Election 2015

What Question Would You Ask the School Committee Candidates?

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There’s a hot race for School Committee on the Watertown Town Election ballot, with five people running for three seats. What issue would you like to hear their opinions on? The candidates will take part in two School Committee Candidate Forums hosted by the Watertown Education Foundation and Watertown News. The organizers are gathering questions from Watertown parents and residents. What is the biggest issue facing the Watertown Schools?

Elections

Two Forums Coming Up for Watertown School Committee Candidates

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Come learn about the five candidates for Watertown School Committee at two upcoming candidate forums. 

The five candidates are incumbents Eileen Hsu-Balzer, Julie McMahon and Michael Shepard, and challengers Candace Miller and Kendra Foley. They are running for three seats in the Nov. 3 Town Election. The first will be held on Thursday, Oct. 15 from 7:30-9 p.m. at the Watertown Free Public Library in the Watertown Savings Bank Room.

Schools

Superintendent Gets High Marks in School Committee Evaluation

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The School Committee submitted its evaluation of Watertown Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald, and she got high marks. 

Fitzgerald received the one of the two highest marks from all seven School Committee members on the five district goals and several other categories required by the state to be included in the evaluation, said School Committee Chairwoman Eileen Hsu-Balzer at Monday’s School Committee meeting. Hsu-Balzer read out comments made by the School Committee, but did not attribute them. The full evaluation is available in the Watertown Public Schools Central Offices in the Phillips Building. “Under leadership of Dr. Fitzgerald, the Watertown Public Schools continue to move in a positive direction … It is a very exciting time for the Watertown Public Schools,” a School Committee wrote.

Letters

LETTER: School Committee Candidate Lays Out Her Vision

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Dear Watertown

The ballot is set for School Committee elections and I am delighted to be a candidate. My husband and I chose to move to Watertown fifteen years ago and have enjoyed the happiest years of our lives here. Both our children were born and are being raised in Watertown. Since my daughter’s first day at the Lowell Elementary, I have been a ‘classroom mom’, supported PTO events, and have become an active member of the Lowell and Watertown Middle School Site Councils. Professionally, I work for Mathematica Policy Research where I am a Senior International Researcher.

Elections

Tons of Potential Candidates for Watertown’s Town Council, School Races

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This fall’s Watertown Town Election could feature contested race for almost every position on the Town Council and School Committee, and possibly a preliminary election in September. With several hot-button issues in town these days – development, the firefighters contract, and the schools (among others) – dozens of potential candidates have taken out papers to run for town office in the Nov. 3 election. Town Clerk John Flynn said this is the most people he has seen interested in running for office in Watertown for several years. “It’s been a while.

Schools

Recommended Watertown School Budget Includes 21 More Staff Members

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The School Committee’s Budget and Finance Subcommittee will submit a budget that would be $2.695 million more than the current school year and would include more than 20 additional teachers and other staff. 

The total budget for Fiscal 2016 (the 2015-16 school year) will be $41.9 million. The Public Hearing on the FY 16 budget will be held at the next School Committee meeting on April 6 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall. Among the new staff requests are one teach each for Cunniff and Hosmer elementary schools. These teachers will help avoid large class sizes, said Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald.  

Librarians will also be added to Hosmer, Cunniff, and Watertown Middle School.

Schools

Watertown Football Team Honored by School Committee

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Celebration of Watertown High School’s football team’s successful season continued this week when the players and coaches were honored by the School Committee. The Raiders went 9-2, won the Middlesex League Freedom Division, made the MIAA Div. 4 football playoffs, and capped the season with a win over Belmont on Thanksgiving Day. Watertown Football Coach John Cacace said the success started well before the season. “It has not been just since Thanksgiving 2013, but when these guys were freshmen,” Cacace said.

Schools

Superintendent Receives New Contract and Big Raise

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Watertown Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald will be around for some time, and will receive a raised of more than $20,000 after the School Committee approved her new contract. At Wednesday night’s School Committee meeting the board approved a five-year contract with a salary of $180,000 in the first year, which starts on July 1, 2015. “I am honored to be superintendent in Watertown,” Fitzgerald said. “I promise to do my best for the students in the school district for the next five years.”
School Committee Chairwoman Eileen Hsu-Balzer said the contract is typical for school districts in the region. “The salary range in this general geographic area, according to figures we have from the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, averages $187,568,” Hsu-Balzer said.