Education Paves the Way for our Communities

This week, I have launched a new Web site highlighting my support for public education and varied experiences as a licensed public school teacher, former classroom aid, ABRHS Football & Lacrosse Coach, AB Summer School Instructor and Tutor.

The Web site, MomsAndDadsForDean.com, was officially unveiled by my Cavaretta for State Senate campaign on Monday, 3/19.

This site will help me show people how I will use my skills as a former MA teacher to support accountable and local education reform.  In many cases, that includes allowing our sucessful school districts the flexibility to achieve their metrics in a host of policy and learning areas. Our state is entering a critical, new era in Education Reform that stretches all the way back to 1993.

(Currently, I am substitute teaching in the Acton, A-B and Nashoba Regional School Districts).

A biographical page on my site notes how I became dual-certified to teach United States History and Political Science for grades 5-12 by the MA Department of Education. My Secondary Education and Student-Teaching Coursework was conducted through Framingham State College’s Post Baccalaureate Teacher Licensure (PBTL) Program.

I was fortunate to student-teach at Ashland High School while concurrently working as the History Department's Special Education Aide. To supplement my income, I taught ESL and Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs to immigrant, adult learners at the Mass. Adult Basic Education Program at Devens and Mt. Wachusett Community College.

As a 1989 graduate of Acton-Boxborough, my new site stresses that I have always combined teaching with a love of sports to help student-athletes achieve success on and off the playing fields.  AB's Athletic Program changed my life growing up here, and I have been proud to give back to a community that values student-centered learning and a firm commitment to excellence.

Over the years, I have served as the Freshman Football Coach at both Concord Carlisle Regional High School and Acton-Boxborough Regional High School. Additionally, Former AB Coaches Scott Cooledge and Jay Graham tapped me (with then AD Jack Schofield's blessing) to become Head Junior Varsity and Assistant Varsity Lacrosse Coach, where one of my former players, current Head Coach Pat Ammendolia has taken the A-B Lax program to amazing new heights.

Last year, my old team, the 1987 Division II State Lacrosse Champion, AB Colonials where inducted into the Acton-Boxborough Hall of Fame for our perefct season, under Coach and former PE teacher Jack O'Brien.

Finally, MomsAndDadsForDean.com also contains information about how I'd like to improve public education, including a Ten-Point Plan that hopefully will spark debate on how best to move forward now that NCLB and a Race to the Top have (thankfully) been diluted and decentralized.

Dean Cavaretta