Candidate Murphy Outlines Priorities

In the closing days of the campaign, Medford School Committee Candidate Christopher Murphy today outlined his top three priorities for the next year:

As I’ve campaigned around this great city for the last eight months, I have been asked many questions and heard many opinions about the Medford public schools and I have been encouraged by the deep commitment many parents and voters have for the Medford Public Schools. I have discussed an extensive myriad of issues in a variety of forums and locations, but the other day someone asked what my three priorities were for the upcoming year, if I get elected. It was a good question.

Technology

First, Mayor McGlynn deserves high praise for the recent announcement of $2 million to IT upgrade for our school system. It is wonderful news for the students and teachers. I will support his proposal wholehearted.

To help assist the implementation of this program, I will propose the School Committee establish a Technology Sub-Committee and that the sub-committee be required to meet at least quarterly.

While having state of the art equipment is a critical first step, integrating technology into the curriculum and the pedagogy – the process of teaching – will represent a change for some teachers and students. I will propose an expanded professional development program to give our teachers the necessary tools to interweave technological education into the classroom on a daily basis.

Our students will be entering a global economy where they will be competing for college slots and jobs with students from our neighboring cities and states, as well as students from other continents. The world has changed and we need to educate our students how to use technology and that computers are an important tool and not just a something to pass the time playing video games or sitting on chat rooms. We must send a clear message to the students about the importance of technology.

Vocational Education

With record high unemployment for students coming out of college, vocational education remains an important pathway into the job market for many students, yet the Medford Vocational and Technical High School seems, at times, to be a forgotten orphan of our school system. I believe that we loose too many Medford students to surrounding vocational schools. The phenomenon of students “tuitioning out” to other schools is creating a long, slow downward spiral for the Voke. We must turn the tide before it is too late.

I will propose that a Special Blue Ribbon Committee be established to study the future of vocational education in Medford. The Committee will be charged with drafting a strategic plan that will create a road map for the vocational school for the next five and ten years and beyond. I envision the committee being composed of a wide breadth of talent including representatives from the business community including the high tech and biotech industries, health care institutions, and small businesses. Academia will also be represented, perhaps from Tufts and I believe strongly graduates of the school should be amply represented. I will seek grant funds to hire an expert consulting firm to assist in this strategic planning effort.

It is critical that the students of Medford be provided with the opportunity for a vocational education that is relevant for this century that will allow them to be competitive in this high tech job market. Like our economy, our schools need to be retooled and now is the time set a new course for the Voke.

Master Schedule for the Medford Public Schools

Since I announced this proposal to create a computerized system-wide scheduling computer program to avoid scheduling conflicts, I have been inundated with positive feedback and encouragement from parents and students about the idea. In fact, it has been suggested that we include important city events to avoid conflicts like scheduling the high school holiday concert on the same evening as the City Hall tree lighting or the scheduling of a sports event at the same time Paul Revere is riding through Medford on Patriots Day. I will incorporate that change into my resolution. This initiative proves that sometimes little things can make a big difference.

– Submitted by Medford School Committee candidate Chris Murphy