PLATFORM
I am proud of the Cambridge Public Schools – but I'm not satisfied. We can and should be a model for the country. Let's challenge ourselves to do better for all of the children of Cambridge.
As a member of the School Committee I am dedicated to working collaboratively with our teachers, administrators, fellow school committee members, city councilors, students and families ensuring that we provide the best possible education to every child in our wonderfully diverse community. We face many challenges…and we are up to those challenges. I look forward to talking with you about how we can work together.
My vision for the Cambridge Public Schools, which I have worked hard to support as a member of the School Committee:
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A district that is measurably closing the opportunity/achievement gap.
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An innovative district that is adopting and adapting best practices from within Cambridge and beyond.
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A district in which all schools actively engage our diversity and seek to be inclusive, supportive environments for all students.
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A district in which all children receive the support that they need as individuals to achieve their best as learners and as citizens.
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A district that brings all of our children, our families, our residents, our educators and our staff together with open and enthusiastic lines of communication.
Some of my priorities:
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Close the racial, gender, and economic opportunity gaps in our schools.
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Continue to build a coordinated “cradle to career” ecosystem for all Cambridge children and families by working with community advocates, the city, organizational partners, and businesses.
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Establish “Individualized Student Success Plans” that ensure each child's needs are identified and met, and everyone is supported to advance and excel. No one should fall through the cracks or lack support to reach their potential.
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Demonstrate our commitment to racial equity in every Cambridge classroom through our actions, policies, and practices.
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Safeguard our children from external threats to funding, principles, and policies by securing additional funding and standing by our commitments.
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Strengthen our upper schools (grades 6-8) with teacher collaboration, enhanced academic opportunity, support for social workers and family liaisons, and more arts, sports and extracurriculars.
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Emphasize learning and growth, not standardized tests.
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Ensure special education and advanced learning supports are accessible to all.
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Preserve and expand recess and playful experiences that are shown to support kids’ social and academic development.
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Continue my work to improve communication and transparency so all families and caregivers can be fully empowered participants in our schools, including robust support for every school council.
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Continue to fight intolerance in our schools and call out racism, antisemitism, homophobia, misogyny and gender-based harassment and assault.
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Help our students and CRLS alums access opportunity through college and career guidance, internship and apprenticeship programs, mentorship and other supports.
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Budget for enough "hearts and hands" in every school building: teachers, family liaisons, social workers and specialized staff.
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Exceed our goal of 30% teachers of color by hiring, supporting and retaining excellent teachers.
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Continue to push our schools to act boldly to address climate change.
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Ensure a community-engaged superintendent hiring and transition process, and once hired, collaborate with them for our collective success.
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Implement our multi-year strategic plan for our district anchored in ambitious, measurable goals that expect great things from our children – by holding us accountable to support all children.
Achievements I'm most proud of:
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Free Universal Preschool: We launched free universal preschool in 2024 for every 4-year-old and many 3-year-olds. I’m proud to have been a leader in getting the support and funding for this groundbreaking step. 3rd grade.
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Improved Literacy Instruction: I am proud that I helped Cambridge commit to and invest in science of reading-based literacy instruction – including professional development for our educators, and new, preK-12 curriculum materials – with a key goal to make certain ALL children in Cambridge are reading at or above grade level in 3rd grade.
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An Updated Advanced Learning Policy: As a Chair of the Curriculum and Achievement Subcommittee I have focused on ensuring that in math, and throughout our curriculum, we set the floor high, we support all kids to get there – and we don’t impose ceilings. That will continue to be my commitment. I sponsored the new advanced learning policy the School Committee adopted this term. We must identify and meet the advanced learning needs of every child – including those who also need academic support. Our equity goals demand that this is not limited to those who advocate for themselves or pay for opportunities outside of school.
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Algebra 1 in Eighth Grade: I cosponsored the policy that established Algebra 1 for ALL Cambridge students in 8th grade, with additional supports as needed. Finally, every 8th grader – including my own! – is learning Algebra 1.
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Support for the Arts: A former art and English teacher myself, I have secured supplementary funding from the state for our Middle School Visual and Performing Arts Programs in two Massachusetts State Budget cycles in a row, and will continue to champion the arts in all of our schools, pre-K to 12.
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More Learning Time for Students: Cambridge had one of the shortest school days in the Commonwealth. Last year we lengthened our school day so our children have the time they deserve for learning and growth. We’re no longer shortchanging our kids, and we ensured our teachers and staff are paid fairly for their work.
IF WE IN CAMBRIDGE CAN'T DO IT, WHO CAN?
Individualized "Cradle to Career" Support
I am committed to effectively and efficiently using our wealth of resources to ensure no child falls through the cracks or lacks support to reach their potential.
I am part of the core team of Cambridge leaders that has been designing the coordinated “success planning” system I advocated for, which is now in phase one.
The vision and the goal is that ultimately every child will have an adult navigator will have an adult navigator and a system for “warm handoffs” to the supports and opportunities that meet their needs, strengths, and ambitions so they can thrive in the classroom and in life.
We are now building the coordinated “success planning” system I advocated for, with individualized guidance, afterschool and summer programs, mental health services, early college, internships, and apprenticeships.
I am excited about the work we are doing with the team at the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Institute for Success Planning, who have developed a model they are helping communities around the state and country adapt.
I will continue my focus on this work as a key lever for supporting our students and ensuring every child in Cambridge benefits from all of the rich resources that are available.
Every child should have an individualized "success plan" along the lines of the model from the Education Redesign Lab at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, so that the needs of all children are met, including those arriving with the greatest needs, those already achieving at the highest levels, and those not targeted by interventions designed for either of those cohorts. (Here's an article about this concept.)
Inclusive, Safe Schools
Throughout my service on the School Committee I have continued to speak out against intolerance in our schools, calling out racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, misogyny and homophobia; I supported LGBTQIA+ students, faculty and staff.
And I used the School Committee’s tools of policy in this effort: I successfully worked with colleagues to update our hate and bias-related incident policy, and to institutionalize the consent education program in athletics our students championed.
I will safeguard our children from external threats to funding, principles, and policies by securing additional funding and standing by our commitments. I have continued to be very public about this. I see your well-founded fears and concerns and I will make sure that the Cambridge Public Schools always has your back.
As I have said in Cambridge School Committee meetings, while every dollar matters, I will not agree to compromise our principles or policies for funding, and I am confident this city and this state would have the financial wherewithal and the support to make up for any funds lost as a result.
I will always stand in defense of and in solidarity with our trans and gender nonconforming students, our Black and brown students, our immigrant and refugee students, and with all of our students.
For undocumented and immigrant students, we have robust supports and procedures in place and preparation at every school, and that we are doing outreach to potentially impacted people throughout our community. Although we don’t publicize these measures for various practical reasons, I will continue to be vigilant that we are prepared to support every member of our community, and anyone who chooses to join our community.
Budget
We have improved community engagement each budget cycle since I was elected to the School Committee – and there is definitely more room to grow. The work of the Solidarity Squad in our most recent cycle was tremendously helpful, and the CPSD administration and School Committee being in conversation with the Solidarity Squad and taking their analyses, feedback and recommendations into account in substantive ways during the budget process was a step in the right direction we can build on and support so less of the burden of engaging with the community is on people outside of CPSD.
I am committed to looking critically at the school budget with an eye toward long-term planning and impact. If there is money that can be better spent, we should spend it better. If we simply need more money to do what we should do, then I will advocate for building those funds into the City's budget. The work I have moved forward on our "Cradle to Career" system of supports will help us more effectively and efficiently use the resources we do have -- and identify programs and initiatives that are no longer serving the needs of our children.
Elementary Schools
I am proud that we are launching free universal preschool in fall 2024. We should build on the early readiness this will foster by ensuring sufficiently small class sizes in the early grades.
I am committed to ensuring we preserve and expand recess and playful time. All of our youngest kids should get developmentally appropriate experiences, which we know benefit children socially and academically, with adequate time for recess and meals.
I established the outdoor learning working group during the pandemic, which engaged with both pandemic response work and with resources for outdoor learning, as an outgrowth of the work on recess I have been doing in collaboration with community members and caregivers since 2020.
Upper Schools
The upper schools need our focus. They are still new, and we must ensure that the promise of the new district structure is realized. We must make sure that the transitions from elementary school to upper school and from upper school to high school are smooth and effective academically and socially. We now have the critical mass at each upper school to support our upper school-aged children with an even richer array of programs than before. Our upper schools should take the best of what our elementary schools offered in grades 6 through 8 as they shape strong learning communities with their own identities.
I am proud that our district has committed to teaching Algebra 1 in 8th grade to all students by fall 2025, and will begin offering school year opportunities for Algebra 1 in 8th grade this fall. (Read the official announcement here.) I am committed to ensuring we follow through on our plans equitably and effectively. As Chair of the Curriculum and Achievement Subcommittee I have been focused on this issue.
I am also committed to ensuring kids at all of our upper schools have the same arts opportunities.
All of our students should enter upper school and then high school having reached the skill and knowledge benchmarks we have identified and that mandated testing requires. And all of our students should graduate from high school equally well-prepared. That does not mean they need to or should have a uniform experience in every school and in every classroom. Teachers and principals should be able to shape their school communities with support from the district to preserve and enhance the rich diversity of teaching approaches Cambridge fosters, and the distinctiveness of the schools. This should always be in service of ensuring that every child reaches their highest potential.
No one should sell our children short – not the schools, not their friends, not they themselves.
High School
Once again, we must be sure every child is reaching their maximum potential. And we must be sure that the incredible resources we have at Cambridge Rindge and Latin are accessible to all – that there are pathways supporting all of our children to succeed, and as they succeed in each area to reach new heights. Our teachers have identified a need for curriculum coaches. Well-trained, well-qualified coaches and mentor teachers are valuable to both new and more experienced teachers and deserve attention in the budget.
I support the move to more heterogeneously grouped classes. Research shows all children do best in heterogeneously grouped classes – if it is done well. I learned in and taught in diverse public schools with heterogeneous grouping; I know it can work as long as teachers are supported to develop their pedagogy for this approach, and additional professional support staff are in place as needed so that children who are struggling get the support they need to reach our standards, children who are excelling academically continue to grow and are challenged, and those children "in the middle" who would not be targeted by initiatives aimed at those groups also receive support to excel. We must achieve this and we will.
Strategic Plan & the Superintendent
Hiring, working with and evaluating the superintendent is one of the School Committee’s most important roles. The Committee serves as the nexus between the students and families and the administration.
The School Committee must guide the implementation of our multi-year strategic plan working collaboratively with the next permanent superintendent.
The strategic plan must be anchored in measurable goals that expect great things from our children – by holding us accountable to support them.
Then, we must ensure that the actual impact in the classroom of this strategic plan meets our goals. And that we continue to communicate with all stakeholders in the community throughout the process.
The priorities I list above support the strategic objectives of the plan.
Ensuring a Community-Engaged Superintendent Hiring and Transition Process
We are in the process of selecting the next permanent superintendent of the Cambridge Public Schools.
I will bring my experience as a public school teacher, a K-12 Cambridge Parent, and as a School Committee member to this transition. We must make the most of the strategic opportunity we will have with a new superintendent – while staying focused on our mission, our values, and our ongoing work.
I committed to selecting our next superintendent through a comprehensive, nationwide search, in a process that meaningfully engages with families, caregivers, teachers, and students.
I have kept that commitment. Though the process has suffered delays, and district communication and updates have room for improvement, we have had a comprehensive, equity-aligned process that has yielded three strong candidates for superintendent.
Right now we are reviewing our publicly-announced finalists. I am excited to learn more about them, and for our families, students and teachers to meet them and ask them questions directly.
Ultimately, if I determine through this process that none of these finalists is the right person for this role in Cambridge at this time, I will not vote for any of them and will advocate for a new search.
But we owe it to our children to see this process through and fully evaluate the well-qualified, dedicated leaders who have been selected as finalists though a national search and a multi-step review process.
Listening and Learning
I learn more about what is happening inside Cambridge Public Schools in many ways, including by visiting schools; inviting a range of people to participate in subcommittee meetings; attending and participating in events; speaking with parents, students, and educators; sharing my phone number and email and making time for a conversation with anyone who asks; reaching out proactively to organized groups such as SEPAC, CFCC, CALA, MBK, and to individuals.
Some examples of my engagement in CPSD: I have been a panelist for Cobra Capstones at CSUS, a community reviewer for the Upper School Civics Showcase at State House, I have had meetings with students and conducted classroom observations at upper schools this year as a member of the School Climate Subcommittee; I have met with students on specific issues, such as the students of the Title IX Aurelia Advocates as I supported their work on consent education; I attended numerous arts events, the model UN at CRLS, the CRLS read-a-thons, and athletics events, and I was a guest reader in a Sheltered English Immersion classroom at the Kennedy-Longfellow School.
I participate in conferences locally and nationally including the National School Boards Association’s CUBE (Council of Urban Boards of Education) Conference, and seminars at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and elsewhere, and I read literature from the field.
Improved Family Engagement
I championed the passage of updated School Council policies, and established the School Committee’s Ad Hoc School Councils Subcommittee so caregivers and educators from our schools could share their needs and priorities.
I will continue to hold our district leadership accountable for meaningfully supporting school-level family engagement, and robust, transparent School Improvement Plans.
I have been a champion for Cambridge's expanded engagement with Dr. Karen Mapp's Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships, which is beginning to have an impact in CPSD as our educators, caregivers and administrators learn and implement this model
Any family that wants to engage more with the schools should be able to. We need to ensure we don’t unwittingly place obstacles in their way. And we should go further than that, to actively foster the circumstances for engagement. We all benefit from that engagement – and the Cambridge community as a whole is enriched.
I made sure the new School Council Handbook reflected the community-engaged process that drafted recommendations, so all families and caregivers can be fully empowered participants in our schools. I have worked collaboratively across lines of difference during challenging times, with a focus on shared values and goals, seeking to build and maintain partnerships that are based in trust and reciprocity. I have proactively sought to engage stakeholders from throughout our community, including students, teachers and families, in all our work – not just reaching out to groups when it is time to discuss “their issues,” but recognizing that a more inclusive process leads to better results for everyone and helps eliminate blind spots.
This was also a focus for me when I served as an elected parent representative on the Graham & Parks Elementary School Steering Committee (the school council). I chaired a subcommittee focused on family/school communication and engagement, and with fellow Steering Committee members and input from other members of the school community I successfully created a family/school communication and engagement survey that we distributed widely. The results helped inform the work of the principal and the Steering Committee in following years.
As Chair of the Communications and Community Relations Subcommittee of the School Committee in a previous term, I focused on this area as well. A major piece I worked on was to support the work of the designers of Caregiver University, which ultimately became The Village, and advocate for sufficient funding both for planning and for execution of a robust program designed by those it is intended to serve.
We should reach beyond the families of current students to get the word out to the wider community – including families of future students, families of alumni, and Cambridge residents who do not have children.
We are doing exciting things in the Cambridge Public Schools and can benefit from deeper community engagement. The schools are a linchpin of the community, a jewel in the crown of a City that has so much to offer. In important ways the schools build and renew the City of Cambridge on an ongoing basis. The Cambridge Public Schools already engage with the community and the community already does so much to enrich our schools. We should support that engagement and enable it to develop further.
Launch an Ombuds Program
The Cambridge Public Schools should launch and adequately staff an ombuds program (sometimes known as an "Ombudsman" program, in less gender-neutral terms) that follows best practices and is available to all students, staff, teachers and families. Everyone should know that there is someone they can contact confidentially with concerns related to the schools.
At times a student, family member, community member, staff member or teacher has a concern but is either not sure to whom they should bring the concern, is not comfortable approaching that person, or wants to maintain confidentiality. For example: a family member has a concern about their child, and doesn't feel comfortable speaking with their teacher, but doesn't want to go "over the teacher's head" to the principal. Or a teacher has a concern about an interaction with an administrator but isn't sure to whom they should speak.
More about Ombuds at the International Ombudsman Association.
Communication and the Role of a School Committee Member
We need to do a better job of keeping all Cambridge Public Schools stakeholders informed. By not doing this, we lose out on others’ energy, ideas, goodwill and expertise.
We need increased and improved access points for students, their families, and other members of the community.
As a communications professional with more than a dozen years in the field I know the value of a well-designed website, good print materials, and a multi-pronged inclusive approach to outreach that includes both social media and in-person events.
The school committee is in a perfect position to connect students and their families, teachers and staff, school and district administrators and the city government, and residents of Cambridge at large with one another. As a school committee member I have been committed to keeping open, vital lines of communication between all of these stakeholders.
During my service on the School Committee we increased our budget for communications and family engagement, including new positions and made progress towards filling open positions. I successfully advocated for more capacity in our communications staff, who were being asked to do too much without enough support.
We have so much energy, talent, good will and commitment in our community. We need to welcome everyone in and enable them to help us provide the best possible academic and civic education for our children. We must work together with vision and direction and make course corrections as needed.
We must all pull together – or else we are at risk of pulling apart.
Controlled Choice
Controlled choice is an essential part of our school system, but can be a confusing entry point. We must continue to do all we can to improve the communication and support for families around the process and to improve the functioning of the system itself.
I support the controlled choice goal to “create diverse, academically rigorous schools with equal access to educational resources.”
We analyze the data and make adjustments on a regular basis, and in 2023 we reviewed and modified our policies in coordination with the Office of Early Childhood as we launched the Cambridge Preschool Program, our universal pre-k program.
That said, we do need a holistic review of how controlled choice is working in practice. That review should also include a review of how we communicate about controlled choice, and how we support children and families at points of entry into our schools, including when a transfer between schools is requested. Our diversity of approaches and communities at each school is a strength –– however opportunity and support and outcomes must not vary between schools.
The memorandum of agreement between the CEA and the School Committee regarding the Kennedy-Longfellow School closure commits the School Committee to direct the superintendent to undertake a formal review of the Controlled Choice policies prior to the conclusion of the 2025-26 school year, including at least two public forums at which representatives from the CEA will be invited to participate in the discussion about the history and future of the Controlled Choice policies and school assignment system. There will also be a public presentation to the School Committee of a report on the findings of this review.
This comprehensive updated review of the policy should include analyzing the impact of recent changes such as the launch of the Universal Preschool Program; the closure of the Kennedy-Longfellow school and reassignment of K-Lo students, faculty and staff; and the current state of our school buildings with regard to condition, location, and space.
I will be focused on looking at the data on controlled choice generated by that review and over the many years of implementation to identify any trends or unintended consequences so we can address them, to ensure that every school in Cambridge is getting the supports it needs to serve kids well, so every family is confident that whatever school their child attends in Cambridge, be it their first choice or not, they will grow and thrive.
I will be advocating for these questions and concerns to be a key focus of the School Committee in the coming term, including during public meetings of the full committee.
Testing and Assessment
Assessments help our teachers address the needs of our children. But not all assessments are created equal. We must be sure we are not unnecessarily taking time from teaching.
As a School Committee member I joined with colleagues to request that advocate for an end to the MCAS standardized testing graduation requirement.
I am interested in exploring the Massachusetts Consortium for Innovative Education Assessment (MCIEA) and its methods of accountability that prioritize getting a full picture of school quality and student learning over individual high-stakes tests.
I support seeking new assessments that maintain high expectations and put into practice what we know to be true: different people learn and demonstrate their learning in different ways.
Questions?
I look forward to talking with you about these and other issues. Email me anytime at votedavidweinstein@gmail.com
