Special to the Transcript
Jennifer Powell, vice-chair of the Winthrop Public School Committee, has announced that she will be running for reelection on November 2. The following is her statement.
“It has been my privilege and honor to serve Winthrop as a member of the School Committee for the past four years. I am running for reelection to be able to continue the vital work of providing our children with an education that enables them to achieve their full potential.
I believe that a society’s most important job is to raise its children as they will not only be the leaders of tomorrow, but they are the future. And, having raised five children in the Winthrop School system, I’ve come to understand that tomorrow comes more quickly than we sometimes appreciate. The job of improving our schools must be today’s challenge. This means providing a premier education to all children, regardless of their background and ability. In pursuit of that goal, I believe Winthrop’s public schools should be second to none. We owe it to the children and families of this town.
I bring to this role my experience as a parent and volunteer within the school system. I also bring expertise in communications and business management as the owner of the Excellent Writers Group. I launched this communications and marketing business a decade ago after nearly twenty years as a journalist, including being a business reporter and columnist for the Boston Herald.
I value opportunities to be involved with the community and currently serve on the board of Mi Amore, an organization that brings the community together to provide food and other resources for local families and recovers food that would otherwise be wasted. I also serve on the Cottage Park Yacht Club Youth Sailing Board, helping to manage the summer youth sailing program. Through my work as a writer, editor, and consultant, I have learned the value of listening to people and taking the time to carefully and fully understand issues. As a committee member, I have been guided by making decisions that are in the best interest of our students and community.
As Chair of the School Committee’s Policy Subcommittee, I oversaw updates on policies across the school system that help protect our students and promote an equitable and safe environment. I also serve on the Committee’s Budget Subcommittee, overseeing the finances of the town’s schools.
We have strong schools because we have a strong community with parents who care deeply and get involved. We need to maintain an open environment that allows everyone to be respectfully heard. We must forge ahead with finding common ground that unites us including giving our children every opportunity to thrive.â€