Eli, the oldest, a preschooler in Waltham Public Schools
ü Proud husband of a
Watertown Public Schools elementary school principal
