School Committee candidate Cyrus Vaghar is back with his promised second video and says this is “95 percent” of everything anyone needs to know about his candidacy.
Now playing: Cyrus Vaghar, the sequel
by Greg Reibman | Aug 1, 2015 | Newton | 50 comments
Great video, informative and thought-provoking. Definitely #TeamCyrus!
Cyrus, great video.
What are you planning on doing next year, school or job?
Mike Striar now has someone who will carry the torch on late start times!
I do want to talk about some of your issues. The janitors who are making the 6 digit income are people that accept all the overtime they can get when no one will take the time. Also, the money they often make comes from events they work that generate the city income. For instance if the LWV has an event and they have to rent the auditorium, the janitors get paid from the revenue the school generated. it’s true that the school system would have got that money if they didn’t pay the custodian, but it’s not as bad as it sounds.
Also, the logic behind paying a superintendant the money they make is that it is a high pressure job where there’s a lot of burn out and it’s difficult to find someone who is willing to do the job. I’m like you where I think it’s a bit much, but thats the type of thinking you’ll be up against.
Good luck and keep bringing up issues.
I think you need to understand that these videos alone won’t get you enough votes to win. You need to go door to door and talk to the voters at their homes. You need to understand you’ve embarked on a longer journey than I think you are planning on. Good luck and take care.
Despite a low level of political sophistication to go along with his youthful naivety, this kid appears to have more common sense than all the current SC members combined.
After years of their own tests indicating high levels of stress among high school students–after numerous studies linking sleep deprivation to stress, depression, and a slew of resulting health consequences–even after three teen suicides rocked our community, this SC continues to cite the “bus schedule” as a major impediment to changing high school start times.
These people just don’t get it. Their response has been wholly inadequate. Sleep deprivation is a major health issue affecting thousands of students every day. The SC’s failure to fix this problem is a dereliction of duty, and it’s time to throw the bums out.
Hi Tom,
Thanks for the response. I will be in school in Weston, MA this coming year, so spending time doing campaigning will happen, and I plan on doing it. Obviously I have an uphill battle, but I have been talking with many voters, and they all agree that it is time for the students to get a vote. I’m 18 years old and I didn’t join this race to prove anything to anyone, I joined it because I know that the students are not being listened to. I have a campaign plan organized, but can only be successful if anyone who supports me spreads the word.
In regards to custodians pay, interesting point. I’m still skeptical when hundreds of thousands of dollars of overtime pay are being distributed. To me it seems like that would be enough to hire more workers, but obviously there are contract / pension parts to consider too. I will look into it more. I also would say that it is a waste that students at the high school level never are given any opportunity to learn from /assist custodians even though some may want to join that field.
Best,
Cyrus
P.S. In regards to my campaign plan, I have two specific events planned, one will be a LIVE stream Q&A online. Hopefully the first of its kind and anyone can ask a question to me and get a response on the spot. The second will be a “come out and meet me” if you have not already, location TBD.
Cyrus,
How willing are you to work with others? While I hear that you are passionate, you would be one member of a committee. I hear that you don’t like research and you just want to do it, however, that sentence struck a chord with me.
Teachers on the school committee? Not sure I agree with that. . . . . however it is an interesting point.
I still don’t know your position on fees, full day kindy, 16th elementary school, class size?
I hear you on the early start time on high school. What time are you suggesting? 8:15 AM/9 AM or 10 AM? I am one voter, but so far I haven’t heard enough details.
What will your day time job be? How do I know that you are committed to a two year term? At age 18 the world is open to you . . . . . where will you be in the fall? Are you going to be a student? What is your passion and why run for school committee other than for a student’s voice to be heard?
Video response to Newton Mom:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Kp6f4miJ9A
(I’m going to try to embed the video, if it does not work copy the URL into the address bar (Maybe one of the writers can fix it))
Full Day Kindergarten was promised two years ago as well PROOF: http://lwvnewton.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/LWVN-2013-Municipal-Voters-Guide-copy.pdf
https://twitter.com/CyrusVaghar/status/628004527971659776
I can’t get the video to play.
Will you have a webpage with documents and view points?
You linked to a document about how FDK was promised. What is your view? Your previous video said that kids don’t want to attend school. What is your position and would you support funding it, or not? I have a different belief in FDK and that kids should be in school for a full day. If you asked both my kids (8th grade and 4th grade), they would be on the beach all day with no sunscreen or in front of a screen full time. As their parent, I have a different view, and thus we go to the beach for a few hours with sunscreen, and screen time is limited, and they must have physical exercise daily and read daily. Just because kids don’t want to spend more time in school is not a reason for not to fund full day kindy.
Hi I just checked, the video works perfectly on a few devices I have. If possible, try a new device. If someone else has the same problem, let me know. I can upload it to Vimeo later if you want.
My video answers your concerns with full day kindergarten, but as I say in it, I am FOR full day kindergarten as long as an override is not needed. To me, there are more important problems in our schools like drugs (cocaine, heroine etc.) than full day kindergarten. That is me being honest and truthful. I would estimate at least 25% of our high school aged kids have experimented with drug use. The point I am trying to make is that full day kindergarten is important but anyone telling you they are going to try their best to get it done is LYING. Look at the campaign promises I linked from two years ago, look how much progress they have made.
You can try tinylink for the URL, then click go to video:
http://tinylink.net/bEJ
or this may work:
From my perspective, your views are from high school, which are important. What I am hearing is that you want a later start time and to address the drug use in high school. As part of the school committee, there are many more issues than that, and many budget issues that I don’t know what your view is (other than no more additional overrides). You have made a statement about the custodians, and there was a school committee presentation recently on the custodians.
What do you propose to address the drug problem (please no videos, since I can’t play them at work). I am a visual and not auditory learner, and having the ability to read an essay is important to me.
Hi Newton mom
Ok no worries about the vid, I would say watch them later if you get the chance, but I will explain everything in writing.
I’m with you on the fact that there are more issues than just the 3/4 I want to focus on if elected. The big point of my campaign is that I want to be honest. How many SC candidates claim to be for everything and then get nothing done? The current SC are running on the exact SAME promises as last time. My feeling is if you cannot get it done once, then let someone else try.
I did see the custodian presentation (If I remember it was a hired group that looked into how we can be more efficient etc.), but let me focus on the drug problem here as that to me is much more important.
DRUGS in OUR schools are EVERYWHERE. The current SC could not care less. They may claim, which I don’t think they even do, they have done some studies etc. but in honesty give me a break. I was there, I saw it. I will say it again, DRUGS in OUR schools are EVERYWHERE. The only way to fix it is to educate the students. That is the only way. Not just saying drugs are bad, but actually explaining what they do, why people do them etc. The current way of dealing with them is a mess. It involves administration bullying students and trying to keep things quiet (coverups), We have English and History teachers trying to address drugs because it is mandated. It just does not make sense.
The honest truth? If you actually want that problem fixed, you need to vote for me. I am the only candidate that will actually try to bring in experts to the schools to talk to every student. I’m being honest, no one else will put in as much effort as me if elected.
Best,
Cyrus
Who are you hiring to talk to the kids????? Who are the experts??????? I am sorry, but I am probling because I do think there is a drug and alcohol problem across the country. So, when you talk about experts what do you mean????? As a parent, I don’t want any old person walking into the school and telling my kids not to drink and not to do drugs. What makes them an expert????? Let me be honest – You are making the same empty promise – vote for me and I will fix it. Bringing in an “expert” doesn’t fix it. Show me an expert with a program that you willing to pay for, and I can get behind the idea.
You also want high school to start later. . . . . what is your proposal – start high school at 9 AM and have elementary kids start at 7:30 AM? (You might have answered this in your video but I don’t have access to it).
I am a busy full time worker, who has two kids. . . . I don’t have the time to figure out the technology. I bookmark things to read while on the train or waiting in the car at pick up. I need concrete ideas not just experts to talk to kids about the drug and alcohol problem. I need a concrete plan for how to get high schoolers to school later, and how to get the other kids to school. Have you ever been to Newton South/Oak Hill/Brown middle school at 2:45 PM? That is a traffic nightmare! Please give me some written concrete ideas.
Hi again. Ok I need to say that a lot of what you are asking is answered in the new video, but I will explain in writing partly for you, but partly because I know a lot of people read these threads and I am sure many are interested.
First off, you say that I am making empty promises, and the truth is, that MAY be correct. But saying that I am making empty promises before taking office is incorrect. The current SC has made empty promises that have been proven over the last 2 years, I may (and I don’t think I will) make empty promises.
In regards to drugs. Who would you rather teach your kids about the importance of not using drugs. An expert, who has experience with adolescence and drug use and prevention OR your kids history or physical education teacher who is certified in no way (essentially the current system). The choice is yours and I cannot answer that for you. Other concrete plan is to take away the no smoking within 900ft of the schools as it is extremely dangerous and may lead to a lawsuit for the city. That may need the city council to work on it, but anytime administration at the high school level, like housemasters, tries to meet with kids to get them to change, they are doing stuff under the table. Housemasters have no drug related degrees and therefor should NOT have anything to do with them. It is a recipe for disaster and I am confident it will lead to a lawsuit towards the city for wrongful harm etc.
Start times. As I say in the video, still deciding but early indications: 8am elementary, 815 middle, 830-840 high schools. Makes the most sense, obviously it is not perfect so i’m not going to overly defend those times yet.
This looks like a great program:
http://www.cityofboston.gov/news/Default.aspx?id=19019
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2015/03/05/boston-preventing-substance-abuse-starts-middle-school/4HeWW6FvwEqJM1qs0ViwGJ/story.html
Back in the stone ages AIDS education was huge. Our high school sent home a letter to the parents and said that XYZ Organization has been hired to teach 4 units of AIDS education for kids in grades 9-12. Then there was a bio of the main contact who was going to speak to each grade. What organization does that for drug use? Do you have one or two contacts who you would suggest the schools hire?
As for the changes of elementary schools, how do you propose the YMCA, in house after schools and private after schools alter their hours for after school? What do you propose to be the elementary school hours? Right now elementary school is from 8:20 to 3 PM, except for Tuesdays and six Thursdays. How many hours should elementary children in the City of Newton attend school? How many hours should there be physical education or recess.
Thank you for not doing a video log. I think you should be able to deliver your message and view not only by video but also by word (email, web and mail). There are many voters to reach, and we all prefer different ways to communicate.
One or two contacts who you would suggest the city hire?
Yea, me. Anyone can vote for me and I would get it done. At some point you just have to trust someone to get the job done. I’ll do more research into specific programs later on this summer. If elected I would be ready to get rolling on a plan from day one. I have made my intentions clear and those are what I will fight for. At this point I would like to hear why the current SC is promising all of these things FDK and how they plan to get them done. Because whatever plan they had last time clearly did not work and they should address that.
YMCA, in house afterschool etc. just need to push back their times or start earlier. Simple as that. Same hours for elementary just start at 8 and end at 2:25pm. Don’t quote me on the end time, but start at 8 is what I am thinking. However long the day needs to be after that is what it should be, its somewhat state mandated so it cant be changed very much.
How many hours of physical education or recess? Good question, preferably, mandated everyday for every grade including high school. It would be tough, but physical education has been proven to increase test results, productivity + more. Not just running around, but also being introduced to new forms of working out and how a student can continue once they are out of school.
I’m with you on not just videos. I will have a come out and meet me event later this month if you want to stop by. Keep an eye on my twitter or email me at [email protected] if you want me to keep you updated. May put it in a press release too.
Former student rep to the school committee here (and former overly-involved Newton politicker). Registered in Brooklyn now (a call for jury duty in Lowell was what done me in) but FWIW Margaret Albright, in her first (unsuccessful) run to serve the city, struck me as exactly the kind of school committee member I would have loved to work with as a student rep: smart as hell, unafraid to ask the big questions and challenge consensus, and interested in good ideas no matter their source. There was at that time a lot of condescension, knee-jerkery, and inertia in that world; Margaret seems to me to be part of the solution, rather than the problem. I was glad to hear she won two years ago and hope she does again.
@Cyrus– I admire the fact you’re running. You’re doing a fine job articulating problems. But that’s the easy part. The hard part is offering specific, detailed solutions, and actually being able to implement those solutions. For example, like you, your opponent is in favor of later high school start times. But her approach to solving the issue would take years. To my mind, that’s not effective governance, especially when we’re dealing with an issue like sleep deprivation that negatively impacts thousands of students everyday. Unfortunately, the electorate’s expectations of public officials have been so dumbed-down that lengthy timelines for solving simple problems have become acceptable. Personally, I prefer people in office who actually know how to fix things, as opposed to endlessly talking about it.
Hi Mike I agree with you 100%, it’s time for less talk, more walk. There is no point in even starting a discussion on the SC unless there is a specified point at which the members will decide to vote on an issue. Sadly that rarely seems to happen. That would end with me. Results are what matter not the effort.
Ben, very interesting take. Are you saying that you would not be in favor of students getting a vote on the SC and instead only have it be parents? If so I would like to know why.
Best,
Cyrus
my bad wrong email address I put in on my phone. both work usually I use [email protected]. mods can delete thus.
Thanks for the response, Cyrus. And it’s nice to see Ben Miller pop back up on V14.
I’ve long been of the belief that Newton public high school students who are 16 years or older should be able to vote in School Committee elections. Maybe it’s something that could be addressed by the Charter Commission.
I think everyone over the age of 16 should be automatically enrolled to vote in every election. Then school committee members would be responsible to high school students just as much as any other voter, if not more so given that those students might be quite likely to vote in an election that affected them. I hope the charter commission addresses that.
But I also have experience in advocacy and coalition-building – experience that started with three often-frustrating years as student rep (and I’m sure others were frustrated by me just as much as I was frustrated by them). I do think that the elected student reps can make change because I made change: helping draft security policy, collecting signatures to adjust the impact of some budget cuts. What it requires is building a coalition and establishing credibility, which wasn’t easy given that most of the student reps before me hadn’t even bothered to show up regularly. Not sure what’s happened since.
I think it’s a mistake to think about a School Committee member like you’d think about a mayor. It’s also a mistake to think about students v. parents; I’d instead think of it as a job any Newton citizen should care about because it takes up a good 2/3 + of the city budget. It’s a deliberative body, not a legislative one. Most of the votes are procedural. The work happens in long conversations and is grinding and unglamorous. It’s bound by contracts, budgetary needs, and literally hundreds of devoted folks who care about one individual particular thing and scream bloody murder if you try to touch it.
Watching the committee operate for three years taught me a lot about mindsets and social groups. When I first showed up, the group was essentially socially and ideologically homogenous. The advocacy by and election of folks like Geoff Epstein, Emily Norton, Steve Siegel, and yes, Margaret Albright; made it much better by the time I left. Those people, in my experience, were good additions because of their intelligence and openmindedness. That included listening to students who came prepared with ideas, knowledge, and potential solutions.
There aren’t any simple answers here or anywhere else. Saying you’ll walk the walk is more talk than walk if there’s not an understanding of what the committee is and does, and how it does it.
Thanks for your insight Ben. Unfortunately for Newton, you seem like one of the few motivated student reps and from what I have heard from current School Committee members, the current ones rarely speak up.
I also agree that the Charter Commission should look into this, but one thing that it seems everyone agrees upon is that the student representatives deserve a vote. It is time to make that happen, and as I have said since day 1, I would try my best to do so.
Best,
Cyrus
Cyrus, I think you are confused about a lot of things and have a difficult time understanding people’s comments. Both Ben Miller and Mike Striar were talking about voting in elections, not a student rep voting as a member of the SC. I don’t remember anyone suggesting that.
It’s good that you decided to comment, even reluctantly. (No one wants to read repeatedly that you covered it in your little video.) Many voters in Newton don’t watch videos, read blogs, or have twitter accounts. If you want the voters to know why you would make a good SC member, you need to give them that information not expect them to come to you. Most don’t have time to follow you on twitter, nor do they want to. Many are too busy to watch your videos and don’t want to. You have to work to get your views across in concise statements. Also, just proclaiming you will fix things without saying how is just talk.
Hi Marti, I am fully aware what Ben and Mike are saying and I agree with them just as I said. My comments are not the best written, hence why I like to use video, but that probably threw you for a loop.
Unfortunately many voters disagree with you about my “teenage videos”, of course I assume a few may agree with you, although after gaining 100+ views on each, and having some great feedback on them, I am happy to announce that my campaign is really picking up some steam. Just today, I talked with some voters on Comm Ave. who have all agreed they want to students to get a vote. Things are really picking up, and my videos are a key role in that, after all it is 2015 and I would say with confidence that most people know how to use YouTube. With Twitter, almost every candidate and current official is on it, many don’t read it, but for those who do, they like the form of communication. Although I am with you on comments and other forms of communication too, I try my best to reach all voters.
I have said exactly how I would fix a lot of things, in fact, you mentioned how my response was unclear in a previous thread about early start times, and I agree with you on that. That is because the election is 3 months away and how I will solve things is still in the early phases. What is not, is what needs to be solved. I hope to answer some of your questions in my Tab column which should come out sometime this month.
http://lwvnewton.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/LWVN-2013-Municipal-Voters-Guide-copy.pdf
At this point I would love to hear from the current SC members because I have taken up a lot of space here and they have been quiet. I want to hear their thoughts on full day kindergarten, because many promised it in 2013 and now many are promising it again (linked above). Additionally it would be nice to hear what went wrong from 2013 to now because as of now, FDK is not happening, not even a pilot program.
Best,
Cyrus
@Ben Miller, I only post to say how wonderful it was to see you here sharing your thoughts and experiences. Though Newton can’t compete with the bright lights/big city, we could sure use you if you ever choose to bring your talents home. Best.
Cyrus,
I think that your youtube approach is smart.
You don’t necessarily have to directly appeal to the voters to get your message out.
Instead target students currently at school and get them to advocate for you to their parents.
Good luck
I was talking about the VERY LARGE percentage of seniors over 65 in Newton. I know many from volunteer work, workshops, retirement groups, writing groups, Mentors, Newton Cares, Newton at Home and the Senior Center, etc. and just to clarify, most of them are the volunteers. Seniors are very active in Newton. They teach ESL, read in elementary schools, lend their expertise in their fields, such as STEM, to the high schools, etc.
But the main thing for you to consider is the high percentage of seniors who are involved politically and vote, at a higher percentage than young people and some of their parents.
Almost none of them have twitter accounts or watch you tube videos except for Ted Talks or to keep up with public hearings or conferences they couldn’t attend.
Very few have Facebook accounts. All of them have computers and cell phones, although not all have smartphones, and a lot do have tablets. And, to Greg’s credit, most read V14 to keep up with the discussions they are interested in, but don’t comment. (I keep spreading the word because the viewpoints expressed are valuable.)
They do read The Tab, mostly in print. And skim emails from the Globe, the NYT times, the WSJ, the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, the Guardian and the Washington Post, as well as during election season 538 and the Politico Playbook – and the dailies from their various home cities or towns. A lot of these Seniors have been active in politics, both local and national, at different levels for most of their lives.
These are also the professors, scientists, sociologists, writers, etc. who are studying generations and the ones interviewing for Colleges, Law Schools, Med Schools and positions in their companies. They see a lot of great candidates, but also their fare share of millennials who, among other things, just believe they should be accepted/hired because they are special and they are confident those conducting the interviews will just see that.
Instead of answering interview questions directly, they say such things as “I know this is the next right step for me.” when asked, Why do you think you would be a good addition? or What particularly would you bring to the position?
Or when asked, Do you have any questions about the program/position? or the institution/business? reply with “I haven’t looked into it much, but know I am the right person for you. Just look at my resume.”
And then are shocked when they aren’t accepted/hired!
(These are actual questions and the answers given by several different applicants.)
That is why I said you need to give them the information you want them to know in ways that will get to them because they won’t go look for it themselves and they vote.
Well said Marti. You seem really involved politically in Newton, perhaps you should join my campaign (if you feel inclined, send me an email) 🙂
You make some great points about our senior citizens. I was recently talking with one who was telling me that only 11% of Brighton, where she used to live, voted in the last election. The point she was trying to make was that voting is a privilege, not a right.
I have also got some support about my abolishing of the 900 ft no smoking zone. Many students stand right outside the senior center in Newtonville smoking because it is just outside of the 900 ft zone. This happens almost daily during the school year. Our senior’s health is really important and it was sad to see our former principle ignore them.
I’ll be mentioning that in my Tab article and will be continuing to go around talking to voters in the coming weeks.
Best,
Cyrus
“At this point I would love to hear from the current SC members because I have taken up a lot of space here and they have been quiet. I want to hear their thoughts on full day kindergarten, because many promised it in 2013 and now many are promising it again (linked above). Additionally it would be nice to hear what went wrong from 2013 to now because as of now, FDK is not happening, not even a pilot program.”
Get in touch with the SC members if you want to hear their thoughts. Why would they comment on an thread about you?
Two years isn’t an unusually long time to change a complicated policy, although I agree it has taken too long. But that’s not all because of the SC, particularly Margaret Albright. I wouldn’t be so quick to say you can make it happen NOW, without knowing what has been going on in the last 2 years to make it happen. I know you don’t like research, but that is what it takes. And saying you will get it implemented NOW is a bit like saying you opened the peanut butter jar top easily after others have been loosening it for you.
“My comments are not the best written, hence why I like to use video, but that probably threw you for a loop.” If writing is not your strong point, because of a learning disability then I understand the use of videos. (Don’t at all get the last part – threw me for a loop – and sarcasm directed at voters isn’t a great idea anyway.) But you would need to explain that in some way. If your “comments are not the best written” for any other reason, then this is the time to learn how to express yourself in writing. It is a skill you will need on the SC, along with researching, being open to other viewpoints, diplomacy, negotiation, and working well with a team.
“gaining 100+ views on each, and having some great feedback on them, I am happy to announce that my campaign is really picking up some steam. … Things are really picking up, and my videos are a key role in that, after all it is 2015 and I would say with confidence that most people know how to use YouTube. With Twitter, almost every candidate and current official is on it, many don’t read it, but for those who do, they like the form of communication.”
Just to get some perspective, are you counting the views you get from it being posted on V14 or just on you tube? Is the feedback on you tube? Do you know how many voters are in Newton?
Again you are confident and make a statement, with no research to back it up, “most people know how to use YouTube.” Really? Most people of a certain age? Do those people want to? Do those people use YouTube to find out about political candidates? Does “people” translate to voters in Newton. Do enough voters in Newton want to watch YouTube videos to get information about candidates to get them to vote for you?
Marti, FDK is the responsibility of the School Committee. If you don’t want to hold them responsible over the last two years, so be it, I will. Many voters have backed me up on that. School Committee members and their campaign teams have commented on every thread about me in the past, even just recently, so it is up to them to address the voters if they want.
“I wouldn’t be so quick to say you can make it happen NOW, without knowing what has been going on in the last 2 years to make it happen.”
That is the point, I, and many voters, would like to hear why they are promising it again. None have mentioned, so I have seen, why they could not get it done in the last two years. If you think I may be making empty promises, the facts are that they DID make empty promises.
On YouTube, most people I have asked have said that they know how to use it. That is a fact. I’m not sure I understand what you are saying, but views of my video of V14 and YouTube are combined even if they click play on V14. I think you think they are different. That is not the case.
Bottom line, if the voters are ok waiting years and years for things to happen, elect back the same crew. If not, I will fight for implementing programs from day one. Whether it is on our high drug use, implementing financial literacy, or solving some of the teachers budget I will make it happen because I have been in the schools for the last 13 years and I know what needs to get done.
Best,
Cyrus
Cyrus writes:
“…I will fight for implementing programs from day one.”
And, if elected you will have but one vote out of the five votes needed to implement any programs or changes you are campaigning on. It’s easy to say you will fight for something. The hard part is the negotiation, diplomacy, compromise and coalition building with the other voting members to accomplish the changes you want.
Lisap, I could not agree more. The same ideology could be used when describing the current SC. One vote is not enough, but it is a vote. That is why the students deserve a vote in their own future as well.
Best,
Cyrus
@Cyrus, I wasn’t discussing ideology, I was describing the practical reality of being one voting member of a group. I’m not sure what you mean when you say students should have a vote as well. Are you suggesting that anyone under the age of 18 should be able to run for school committee?
With all do respect I think you were discussing ideology, but no worries. What you were saying is that, saying your going to do stuff is a lot harder than actually doing it, which I agree with. That being said, look at the current SC and tell me what they have actually done between 2013 and now. Things that come to mind are the superintendent plagiarism 1 week fine scandal. No teachers contract and the promise of FDK both then and now. I’m still hoping one would like to discuss that but most have been silent on this thread, which is quiet abnormal of them on threads about me 😉
“Are you suggesting that anyone under the age of 18 should be able to run for school committee?”
For the two SC Students Reps, yes, they would have to be in high school. It would be no different than now, except they would have voting power. So I guess the minimum would be 14-15. If you think think that is too young, keep in mind there are student reps who are that age now, and as a few members of the current SC would like to say, they provide a lot of information and are extremely helpful, although many CURRENT reps I have talked to say they rarely speak up.
For normal representatives which are usually dominated by parents? No, I would say keep that whatever the voting age is, not sure if it could even be legally changed. As of now it is 18, if it were to change then whatever it were to be.
Best,
Cyrus
Cyrus, I’m not sure why we keep trying to reach out to you because you either intentionally misconstrue the advice Commenters are giving you or you are incapable of understanding it. But we just keep trying to get through to you.
Lisap is definitely not talking ideologues. You are wrong there. With your replies you are ignoring that the rest of the SC will still be there. You will not be a lone savior for anything. We have both tried to explain how you will need the skills to work effectively with the rest of the school committee. You will need to become a part of a group of people, not a hero whose come to just get it done. You need to be able to negotiate your position.
These things are impossible if all you do is keep railing about the committee’s worthlessness. You don’t have any idea what gives on in the meetings. You would have the gain the respect of the rest of the committee.
Marti, your weong. Cyrus is not talking to you and is just trying to explain his position. I have seen none of the current SC members comment in weeks besides Margaret Albright, his opponent.
I just checked the last few articles about Cyrus because his comment about other SC members and their teams or w/e commenting them intrigued me. Guess what? He’s telling the truth. Margaret, Geoff Epstein, who I know contributed to her campaign, comment on all of his articles, many times not even addressing the subject at hand.
I don’t know who I am going to vote for yet, but what I do know is Cyrus is the only SC who is actually talking to the voters about what he has wants to get done, via V14.
Be honest and be fair Marti, you make broad assumptions about senior citizens which are quite frankly disrespectful.
@Marti, I was going to reply but you beat me to it. 😉
@Cyrus, I appreciate the clarification regarding voting rights for student representatives on the school committee. Just to be clear, how would the student representatives obtain voting power? Is this something the school committee can do on its own? As we all know and agree, they do not have voting rights. How would you go about establishing voting rights for them?
Marti,
I am not running to gain “respect” from anyone. If I was looking for respect I would wait until I was 55, had two kids and was looking for something to do to get my name out in the community on Tuesday nights. I’m not a politics as usual candidate. I’m looking to shake things up. I know it is tough for many voters to agree with that, especially the first time they hear it, but over time voters come around and support for my campaign is growing, that is the truth.
Lisap,
This would be something I would work with the Charter Commission to solve. If the student reps had to be 18, it would certainly be easier. However, as I said, I think anyone in high school should be able to be on the SC as a student rep, so it would probably involve a vote, possibly within the City Council. This is not even a revolutionary idea, take a look at this article about Boston students wanting a vote too:
http://www.otlcampaign.org/blog/2015/03/25/boston-students-press-voting-power-school-committee
Newton has a chance to lead the country in allowing student reps to have a vote, we can either do it now and create a more balanced SC, or we can wait, as usual, and follow after just about every other SC in the state has done it.
Best,
Cyrus
Cyrus, good for you for wanting to get involved and wanting to make a difference.
Sorry if this was covered in your video – I haven’t watched it. Do you regularly attend or follow the SC meetings? Also, I understand that your voting address does not need to change but will you be physically living in Newton or will you be physically living in dorms out in Weston?
Joyce great questions,
“Do you regularly attend or follow the SC meetings?”
YES, I definitely watch via NewTV, whether live or recorded, more than I attend, but I have seen almost every one for the last 3 months + a lot from before then dating back for years.
“…will you be physically living in Newton or will you be physically living in dorms out in Weston?”
Both, I mentioned that in the video, but I did not go into details. Truthfully it all depends, for the first semester, I will switch off quite a bit, but if elected, during the second semester I would spend the majority of time in Newton. My commitment is to Newton. But as I mentioned in my video, it is actually quicker for me to go from my home to Weston, than it is for some kids , particularly in Lower Falls and Auburndale, to get to school every day, which is quite sad.
Best,
Cyrus
Well you’ve certainly convinced me. If you don’t realize that you would have to respect the other members of the SC in order to be able to “shake things up” and have no interest in “gaining respect” from others, then I’ll be sure to spread the word.
Now Marti, that is not what I said. I said I don’t need respect from others. I never said I would not respect others. That is a lie and untrue.
Best,
Cyrus
Why should anyone have any “respect” for this School Committee? Respect is something that’s earned! The SC has allowed a situation to continue that compromises the physical and mental health of thousands of students everyday. We’ve had SC members come on this blog, acknowledge the problems with early morning high school start-times, and [in-effect] say they’d like to make it later–but can’t figure out how to change the bus schedule, bla bla bla. If the SC members deserve anything it’s scorn, not respect. And the only reason they haven’t fixed the problem is because they are not held accountable by the public.
@Cyrus,
Thanks for the reply. I appreciate your willingness to engage here, but I have to take issue with a couple of portions of your response. First, you are assuming that the voters will approve a charter commission. You’re also assuming that either the charter commission or the Newton City Council has the authority to grant voting privileges to a student representative on the school committee. What makes you think that? I looked at your link and it’s swell that some kids in Boston want voting privileges on the school committee, but that doesn’t answer my question either. You’re also arguing that the school committee could “lead the country in allowing student reps to have a vote” but you aren’t answering how that is feasible or even possible. By what authority may a school committee grant voting privileges to an appointed member under the age of 18 years old?
Lisap,
Your question is “By what authority may a school committee grant voting privileges to an appointed member under the age of 18 years old?”
NONE, I don’t believe the SC has the power to do that. They do have the power to recommend it though.
As I said, the Charter Commission comes first. If they can recommend it, then the city council would probably have to approve it because it would be a big change. I agree that it is not necessarily guaranteed that the CC is approved, but that is one way I believe it can happen. At this point, it looks like voters will agree to the Charter Commission, so I will not think heavily on an alternative but one other way to get students voting power would be to get the students and the student reps to petition for a vote from the current SC. If the SC approves it, it would probably move to the city council. There would also be a third an option about getting the mayor involved, but that one I would need to look into further because i’m not sure if there would be a conflict of interest since the mayor is on the SC.
I will confirm that all three of the ways are guaranteed to work sometime in the fall, before the election, but from my research they all seem to work.
Best,
Cyrus
Hi Cyrus,
You made a point of saying that student representatives deserve a vote, and that “[i]t is time to make that happen, and as I have said since day 1, I would try my best to do so.” Now you are acknowledging that the School Committee does not have the power to give student representatives a vote. Well, if they have no power to give representatives a vote, why did you make the claim that:
“Newton has a chance to lead the country in allowing student reps to have a vote, we can either do it now and create a more balanced SC, or we can wait, as usual, and follow after just about every other SC in the state has done it.” Obviously, when you wrote that you assumed that this was something the school committee could accomplish. You’re also still assuming that this a change that could be made through charter reform and/or with a City Council vote.
Frankly, I think that most voters prefer to elect individuals who do their research before they take a position on an issue. Otherwise, a candidate might find himself in the awkward position of finding out that the committee he has pointedly criticized by saying “we can either do it now…” can’t in fact “do it now” and has no authority to do it at all. Making a recommendation isn’t getting it done.
Lisap,
No, I stand by my comments.
Now you are acknowledging that the School Committee does not have the power to give student representatives a vote. Well, if they have no power to give representatives a vote, why did you make the claim that:
“Newton has a chance to lead the country in allowing student reps to have a vote, we can either do it now and create a more balanced SC, or we can wait, as usual, and follow after just about every other SC in the state has done it.”
I’m not saying that the SC has the absolute power to give the students a vote, but they do have the power to recommend it and truthfully they are the biggest deciding factor in making it happen. If they recommend it, it is almost a lock that the Charter or city council go forward with it.
“Making a recommendation isn’t getting it done.”
Of course not, that goes without saying. But that is how it starts. I will help the SC recommend it, help students petition and then help the charter or the city council put it into effect. I will be there every step of the way.
Best,
Cyrus
@Cyrus. Just got a first chance to look at this. I’m a big Margaret Albright fan and will be going all out to support her reelection to the School Committee. She’s a personal gem and a wealth of knowledge, insight and keen intuition concerning our school system here, and with educational issues in general.
That said, , I admire the fact have thrown your hat into the ring. I’m a big Bernie Sanders supporter and I know the inherent difficulties of running as an outsider, long shot candidate. One suggestion. Don’t start your presentations with “Okay”. It’s tough enough running as a teenager, but this opening doesn’t help. I’d also be interested in knowing if the issues you discuss are your own observations or if they emanate from a lot of other students. If they do, you can make a significant contribution by elevating these concerns reasonably and
consistently to students, parents and the educational establishment generally.
Consensus and collegiality are fine, but they can be overdone. My one big concern about the School Committee is that they bend over too far backwards to forge and filter a unified position from within before an issue gets to high visibility and can be contested. I’m certainly not the only person that sees this as a drawback. I’ll go one step further. I think this is a far, far bigger problem than unfounded concerns about an unwieldy 24 member Board of Aldermen which does allow for a healthy debate on major (and not so major) issues throughout the decision making process. I think it could be argued that the main thrust should be to raise the number of members on the School Committee and leave the Board of Aldermen at 24.
Good luck with your campaign.
I just found a copy of my 1956 yearbook from the old Newton High, the one with the 3 building campus. There’s a great picture in there with 20 or so students (including me in the background) at our desks cleaning and loading hunting rifles. We were members of the School’s Hunting and Fishing Club, but I don’t think any of us thought of these weapons as something to kill another human being with. For my part, I was there to learn about fishing. I didn’t like to hunt and never did.
In fact, we were big into observing and collecting butterflies.
Bob, there was also a rifle team at NHS in the late 60’s. They competed in target shooting (no hunting) with other high schools using the West Newton Armory as their “home field”. They were allowed to carry their rifles to/from school and store them (no ammunition) in their lockers during the day. Boy, what a difference.