Candidate Statement: Jeanne Downs for School Committee

My mother, who served on the School Board in our town for many years, used to come home from School Board meetings tired but invigorated. She loved serving the public school system.

"It’s about all the kids in our town, Jeanne," she used to tell me. "Not just you three."

Her passion and commitment to excellent public education is one of the reasons my husband Ben and I moved to Wayland in 1992. Like many families, we chose this town especially because of the excellent school system. We settled down and had four children, all of whom attended or are still attending the Wayland public schools. Our town has many great attributes, but the school system is the cornerstone of our community and still the single biggest reason people move to Wayland. I am committed to maintaining an excellent school system to sustain the beauty and integrity of our community and equip all of our children for a bright future.

I graduated from Harvard University with a degree in economics and went to work as an internal auditor for Crocker Bank (shortly thereafter acquired by Wells Fargo Bank) in San Francisco. Upon moving to the east coast, I became the lead of the Disaster Recovery/Business Resumption practice for Coopers & Lybrand (now Price Waterhouse Coopers) in Boston. My experience in these professional roles provided me with a strong background in financial review and understanding auditing, financial management and business practices.

I have been actively involved in our schools since 1997, when our oldest first entered kindergarten. Other than 2002-2004, when our whole family lived and served at a boarding school in Kenya, I have been involved with the PTO. I was the vice president of the Claypit Hill PTO; treasurer, vice president and president of the Middle School PTO; and president of the High School PTO (WHSPO). Throughout this time, I have been amazed by what teams of diverse volunteers, teachers and administrators accomplish in our school system. Most recently, our community has completed construction of the new high school, launched the 1:1 learning initiative, and implemented a Chinese language and exchange program — impressive achievements for a town of 13,000 people and mainly due to our ability to work together well and invest our time and talents in our schools.

I have also been integrally involved with the construction of the new community pool as well with the town’s recreational swim team, the Wayland Junior Warriors. Families from all over town have come together to make the community pool a reality. As the head coach for 160 swimmers, age 5 through eighth grade on the Junior Warriors swim team, I have worked for eight years with swimmers of all abilities and am thrilled to see them improve and excel in the pool. 

Every child deserves a chance to shine, and our schools offer Wayland’s students that chance. Whether it is in academics, athletics, the arts or other extracurricular activities, our students have the opportunity to find their passions and pursue them. When our children leave the Wayland school system and begin the next chapter of their lives, they leave as articulate, well-educated and well-rounded young people. This is thanks to the excellent teachers, staff, academics and programs in our schools. I will do all that I can to ensure that the opportunities presented to our current students are preserved for future generations.

Of course, budgets are tight in Wayland, but this hasn’t stopped us from moving forward. In fact, it has helped us to set clear goals and priorities. Over the past few years, our school leaders have been able to maintain high quality and even offer new initiatives while staying within budget guidelines. My goal as a School Committee member would be to continue to empower all students while containing costs and striving for maximum efficiency in the school budget. We must ensure that every dollar is spent wisely as we support the development and advancement of our public education system, and I want to help our community accomplish these goals.

I love Wayland deeply, and hope to serve this town as part of the School Committee. I combine a thorough understanding and deep respect for the schools with a solid financial background that makes me uniquely suited for the job. I am deeply committed to the mission of the Wayland Public Schools, a mission that advocates for all students, echoing the values that my mother ingrained in me:

“Personal and civic responsibility, love of learning, and empathy for others: these are the qualities that the Wayland Public Schools seek to instill in its students. At its core, our mission is to provide a rigorous and stimulating academic environment that promotes the acquisition of knowledge and skills. Yet we deem it equally important to nurture self-confident, collaborative, and conscientious individuals. We strive to create a climate where risk-taking is safeguarded, open expression is encouraged, and free association is protected. Our goal is to advance our students' growth into principled, informed, and capable citizens who will help guide a democracy that follows humanitarian principles in the global forum, and shape a just society where individuals may reach their full potential.”

I hope that you will vote for me for School Committee on April 2. Together, let’s work to keep this valuable community asset — our excellent schools — as the cornerstone of our community.