Michael Costolo for Amherst School Board

My name is Michael Costolo and I'm writing to announce that I'm running for School Board for the Amherst School District.

My wife, Angela, and I moved to Amherst from California 11 years ago this Spring, and we have happily raised our children, Peter (10) and Olivia (8), here.  We have grown fond of our little town in spite of its lack of long sandy beaches, wildfires, or frequent earthquakes.

As our children have grown, so has my involvement in the community, coaching Amherst Recreation league baseball, serving on the Ways and Means committee for Amherst School District, and also on the Board of Directors for the Amherst Patriots.  Volunteering in the community is a great way of helping to make it a better place and I personally feel very rewarded by my volunteer experiences.

If given the opportunity to serve on the Amherst School Board, I will bring many years of education and problem solving experience to the position.  I hold a bachelor's degree in Physics from The Pennsylvania State University and a master's degree in Materials Science from The University of California at Santa Barbara.   I have also served on the Board of Visitors at Penn State.  Currently I am a Principal Scientist at Physical Sciences Inc. in Andover, MA.

I can help to continue the strides forward that our schools have made in math and science.  I can help to get the most return on our investment in our schools by working to establish clearer goals and increased accountability.  And by doing this, we will ensure that our children are well prepared to meet modern world challenges while at the same time minding the fiscal obligations we have to taxpayers.

I look forward to speaking with you about our schools.  Please vote for me on March 12th.

Michael Costolo