Paul Levy, father of Newton Public Schools students–including one in Kindergarten in Fall 2021–and 40-year resident of Oxford Road, today officially announced his candidacy for the open Ward 6 seat on the Newton School Committee in the November 2021 election.
“I believe I can make a real difference in the lives of our students,” said Levy. “I know that students need great educators to maximize their success. As a father and as a long-time Newton soccer coach, I’ve learned that our educators in turn can be most effective when they have meaningful organizational support.
“My entire professional career has been spent leading complex organizations that face significant challenges, and exciting opportunities, as Newton Public Schools does today. I have also served on both private and public sector boards and have worked with other directors and leaders of organizations to identify and implement needed changes.
“I work collaboratively and respectfully with governing bodies, staff, and constituents to accomplish meaningful progress, as demonstrated by my record. I can’t wait to bring this experience to the Newton School Committee.”
Levy’s professional background includes:
CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center,
Adjunct Professor of Environmental Policy at MIT;
Executive Director of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority during the Boston Harbor Cleanup;
Chair of Governor Mike Dukakis’s Department of Public Utilities;
Director of Governor Bill Clinton’s Department of Energy in Arkansas.
Levy said, “I am grateful and pleased to already have the endorsements listed on my website of hundreds of Newton voters throughout the entire city representing a broad cross-section of our residents.”
His website also includes testimonials from many people with whom he has interacted over the years. For example, Katie Kavanagh, NNHS ’00 and now Senior Attorney with the non profit California Cooperative for Immigrant Justice, said:
As a coach, Paul instilled lessons in teamwork, humility, and self-discipline that I carry with me in my work to this day. He has supported my career and my family at numerous junctures over the last 30 years. He is a generous, kind, talented, and dedicated father, coach, leader, and community member who will make an incredible addition to the Newton School Committee.
Levy’s priorities, if elected, include the following:
Focusing on a series of problems related to the pandemic that will impact Newton’s students going forward. The disruption in education is pervasive through the vast diversity of student learners. And there is no doubt that the emotional impact on teachers has also been substantial and needs to be addressed in an empathetic and positive manner.
Reducing class sizes to facilitate more individualized instruction.
Renovating additional school buildings so they are excellent environments for teachers and students.
Continuing our investment in Special Education programs for those eligible for an IEP.
Championing our commitment to a more pluralistic and welcoming school environment, with the goal of creating a community of people who will advocate for one another’s equal standing.
Building the community’s trust and confidence in school administration, especially through increased transparency of decision-making.”
Newton students at all levels have been deprived of the amount of school they would have received had they lived in neighboring communities, and this is a problem of elected leadership. Anyone who has been watching the School Committee meetings since the spring has seen that the mayor and School Committee have not acted with any sense of urgency at getting our kids back to school, and their meetings are disorganized free-for-alls where they just go around congratulating themselves on what an excellent job they are doing. I have had a chance to hear from Paul his concrete ideas for increasing school hours and what he would have done differently than this dysfunctional SC and for that reason he has my vote. Our schools will be dealing with the consequences of Covid for years and we need someone with actual leadership experience and negotiating skills like Paul to fight for our children’s best interests.
We’re extremely fortunate to have someone with Paul’s depth of experience, leadership and analytical skills willing to serve on our school committee. I might even be motivated to start watching committee meetings again. Thanks Paul for your willingness to serve.
I echo Greg’s comment. Thank you for your willingness to serve.
I am so eager to vote for Paul. His background will be so beneficial for Newton Public School – employees, students and families.
Thank you for your willingness to work and improve NPS.
Paul has selflessly contributed to the Newton community.He was the soccer coach for my daughter’s soccer team, even though his kids were too young to play.
He is the most qualified candidate to run for office in Newton in, at least, the last 20 years. Newton is lucky he is running. We desperately need his leadership.
I appreciate that Paul is running, and am excited that he’s a candidate. His skill set and experience aligns perfectly with Newton’s needs and will add valuable experience to our School Committee if he is elected. I’m pleased and excited to support him.
I am super excited that Paul has decided to run for SC. A person with his analytical and people skills is rare and I hope everyone supports him.
Paul, here’s my question to you: Mayor Warren promised me and the city that he would zero base budget the budget. He ZBB the city side budget, but not the school side and supposedly found $5,000,000 in cost savings without adversely effecting services. He supposedly found a savings of $750,000 by maximizing our buying power in toilet paper…..toilet paper!!! Now, you would probably agree the schools could use $5 mi in savings (if it’s there) to get aides, new teachers to bring down class size, etc.
Would you promise us to use your indepth analytical/budgeting skills to look into finding the city cost savings either through pushing for the city to ZBB or any other means (without adversely impacting services)?
This is a wonderful development for our city. Having Paul on our school committee will be a badly needed return to competence. We are lucky he is willing to help with the difficult tasks that lay ahead.
This is welcome news. The School Committee needs Paul and the city is fortunate to have someone with Paul’s knowledge and experience willing to serve on the school committee. The city is in for a difficult year ahead and we need Paul’s leadership. I am eager to vote for Paul and to bring competence and leadership to the school committee. It has been difficult to watch the self congratulatory members of the present school committee pat each other on the back while providing no in person learning at the High Schools and minimal in person learning at the k-8 level. Is it even in person learning if the teacher is at home and students are in the classroom looking at a screen?
This is great news for Newton. People move here for the schools and Paul is someone that I am confident can bring their standing and reputation back after this failed year where we fell behind every peer district.
I am thrilled by Paul’s announcement to run for school committee. He is a proven leader and will no doubt take a thoughtful approach to challenging issues within our school system.
This is wonderful for our city!! Thank you, Paul, for running for School Committee and I look forward to supporting you!
He’d be very good for the SC, I think. But FWIW, I liked the buzz about him being a mayoral candidate too!
I am glad to hear Paul is planning to run. That’s good news for Newton.
I am grateful for Paul’s willingness to serve. His background and skills make him uniquely qualified for what is going to be a very tough challenge ahead, ie helping our school system recuperate from the body blows inflicted by this pandemic. I look forward to voting for him.
This may be among the quickest I’ve ever donated to a campaign. So happy to see Paul run for the Ward 6 seat. Reminder: ALL registered voters can vote for School Committee!
http://secure.actblue.com/donate/paulward6
I’ve been frustrated with the SC for years, which seems to have as its only lever flooding the system with money while (as Dena put so well) congratulating each other on what a great job they are doing. Geoff Epstein was a welcome independent voice for sensibility. I feel fresh perspectives are long overdue for the SC so I’m happy to hear Paul is running.
I want to begin by thanking people on this site and many others in private conversations who have been so kind in their encouraging responses to my candidacy. And to Matt Lai and others who have added to that with financial contributions, still more thanks. Citywide races like this are expensive, and when folks give to my candidacy, I truly understand that these are funds that could have been used for their families. I’m humbled by their generosity.
I feel compelled to make a comment about today’s inaugural events in Washington, DC. I imagine that many of us were moved by the ceremony, the music, the speeches, the poetry (especially from Amanda Gorman!) and the grandeur of the US republic moving through a transition of power in the same manner it has for decades and decades. Our small municipal elections don’t come close to the national elections in scope or importance, but they are part of the same glorious tradition. We are citizens of our city, our state, and our nation–all at the same time–and we share the privilege and responsibility of being informed voters at each jurisdictional level. Likewise, those of us running for office share a responsibility to the electorate to present issues and positions fairly and without personal rancor vis-a-vis our opponents.
Along those lines, when I learned that an opponent had entered this race, I immediately wrote to him with the following message: “I was delighted to hear yesterday that you have joined me in the race for the open School Committee seat from Ward 6. The city is always better off when there is competition for municipal offices, and I look forward to our (virtual and in-person) discussions and debates over the coming months.
“I pledge to engage in a campaign based on the issues facing our schools and to avoid any comments or statements about personal matters during this campaign. If you ever hear of any reports to the contrary about any of my remarks or literature, please let me know immediately.”
I would ask for the same from any member of the public, supporter or not. If you feel that any aspect of my campaign is inimical to our community’s values, please let me know. After all, we are neighbors–before, during, and after this election. There is a contact form on my website (https://www.paullevy.org) for that or any other comments or questions you might have.
I regret that I only have one vote to give to Paul Levy!!
And wouldn’t it be wonderful if Paul received unanimous votes from everyone voting in the city??
Good luck in the winners circle!
Wouldn’t it be great if Paul could be Mayor AND on the School Committee!!! Oh, he can!! 🙂
Did I understand correctly that Paul has an opponent now? Paul, who is running against you?
The Boston Globe reports that Shawn Fitzgibbons is also running.
Shawn Fitzgibbons also seems like a solid contender but TBH I was sold on Paul Levy from the get go.
Thank you for running, Paul. I have read your posts consistently and you have my vote!
I have had the chance to both speak with Paul about his platform and read his comments on this site, and cannot wait for his leadership on the SC. I believe he will continue to fight for what is best for our community of students and educators. Thank you Paul, you have my vote.
I guess the moderators or Paul himself have been blocking negative comments about his record, so I’ll keep this as positive and unobjectionable as possible so that they allow it through.
I think he’s a wonderful candidate who has an interesting past! I, for one, would love someone with his expertise “working with” labor on the school board. Let’s keep those teachers in line, I say!
I also really admire his ethics, and have no reason to believe that a simple google search would turn up anything untoward.
Paul is the right person for this rough times.