Letter: Chuck Robinson for Re-Election to School Committee

Hello Friends and Neighbors,

My name is Chuck Robinson and I am running for re-election to the School Committee because, with four children currently at each level (elementary, middle and high school) of the Reading Public Schools, I have a vested interest in continuing to improve our schools and the quality of the education we deliver to our children

I am completing my second three-year term, during which I have served as Chairman and Vice Chairman half of that time.

My election six years ago followed nine years as a member of the Finance Committee, which has served the Committee and Community well as it prepared me with a unique understanding of the school budget and the budget process. And, my understanding of the wider scope of the Town’s budget has been invaluable when negotiating for school funds during continued challenging economic times.

I am very proud of the numerous accomplishments during my six years on the committee including:

• The continued fulfillment of the District’s Vision. Our Vision is the template for success as we continue our journey toward excellence.

• Two Successful Contract Negotiations with all Unions in June 2008 and June 2011. Our teachers and staff are the assets we have to educate and care for our students and it is critical that they are happy in their professional environment and are recognized for their good work. In these challenging economic times contract negotiations can become contentious but not in Reading and I attribute this to the excellent relationship the committee has forged with the district’s teachers and staff that includes respect and trust.

• Successful Town Meeting passage of five School Committee budgets. Each of these budgets was in line with the priorities of our Vision and met the ever changing needs and mandates presented to the district. And all of them have allowed us to continue to move toward our goal of excellence. Preparing, presenting and defending a budget is one of the most important roles of a School Committee member and my Finance Committee background has proved to be invaluable to the committee in the budget process.

• Leadership in obtaining the superintendent the necessary resources to restructure the leadership at RMHS by establishing the new position of Assistant Principal for Athletics, Extra Curricular Activities and Health and Wellness. This position will solidify the relationship between athletics and extracurricular activities and academics. In addition, it affirms our priority to Health and Wellness.

• Entered into and saw the completion of Energy Performance Contracting which has saved which has and will save the Town and Schools millions of dollars in energy costs. These savings go directly back into the education, safety and welfare of our students.

• Oversaw an unprecedented level of School Committee and Administration transparency. This transparency has been achieved through monthly office hours and regular updates in the Chronicle, Advocate, and Patch. Additionally, all School Committee materials including the budget and policies are now on the school department website. And, there is a monthly financial update from the Assistant Superintendent of Finance at our public meeting.

• Successful collaboration among the School Committee, Board of Selectmen, and Finance Committee has always been one of my campaign pledges. And, today I am extremely proud to say that we have one of the best working School Committees in recent memory. We have excellent working relationships with all of the Town boards. In talking to colleagues around the Commonwealth, I find this is the exception rather than the rule. In the continued challenging economic times, this collaboration is critical to our survival and success.

• Lead the creation of the Chemical Health policy and the allocation of resources toward the district’s Behavioral Health initiative. The administration and committee has identified behavioral health and support as a critical priority for our students. Additionally, we felt it was critical to extend resources beyond the high school to our middle school students. To that end, we have been successful obtaining the necessary resources from Town Meeting and the Community.

• Became an active member of the Reading Coalition Against Substance Abuse as the School Committee representative. Through this position I have been able to communicate the district’s chemical and behavioral health initiatives to the board and elicit their feedback and guidance. As behavioral and chemical health support is a critical priority of the district our voice on RCASA is important in order to address these challenges faced by our students.

• In these challenging economic times, we are constantly being forced to look at alternative revenue sources in order to balance our budget. I have an will continue to support the Administration’s various pursuits of revenue generation through rental fees, grants etc…Additionally, I will continue to push for expense control through the re-negotiation of vendor and maintenance contracts. These expense savings go directly back into the education of our students

Goals for my next three year term are as follows:

• A goal in my previous two elections was to study the prospect of building an Early Childhood Education Center, because in order for our students to compete in an increasingly complex and competitive world, we need universal full day kindergarten and pre-kindergarten programs. Today I am proud to report that the school committee is in the late stages of identifying a facility that will meet this long overdue need.

• Assure that the District has the resources to fulfill the School Committee’s commitment to provide free Full Day Kindergarten to all of the students of Reading. Through our due diligence on the matter it was discovered that over 200 communities in the Commonwealth are already doing this. Additionally, over 60% of our incoming students are already enrolled.

• All of our collective bargaining agreements will renew in August of 2014. I look forward to negotiating agreements that are fair and equitable to all parties involved. As a School Committee member I have a responsibility to provide the best possible work conditions and a competitive wage to our staff and teachers. Equally, it is our responsibility to provide a superior cost effective education to our students.

• I will continue to collaborate with my colleagues on the other boards. Reading is the envy of many surrounding communities and this is due in no small part to the collaboration and cooperation we have had amongst the boards in difficult economic times.

• I will continue to advocate for resources to support our behavioral health priorities. Our ever changing and complex society continues to put stress and anxiety on our students especially our most vulnerable ones. As leaders it our responsibility to provide the necessary supports to enable them to succeed and become productive citizens.

We have the leadership, teachers, staff, infrastructure, and community support to provide a world-class education to our students. However, as we continue through challenging economic times, the School Committee needs proven leadership and financial expertise to continue to meet our goals and priorities.

Community members want proven leadership and experience.  They want transparency in their local government and they want us to solve problems.

I would appreciate your support and vote and when re-elected on April 2nd I pledge to fulfill these expectations. Thank you.