George Scarpelli, School Committee Candidate

Dear Fellow Citizens,

My name is George A. Scarpelli. As a professional supervisor of youth and recreation programs, as a graduate of the Medford public schools, and a life long resident of our city, I am writing to ask for your support for my candidacy to serve on the Medford School Committee.

I have one child currently enrolled in our school system, and another entering in 2010, I have a strong personal stake in promoting the quality and performance of our public schools. I want to help ensure that our schools give them, and all their classmates, a chance to fulfill their potential and to succeed as citizens and workers in a strong and prosperous Medford.

I’m running for School Committee because I believe we can, and must, do more to take advantage of the resources we possess to improve our educational system in an era of fiscal austerity. I want to stand up for our schools by advocating for new sources of revenue and best management practices. Here are just a few of the practical steps we can take to enhance the quality of public education in Medford:

– Seek expanded grant funding, the use of community collaboratives, and alternative funding, as a way of enhancing programs without the use of more tax dollars;
– Increase business partnerships and draw on the expertise of local businesses as a way to expand programs and increase students, early childhood and adult recreational opportunities, without incurring additional expense to our municipal budget.
– Expand our higher educational partnerships with Tufts University, and other local Colleges and Universities.
– Mount an aggressive lobbying campaign to convince our state legislature to come up with a fairer and more equitable formula to distribute Chapter 70 education funds.

I am confident that my personal and professional background has given strong credentials to serve on the School Committee. I am a Medford homeowner with a Bachelor of Science Degree from Salem State College, and I am a candidate for a Master’s Degree in School Administration from Cambridge College, where I will complete my studies this fall. I currently serve as the Recreational Program Developer for the City of Somerville, where I manage a five full-time staff and over fifty part-time staff and a budget of over $600,000.

I have been a physical education and health teacher in Medford for over a decade and I have been a Medford High School coach for 20 years. I am a co-founder and co-chairman of the Medford Field of Dreams Initiative to rebuild the athletic fields behind Medford High School. (www.medfordfieldofdreams.org). I was also the co-founder and director of the “Summertime” program – Medford’s first summer camp program at the Columbus School.

I have spent many years working in Medford as a soccer, softball, and basketball coach for both boys and girls – up to and including varsity-level teams. I have served as a park recreation supervisor for the Medford Parks and Recreation Department for seven years and was a park instructor for five years. As a coach and a teacher, I have seen firsthand the needs and opportunities of our school system. My experience with program budgets, alternative sources of funding, and grant acquisition give me the expertise needed to help generate additional cash flow while working within a tight budget at a time of declining state and federal revenues.

In the campaign leading up to this fall election, I look forward to meeting as many of my fellow Medford citizens as I can. I am eager to hear your thoughts about the best way to meet the needs of our school system and to manage our current fiscal constraints. I intend to earn your vote and I ask for any support you can provide as a volunteer or as a contributor.

Although I am a first-time candidate, I believe that – with your help – I can make a lasting contribution to the quality of the Medford public schools. Our future, and our city’s future, depends on the success of our schools and the children who attend them. I look forward to working with you to encourage and support that success.

Sincerely,

George A. Scarpelli
27 Butler Street
Medford, MA
781-396-1129
www.electgeorgescarpelli.com