Letter To The Community From Horne, School Committee Candidate

Letter to the Medfield Community...

To the Town of Medfield,

My name is Will Horne and I want to introduce myself as a candidate for our School Committee. My family moved to Medfield 7 years ago, because we were drawn to the community. In my experience, Medfield is filled with great kids and great parents who are all doing their best for their families and the community. I have met many of them through neighborhood gatherings, New n’ Towne, school sponsored events, and Medfield youth athletics. These great kids and parents are my “why” for running for School Committee. I believe that with my experience personally and professionally (as an educator for the last 12 years), I can add value to the School Committee and make decisions that will benefit our school district for years to come.

A little more about the “who” behind this candidacy: I love the hell out of my wife, Megan, (#IYKYK) and my kids (Rory - 4th grade at Dale, Dillon - 3rd grade at Wheelock). Our time is filled with sports and I volunteer to coach all of them except lacrosse, which I leave up to experts who generously volunteer their time and picked up lax before the age of 35. In the summers we spend a lot of time crashing with my mom, “Grammy”, in Chatham. I am one of very few people who were actually born and raised in Chatham, MA and one of even fewer 3rd generation Chatham High graduates. If you want to see me beaming (almost as much as about my own kids and Medfield), ask me about being raised by a commercial fisherman in a small community.

I started my career in education in 2011 as a Special Education Paraprofessional and varsity assistant coach (soccer, basketball, and baseball). Currently, I am a teacher at Wellesley High School where I teach math in room 442. I have been teaching full time for nine years now. My schedule and courses vary year to year and this year I teach mostly seniors and ninth graders. If you know anyone in the Wellesley community, I encourage you to do some independent research and ask them about me. Ask them about the culture of my classroom and how I relate to my peers as well as my students. When you walk into my classroom, you’ll see two quotes on my white board: “Whether you are having a good day or a bad day you are right” & “I hope that all my students and my own children know that they don’t have to be perfect to be worthy of love.” The second quote was inspired by an ask from our department head to make a wish for our school year. I choose to share these quotes with you, the Medfield voters, because I think they are representative of who I am as a teacher and who I will be as a School Committee member if I am elected. I aspire to bring a positive and pragmatic attitude to my students each day and I plan to bring that perspective to the School Committee.

Being a parent has heavily influenced my approach to teaching. When making a decision with my students, I think “if this was my own child how would I want the teacher to handle it?”. Sometimes students need discipline, sometimes they need comfort. Every student is unique and has a different story. My philosophy for education is that it should prepare students for the next step in their lives, whatever that may be. My goal for every student each year is for them to become more independent learners, thinkers, and citizens.

Now for the “what” and the “how” of my candidacy. According to town hall, there are 8 key responsibilities for School Committee members. Below is the list along with a quick(ish) summary on how I can contribute to each of them to support our school district.

Finance: My first undergraduate degree is in Finance and International Management. Megan and I have partnered to buy three small businesses; a restaurant, indoor play places, and a residential cleaning business. I can’t speak about these businesses without crediting my partners, who each bring a unique perspective, expertise, and experience that contribute to our success. Finding the right business partner is as essential to our success as the actual operations of our businesses. My role differs at each business, but I am responsible for all of the finances (accounting, acquisitions, growth models, financial projects, etc) at the indoor play places and cleaning company. I understand that schools, like businesses, have to make tough decisions about budgeting and money is not an unlimited resource. I will strive to make the best decisions for our students, given the financial constraints.

Personnel: I understand how important it is to match people, taking into account their personality, passion, and experience, with the right role. I have sat on committees at Wellesley to hire two math teachers as well as an assistant principal. All three are still at the school, excelling in their roles, and I am lucky to call them great friends. As I mentioned previously, the right person (or partner) can make or break an organization and I make sure to weigh the consequences of personnel decisions before investing time and money. I will bring this perspective and experience to the School Committee.

Collective Bargaining: I have had a variety of experiences in negotiation, both personally and professionally; from teaching eight year olds the importance of spacing and using their bodies on a soccer field, to trying to get 14 year olds to understand it is more beneficial to their future to do a few geometry proofs then go on snap chat, to negotiating contracts and leases for my businesses, to participating in my own teaching union’s contract discussions. I make every effort to understand all sides of the negotiation. For example, I understand that there is no way a town can budget for 8% inflation and give teachers a raise that keeps up with the cost of living. I also understand that teachers can make or break the school and they shape the experience of our children so we need to compensate them fairly and recruit the best teachers for our district. I am prepared to have these tough conversations in a productive way.

Professional Development: I enjoyed and endured a lot of professional development in my career. I have the experience to help determine what is beneficial for teachers and what is a waste of time and money. The summer of 2022 I went to the Solution Tree conference on Grading and Assessment and it was the best PD I have ever attended. The speakers were exceptional but the collaboration time with colleagues and professionals across the country was invaluable. I really believe that making the time for teachers to work together and share knowledge can be the best professional development we can offer them. Medfield works hard to train and recruit exceptional staff. I would like to hear their opinions on PD and give them the opportunity to share their expertise, leveraging external support when we cannot serve the need internally or locally.

Advocacy: This one should be easy, I believe there is nothing more important to the members of this community than our children. Our children spend 7 hours a day for ~180 days for 13 years in our schools so that is where most of our resources should be directed. I will advocate by making myself available to any parent, teacher or community member who needs someone to listen. In this highly engaged community, it is important that all voices and perspectives are heard and considered. I will advocate for every student to have an academically challenging experience in a community they feel connected to.

Curriculum: The state and various governing bodies dictate the core requirements and skills, but teachers put their own touch on how content is delivered and this can be the differentiating factor. A great curriculum is one that is primarily built by the exceptional teachers who are going to be excited to come to work every day and execute that curriculum. Curriculum can be “memorize and regurgitate” or it can be “experiment and discover”. One rewards strong memorization and the other builds curiosity, independence, and a passion for learning. My goal is an optimized curriculum that enables the teachers to support the students and one that meets the needs of individuals, while making sure they feel they are part of a community that values balance and equality.

Governance: In my experience as a teacher and business owner, strong governance practices enable the organization to function efficiently and focus on practices that add value. I can support our school district in these environments, but I know that governance needs to evolve with the organization in order to be successful.

Communication: I am transparent in all matters of my life. I am upfront and honest with my colleagues, my students, my friends and most importantly my children. I might be too transparent with my children; they have a very colorful vocabulary. I am happy to work with anyone who is trying to make the Medfield School district better for our children. I will always be happy to make myself available and communicate with anyone in town who has ideas they want the committee to hear. In my experience it is important to cast a broad net when soliciting feedback. In order to serve our school district we need to consider all perspectives; not just those that are aligned with our experiences or backgrounds. I aspire to make the best decisions I can for those around me with all the information I have available. I admit, this means that sometimes I don’t get it right the first time. But my goal is not to “get it right as quickly as possible”. As a School Committee member, my goal would be to do the best we can for our students and enable our school system to evolve with the needs of the district. If I am elected, I can commit to reevaluating my decisions when new information becomes available and when the environment changes.

Thank you for taking the time to read and consider my candidacy for School Committee.

Thanks,

Will Horne

Pond View Avenue