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Letter to the Editor: School funding advocacy is not 'performative'
EDITOR’S NOTE: Jim Murphy is a candidate for the Ward 8 School Committee seat in this year’s local election.
Regarding the debate over the NPS budget:
I applaud the School Committee vote to support Superintendent Nolin’s “Level Service+” budget. It took weeks of constituent outcry, but most committee members have moved from what seemed like sullen complacency to a more vocal defense of what is still a bare-bones request. I have two caveats, though: “Level Service+” leaves longstanding, structural budgetary issues for next year; and not funding the kindergarten aides the School Committee is contractually obligated to provide is a mistake. In addition to its disservice to students, legal appeals intended to back out of this agreement will almost certainly fail, while undermining good faith contract negotiations. Nevertheless, it was heartening to see the majority of the committee finally find its voice.
Additionally, I take issue with the characterization of Monday’s vote as merely “performative.” The advocacy it represents is hardly play-acting. It is civic duty; it is responsiveness to voters; it is democracy in action.
Now, it is time for the School Committee to follow-up by demanding that the City Council and Mayor be equally responsive. Newton’s children deserve a budget that meets–not defers–their needs, and the committee members should demand no less on their behalf.
Jim Murphy
Newton Highlands
Four new faces emerge in School Committee elections
Four new candidates for Newton’s School Committee have emerged.
The four are branding themselves as a collective solution to a problem in communication and understanding they say was laid bare by last year’s teacher strike.
“The candidates are not interested in relitigating the strike or assigning blame,” their joint press release reads. “Instead, they want to ensure the community never experiences that kind of division and hurt again. Their priority is to help adults work better together for the sake of Newton’s students.”
PRESS RELEASE: Four candidates announce runs for Newton School Committee
NEWTON, Massachusetts. March 31, 2025.
The candidates recognize the current approach isn’t working and that Newton schools urgently need new energy and creative solutions. They bring a fresh perspective on the role of the School Committee: they see School Committee members first and foremost as advocates for the schools. They will take on key issues that face our schools and provide a strong voice for the funding and resources needed to ensure an excellent education for all Newton students.
Jim Murphy urges School Committee to approve Nolin’s "Level Service+" budget
Upper Falls resident Jim Murphy urged the committee to approve Nolin’s budget instead of calling for more cuts.
“It’s incredibly frustrating to watch the committee kick the can down the road, particularly on special needs students and particularly our younger special needs students,” Murphy said. “We all know that if we want to keep the cost of those things down, we need to make sure that we intervene early and that we do so effectively.”