On Monday, January 28, Arlington School Committee candidate Joseph A. Curro, Jr. joined fellow parents before the Board of Selectmen in support of the Transportation Advisory Committee's conceptual plan to improve school transportation safety.
Reiterating many of his remarks the previous week before the School Committee, Curro, a Stratton Elementary School parent of two, thanked the Board of Selectmen for their previous endorsement of Phase 1 improvements around the school. He acknowledged Selectmen Chair Annie LaCourt, who participated in a walking tour of trouble spots in the area last year, and he highlighted the particular problems that continue at the intersection of Dickson and Hemlock.
Curro thanked the Transportation Advisory Committee for their hard work on the issue, and he praised their approach of generalizing the program across all school districts in town and relying on the local knowledge of those who make up each school community.
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Curro Stands for Children
On Saturday, January 26, Arlington School Committee candidate Joseph A. Curro, Jr. joined fellow residents, as well as Representatives Jay Kaufman (D-Lexington) and Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont) and 250 other activists from throughout Massachusetts, in attending the Stand for Children statewide education summit in Reading.
Participants in the summit were treated to excellent keynote presentations by Dr. Dana Mohler-Faria, Governor Patrick's Special Advisor on Education; Paul Reville, Chairman of the Massachusetts State Board of Education; and Dr. Karla Brooks Baehr, Superintendent of the Lowell Public Schools and a former Arlington teacher.
Curro participated in one workshop on the school funding landscape given by the head of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center; and another on the cultivation and recruitment of committed leaders, which was co-facilitated by Barbara Goodman, a former Arlington School Committee member and co-chair of the Arlington Chapter of Stand for Children. Arlington Chapter co-chair Cindy Starks served as master of ceremonies for the summit.
At the end of the day, Stand for Children members were asked to endorse the 2008 Campaign for Children Legislative agenda, calling for specific action in the areas of:
Participants in the summit were treated to excellent keynote presentations by Dr. Dana Mohler-Faria, Governor Patrick's Special Advisor on Education; Paul Reville, Chairman of the Massachusetts State Board of Education; and Dr. Karla Brooks Baehr, Superintendent of the Lowell Public Schools and a former Arlington teacher.
Curro participated in one workshop on the school funding landscape given by the head of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center; and another on the cultivation and recruitment of committed leaders, which was co-facilitated by Barbara Goodman, a former Arlington School Committee member and co-chair of the Arlington Chapter of Stand for Children. Arlington Chapter co-chair Cindy Starks served as master of ceremonies for the summit.
At the end of the day, Stand for Children members were asked to endorse the 2008 Campaign for Children Legislative agenda, calling for specific action in the areas of:
- Immediate Financial Relief
- Reform
- Innovation
Curro Files Nomination Signatures
On Thursday, January 24, Arlington School Committee candidate Joseph A. Curro, Jr. visited the Town Clerk's office as soon as they opened for business in the morning. Curro, who just over a week earlier had pulled papers, filed nearly 2½ times as many signatures as were required to place his name on the ballot for the April 5 election.
Curro commented, "We had volunteers circulating signature sheets in most of Arlington's elementary school districts, and the response was very positive. Many people have offered encouragement and help, and I am looking forward to running a strong campaign that focuses on issues of importance to our kids."
Greeting voters at Town Hall as they arrived for a candidates' night featuring the contenders for the 23rd Middlesex state representative seat, Curro distributed a letter of introduction, the text of which follows:
Curro commented, "We had volunteers circulating signature sheets in most of Arlington's elementary school districts, and the response was very positive. Many people have offered encouragement and help, and I am looking forward to running a strong campaign that focuses on issues of importance to our kids."
Greeting voters at Town Hall as they arrived for a candidates' night featuring the contenders for the 23rd Middlesex state representative seat, Curro distributed a letter of introduction, the text of which follows:
January 31, 2008
Dear Arlington Resident,
With all the activity surrounding the state representative and Presidential races, we can easily to forget that Arlington faces annual elections to fill its local offices in just over two months.
This week, I announced my candidacy for the Arlington School Committee. With the help of committed volunteers in most of Arlington’s school districts, we were able in one week to collect 2-1/2 times as many nomination signatures as we needed, and I filed my papers with the Town Clerk’s office early this morning. I am very grateful for the many offers of support and assistance I have received since announcing my intentions and to those who have provided financial support.
I am the father of two daughters, a first-grader at the Stratton School and a preschooler at Sunshine Nursery School. I am running primarily to ensure the quality of my kids’ education and that of other Arlington public school students in these difficult times. We cannot afford to fail in this mission.
I have been involved in public service in Arlington for many years as a Town Meeting Member and immediate past chair of both the Human Rights Commission and the Symmes Neighborhood Advisory Committee. In these roles, I have accumulated a solid track record of bringing people together:
- When the Stratton School’s plans to upgrade its aging heating system and remove a failing oil tank required digging up a nearby private way, I brokered an agreement between Keyspan and affected residents, allowing Stratton to convert to a more fuel-efficient and cost-effective energy source, averting an environmental tragedy, and satisfying concerns of private property owners.
- I helped bring Brackett School families together with the Superintendent of Schools and other administrators, resulting in a school-sanctioned support network for gay parents and their children.
- When public officials found themselves the targets of anonymous anti-Semitic and threatening hate mail, I spearheaded the organization of a community statement of concern rejecting bigotry and intimidation. Over 1,400 people – including the Superintendent of Schools, School Committee members, and 60 Ottoson staff -- signed this statement of principles against a backdrop of otherwise deep disagreements in our community.
Other examples of pressure-filled situations which I have navigated include: my role in helping to redefine the former No Place for Hate® program as a local Arlington initiative following widespread concerns in the Armenian community regarding the original sponsor; and my experience advocating for the Symmes neighborhood during the painful and difficult process around the former hospital’s redevelopment. Indeed, in the latter case, some of those with whom I have publicly disagreed on policy matters have become my strongest supporters, because they recognize the value I place on respectful debate and a search for common ground.
I am running a grassroots campaign for reconciliation and renewal. I seek to expand the covenant between our schools and the greater Arlington community, particularly with senior citizens, private businesses and professionals, and other populations of individuals. I invite you to read my full vision at http://www.JoeCurro.info/, I look forward to speaking with you, and I respectfully ask for one of your three votes for School Committee on April 5.
Sincerely,
JOSEPH A. CURRO, JR.
Curro Testifies in Support of Safe Routes to School
The following is a statement from Arlington School Committee candidate Joseph A. Curro, Jr.:
On Tuesday, January 22, I joined parents and professional staff from most of Arlington's school districts in testifying before the School Committee regarding the Transportation Advisory Committee's (TAC) conceptual plan to improve school transportation safety.
The TAC was appearing before the committee in order to seek support for a phased plan envisioning incremental and capital infrastructure improvements; the joint involvement of principals and parents with other responsible parties in town; and the strategic employment of traffic supervisors and law enforcement personnel.
In my remarks, I noted the leading role that has been taken by Stratton Elementary School and particularly their Safe Routes to School coordinator Lenore Wadman. Last spring, I was happy to assist Lenore in reaching out to Board of Selectmen chair Annie LaCourt and to join both Lenore and Annie, School Committee Member Ron Spangler on a walking tour of Stratton approach routes with Jessica Yaquiant of MassRIDES.
During that walk, we pointed out a number of problem areas to Ms. Yaquiant and discussed the heavy funding requirements for measures like sidewalks and how MassRIDES might help. We also talked about certain modest improvements to pedestrian routes that are called for in the special permits governing the nearby Symmes redevelopment project and which are slated to be funded by the redeveloper. I am familiar with these requirements as an area Town Meeting Member and resident who actively participated in the permitting process for Symmes and as the former chair of the Symmes Neighborhood Advisory Committee, and I continue to monitor their status.
This was but one step in elevating the visibility of the Stratton area's safety problems. After working closely with the the TAC, Safe Routes to School advocates won approval in August of Phase 1 proposals for improvement from the Board of Selectmen.
---
In my testimony to the School Committee, I pointed out how the Stratton initiative has served as a model for the TAC's comprehensive town wide proposal. There are similar pursuits underway in other districts, including a particularly energetic group of concerned individuals at Thompson Elementary School, who presented the School Committee with an extremely comprehensive list of proposed Phase 1 improvements.
I stressed to the Committee that my neighborhood reminds me of the neighborhood where I grew up, primarily because there are kids everywhere! And this raises the stakes for making wise choices.
When my daughter began school, I was pleased in a nostalgic kind of way that there is still a student safety patrol. They wear safety yellow shoulder straps now, rather than the garish orange of my youth. However, in the ultimate paradox, a number of safety patrol officers actually receive rides to school before they take up their posts. It is simply too dangerous for them to walk on their own.
The issue of safety is very personal for me. On October 3, my wife contacted me at work and was extremely agitated. She, my children, and a group of neighborhood parents and kids with whom they were walking came very close to being hit by a speeding vehicle while crossing one of the area's most dangerous intersections. And we hear stories like this every day.
---
I was glad to see the TAC plan adopted unanimously by the School Committee. It takes an initial phased and objective approach to translating the previous successes of Stratton, Thompson, Dallin, and other of our school communities to a comprehensive plan for the entire community. It balances the need for infrastructure improvements with the equally important need for human eyes and ears where they are most needed. And it places the power for local prioritization directly in the hands of parents and other stakeholders throughout the town.
With this plan, the conversation can begin in earnest about how to put together a package of local capital funds and state and federal grants to implement needed safety enhancements over time.
Improvement of pedestrian safety around our neighborhood schools benefits our entire community. I wholeheartedly endorse the School Committee's action, and I hope the Board of Selectmen will act similarly to support this plan when it comes before them next week.
On Tuesday, January 22, I joined parents and professional staff from most of Arlington's school districts in testifying before the School Committee regarding the Transportation Advisory Committee's (TAC) conceptual plan to improve school transportation safety.
The TAC was appearing before the committee in order to seek support for a phased plan envisioning incremental and capital infrastructure improvements; the joint involvement of principals and parents with other responsible parties in town; and the strategic employment of traffic supervisors and law enforcement personnel.
In my remarks, I noted the leading role that has been taken by Stratton Elementary School and particularly their Safe Routes to School coordinator Lenore Wadman. Last spring, I was happy to assist Lenore in reaching out to Board of Selectmen chair Annie LaCourt and to join both Lenore and Annie, School Committee Member Ron Spangler on a walking tour of Stratton approach routes with Jessica Yaquiant of MassRIDES.
During that walk, we pointed out a number of problem areas to Ms. Yaquiant and discussed the heavy funding requirements for measures like sidewalks and how MassRIDES might help. We also talked about certain modest improvements to pedestrian routes that are called for in the special permits governing the nearby Symmes redevelopment project and which are slated to be funded by the redeveloper. I am familiar with these requirements as an area Town Meeting Member and resident who actively participated in the permitting process for Symmes and as the former chair of the Symmes Neighborhood Advisory Committee, and I continue to monitor their status.
This was but one step in elevating the visibility of the Stratton area's safety problems. After working closely with the the TAC, Safe Routes to School advocates won approval in August of Phase 1 proposals for improvement from the Board of Selectmen.
---
In my testimony to the School Committee, I pointed out how the Stratton initiative has served as a model for the TAC's comprehensive town wide proposal. There are similar pursuits underway in other districts, including a particularly energetic group of concerned individuals at Thompson Elementary School, who presented the School Committee with an extremely comprehensive list of proposed Phase 1 improvements.
I stressed to the Committee that my neighborhood reminds me of the neighborhood where I grew up, primarily because there are kids everywhere! And this raises the stakes for making wise choices.
When my daughter began school, I was pleased in a nostalgic kind of way that there is still a student safety patrol. They wear safety yellow shoulder straps now, rather than the garish orange of my youth. However, in the ultimate paradox, a number of safety patrol officers actually receive rides to school before they take up their posts. It is simply too dangerous for them to walk on their own.
The issue of safety is very personal for me. On October 3, my wife contacted me at work and was extremely agitated. She, my children, and a group of neighborhood parents and kids with whom they were walking came very close to being hit by a speeding vehicle while crossing one of the area's most dangerous intersections. And we hear stories like this every day.
---
I was glad to see the TAC plan adopted unanimously by the School Committee. It takes an initial phased and objective approach to translating the previous successes of Stratton, Thompson, Dallin, and other of our school communities to a comprehensive plan for the entire community. It balances the need for infrastructure improvements with the equally important need for human eyes and ears where they are most needed. And it places the power for local prioritization directly in the hands of parents and other stakeholders throughout the town.
With this plan, the conversation can begin in earnest about how to put together a package of local capital funds and state and federal grants to implement needed safety enhancements over time.
Improvement of pedestrian safety around our neighborhood schools benefits our entire community. I wholeheartedly endorse the School Committee's action, and I hope the Board of Selectmen will act similarly to support this plan when it comes before them next week.
Curro Attends Martin Luther King Birthday Celebration
On the evening of Monday, January 21, Arlington Human Rights Commissioner and School Committee candidate Joe Curro attended the annual Martin Luther King Birthday Celebration at Town Hall.
Curro greeted fellow attendees, collected nomination signatures, and found deep support for his School Committee candidacy.
Commenting on the event, Curro said, "I am very proud that the Human Rights Commission has participated as a sponsor of the MLK celebration for so many years. This is one of the hallmark events in our community and -- in its own modest way -- serves as a concrete demonstration of Dr. King's vision of bringing people together. Many thanks to the organizers for putting together another excellent program."
Curro congratulated the annual award winners, Sally Rogers and Police Chief Fred Ryan, the latter of whom has worked closely with the Human Rights Commission throughout the years to respond to hate crimes and incidents in the town.
Curro greeted fellow attendees, collected nomination signatures, and found deep support for his School Committee candidacy.
Commenting on the event, Curro said, "I am very proud that the Human Rights Commission has participated as a sponsor of the MLK celebration for so many years. This is one of the hallmark events in our community and -- in its own modest way -- serves as a concrete demonstration of Dr. King's vision of bringing people together. Many thanks to the organizers for putting together another excellent program."
Curro congratulated the annual award winners, Sally Rogers and Police Chief Fred Ryan, the latter of whom has worked closely with the Human Rights Commission throughout the years to respond to hate crimes and incidents in the town.
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