Candidate Profile: Valerie Pontiff, Ward 7 School Committee

NEWTON, MA — Valerie Pontiff is running against incumbent Kathleen Shields for Ward 7 School Committee. There are 10 people vying for the eight seats on the Newton School Committee in the Nov. 2 municipal election, as well as contested races for City Council and mayor.

Newton Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles this week.

Pontiff has been a commercial real estate broker for 31 years and holds an MBA from the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington Seattle.

Are you running for office in Newton? Contact Annie Sandoli at annie.sandoli@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate profile and submitting campaign announcements to Newton Patch.

Campaign website

www.valeriepontiff.com

Age (as of Election Day)

52

Position Sought

Newton School Committee

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

Jeff Pontiff (55), Oscar Pontiff (18), Audrey Pontiff (16)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

MBA, Foster School of Business at the University of Washington Seattle '99
BA, University of Washington Seattle '91

Occupation

Commercial Real Estate Broker; 31 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

No

Why are you seeking elective office?

Newton's public schools saw over 1,100 students exit the system in the past four years, or almost 9 percent of the district. This is a serious situation that threatens community cohesion. I am running to address the causes of the departures, to listen to parents, and to operate the Newton Public Schools to their expectations so youth both come to and return to the vital Newton Public Schools.

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

The average age of the City of Newton voter is 58. Will these voters, most of whom no longer have kids in the schools, continue to support a district where parents are pulling their children in large numbers? My belief is that Newton voters want to see strong schools that are embraced by parents. If they see that, they will financially support the schools - joyfully. This needs to be our goal. Strong schools, embraced by parents and families, and recognized by taxpayers as worthy of investment. To achieve this, we need to listen to parents and perform to their expectations. I will do that.

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

I will listen to parents and perform to their expectations. I will focus on excellence in education with strong academics as a core deliverable.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

Participation in Newton Public Schools has fallen from 81 to 76 percent of eligible Newton students - 12th out of 13th as compared to our self-selected peer districts. The School Committee has never examined this exodus, or why it has happened. Thirty percent of families are using tutors or outside education support. The School Committee has never asked why that is necessary. I will address these issues and perform with a success agenda.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

Our schools were closed when they could have been open. Newton did not prepare a plan, in defiance of DESE guidelines, for a full in-person return in the fall of 2020. The School Committee did not challenge the superintendent or ask why there was no plan. The School Committee simply congratulated themselves while youth languished. That is not success or a reasonable deliverable from a district consuming nearly 2 in every 3 city dollars.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

In addition to focusing on the needs of parents and the need to return academic excellence to Newton's schools, I understand that many students have fallen behind and need to be brought up to their prior trajectory at some cost in money and time. I support that effort.

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

I have enjoyed a 31 year career in corporate real estate in progressively responsible roles. As a business leader in Boston I have chaired or served on nine non-profit boards. I understand and have performed many times: executive search, fund development, strategic planning, key-leader oversight, and for-profit and non-profit budgeting.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Listen more. Talk less.

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

With my husband Jeff, I am a twenty year resident of Newton and parent of two Newton Public School elementary, middle, and high school students.