The 'Wise' Choice For Reading School Committee: Letter

A Letter to the Editor from Judy Oliver:

Anyone who has lived in a community for 20 plus years has witnessed change. Some of those changes are small and impact only a few while others, like a tax over-ride, impact us all. Reading is no stranger to change.

As a mother of four children, whose ages span 16 years, I have been involved with Reading Public Schools for 23 years. Two generations brings about a lot of changes in the field of education and they have directly impacted my children. The Math and Language Arts programs alone have been changed so often, I don’t even know where they stand today! Because my first three children are seven years apart, I can honestly say, not one of them received the same education. I’d be lying if I say it’s gotten better through the years and I know I am not alone in this feeling.

I write to you today to say I am proud to be supporting Thomas Wise. Although I haven’t known Tom for a long time, anyone who meets him can tell that he is a man of integrity. I have worked alongside of Tom in regards to past school issues and was genuinely impressed with his calm yet confident demeanor. He goes above and beyond with his research of FACTS and anyone that has followed his campaign can clearly see his determination. He isn’t afraid to confront sensitive issues like discrimination and bullying, two problems that sadly are rearing their ugly heads in our schools. I am confident Tom will work hard to combat them and keep our students safe.

Throughout the years I have also seen administration and faculty go through its own highs and lows. The job of the school committee appears to be confusing to many parents and they are left not knowing where to turn. I know Tom is committed to clarifying and enforcing existing policy and if necessary, creating new policies to give our children the best possible education. Being a member of the school committee is a huge responsibility and we all should keep that in mind when we vote on April 2nd. I hope you will join me in making the WISE choice.

Judy Oliver