Marlborough Candidate Profile: Daniel Caruso For School Committee

MARLBOROUGH, MA — It's been more than 30 years since Daniel Caruso served on the Marlborough School Committee, and he wants to come back to watch over the elementary redistricting process.

Caruso, 65, served on the committee between 1981 and 1987. He's running for two contested seats on the committee against incumbents Heidi Adler and Katherine Hennessy, and challenger Mark Dexter.

Caruso's priority, he says, is overseeing the redistricting of the city's four elementary schools as 5th graders return. He also wants to make sure the committee does a better job promoting the achievements of students.

As with all candidates in the race, we asked Caruso to answer the Patch candidate questionnaire. You can also read previous Q&As with Dexter and Hennessy.

The single most pressing issue facing our district is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

With the opening of a new school and the return of the fifth grade to the elementary level, the number one priority of the committee must be ensuring the creation of a fair, equitable and educationally sound plan for the redistricting of students and the distribution of resources among the city’s four elementary schools.

Nothing can be more detrimental to the educational process or divisive to a community than a re-districting plan that does not take into account the concerns of all parents, the expertise and experience of teachers, the vital role of support staff and, most importantly, the emotional needs of students. This is the same holistic approach that has and always will be the driving force behind my educational philosophy and my approach to the responsibilities of a school committee member.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I do not look at this election so much as running against someone as running for the school committee. I am offering my educational expertise and life experiences as a way to give back to the Marlborough Public schools the encouragement, support and intellectual tools they gave me to help attain my personal and professional goals.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community?

I am running a positive campaign that focuses, as education must, on the future. I have no axes to grind or grievances to redress, giving me the freedom and flexibility to work with any of the current members toward the common goal of improving the lives of our students and preparing them for future success.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

My second priority is to raise the profile of the Marlborough Public Schools, both within the community and without. MPS is a diverse, vibrant, progressive, child centered and educator driven school system that is so much more than state-mandated test scores and arbitrary benchmarks. Working through and with the Superintendent, the Chamber of Commerce, the Marlborough Economic Development Commission and all other stakeholders, I want to create a narrative for Marlborough as a community that fosters pride in its schools, honors its educational heritage, values its educators and celebrates the success of its students.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have been a school bus driver, a school custodian, a substitute teacher and an educator. I have seen students on their best days and at their lowest points, and know first-hand that the educational success of a child does not depend solely on the materials or instruction we provide in the classroom. As a former school committee member, I served as vice-chairman and as chairman of the finance, personnel and negotiating sub-committees. I was also instrumental in forming ad-hoc building maintenance and school safety committees to insure that the most educational dollars possible were being focused on the child in the classroom. As both an educator and a member of the school committee, I have negotiated and administered contracts, survived limited resources and navigated a maze of educational bureaucracies. Most important of all, I bring the shared experiences of my more than 6000 students with me to the table.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Know Yourself - Always Be Yourself - Stand up for Yourself.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

As an educator for over 30 years, I worked every day to insure that my students the best possible instruction, regardless of budgets, materials or circumstances. As a school committee member I commit to do doing no less for the students in the Marlborough Public Schools. I will work with the other committee members, the school community and all stakeholders to insure that every child has the same chance at success and the same potential to reach their brightest future.

Note: Patch does not edit answers submitted by candidates for grammar, content, or length.