* On Tuesday, May 3rd - Vote for Val Frias for Brookline School Committee! *
My Vision for
Brookline Schools
As a current School Committee (SC) member, Chair of the SC Subcommittee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, a Board Member of Brookline’s Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC), a parent of two PSB 6th graders, a civil rights attorney, and a progressive activist, my priorities on the School Committee will continue to be:
1) Manage the COVID-19 Recovery with Progressive, Smart Budget Management: This pandemic has devastated Brookline's revenues, including threatening reductions in education programs and in student support. As executive director of a non-profit, I manage a $47 million dollar budget, and I know that budgets are a values statement. I will work to give students what they need to succeed, and invest in our future.
2) Center Student Voices, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Our Schools: Students can't learn unless they feel safe and supported in our classrooms. But right now, we need to listen to what our students are telling us: so many of them -- especially those who identify as part of the Asian American, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ communities -- are confronting daily traumas. I was President of one of the largest LGBTQIA+ organizations in Massachusetts and have spent years fighting for marginalized communities, naming and addressing the devastating impacts of systemic racism, hate, and discrimination. I will be a relentless ally and advocate for our students and for schools that are diverse, equitable, inclusive, safe spaces for learning.
3) Expand Mental Health Care: This is personal for me. Like every parent in Brookline, I've seen the enormous mental health toll the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on our students, including my own children. It's heartbreaking. As a survivor and someone who has spent years working to expand mental health and advocacy, I know our students need an unprecedented level of support, resources, and mental health professionals to confront an unprecedented crisis.
4) Enhance Special Education Services: As the parent of two children on IEPs and a SEPAC board member, I support inclusion to the maximum extent feasible, co-teaching, and student-centered services individualized to each student with a disability. This approach benefits all our students. Inclusion classrooms help general education students learn to be open and understanding of people with learning differences. Schools need to provide collaboration time for general education teachers and special ed teachers so that they have time to plan. This is critical to a student’s success, and on the School Committee I will fight to ensure every student can flourish and reach their full potential.
5) Green, Clean Schools Help Confront the Climate Crisis: The global climate emergency threatens the future of this planet and every student in our schools -- and we know that there cannot be social justice without climate justice. Brookline's young people are already national leaders in responding -- so I want to listen to them! I'll work with our students to identify and implement strategies to ensure we achieve carbon neutrality, from teaching the climate crisis in classrooms, to advocating for bike racks on campuses, and weatherproofing. As we work toward net-zero emissions, we can also educate our students about how their personal behavior can influence climate change.
We can and must take the lessons learned during the COVID pandemic to build a stronger, resilient, and supportive school system for every one of our children.
Reach out to me directly at Val@ValFrias.com. I'd love to hear from you, and earn your vote for Brookline School Committee on May 3rd!
You can see my full professional and service bio by clicking on the campaign logo to the left or going to the navigation bar.
Endorsements
Brookline Town Election
Vote for Val Frias for Brookline School Committee - TUESDAY, MAY 3rd!
