THANK YOU

My heartfelt thanks to everyone who voted for me.

Win or Lose, The Dialogue Has Changed

Whether I win or lose on May 15th, the dialogue on how Mendon approaches school budgets has definitely changed!

Someone forwarded me an e-mail from one of my opponent's supporters that contains the following sentence: Now is the time to elect a strategic, creative, forward-thinking leader who will help our district meet the challenges of educating our children within the confines of the fiscal realities we all face.

Without me running, the phrase within the confines of the fiscal realities we face would not have been used.

What's Kevin's Background and Job Experience?

I grew up in Nutley, New Jersey (a suburb of Newark), and came to New England to attend college.

After graduating from Brown University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in "English and American Literature with Honors," I began working as a reporter for weekly and then twice-weekly newspapers in Rhode Island.

In 1979, I moved to Massachusetts to work for the Worcester Telegram & Gazette daily  newspapers and, in 1981, I was recruited by the former Data General corporation and began a 25-year career in high tech public relations and marketing. My last PR agency position was executive vice president of the former Miller/Shandwick Technologies.  My last corporate position was Director of Marketing for Duck Creek Technologies, a developer of software for the insurance industry.

In 2007, I became disabled due to the worsening of a heart condition that was was first diagnosed in 1979. Since then, I've worked part-time for Town Crier Publications, primarily for the Milford Town Crier newspaper.

I moved to Mendon in April, 1984 and have been active in town government since that year.  I have been elected to the Board of Selectmen, Board of Water Commissioners, Planning Board and as Town Moderator.  I've also served on the Conservation Commission and Land Use Committee. Over the years, I've written or co-written five successful grant applications for the town.

Currently, I'm a member of the Council on Aging's Transportation Advisory Committee, serve as the town's American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator, and as Finance Chairman for Community Partners for Health, the state Department of Public Health’s designated Community Health Network Area (CHNA) for the13 communities primarily served by the Milford Regional Medical Center.

I've also been an active volunteer with Pack 1 Cub Scouts and Troop 1 Boy Scouts, and co-founded Troop 44 in 2004. I am currently Troop 44's outings Coordinator and Eagle Scout Coach. I also serve as a District Committee member for the Tri River District of Knox Trail Council, BSA, and have taught at its Merit Badge College and Trail to Eagle week for many years.

I have three sons: Mike is a junior at Marist College, Tim is a freshman at Framingham State University, and Andrew is a junior at BVT. I also am the primary care-giver for my elderly parents, who live in a Shrewsbury retirement community.

What are the Duties of a School Committee Member?

School Committee members have four basic duties:


1) Hiring and evaluating the superintendent of schools


2) Negotiating contracts with the teachers' union


3) Approving the annual school budget


4) Creating, approving and evaluating policies

Answers to Mike Watson's Questions

In the April 24, 2012 Milford Daily News,
Mendon resident Mike Watson posed these
“Open questions to Mendon-Upton School Committee candidates
Leigh Martin and Kevin Rudden.”

Mike, here are my answers:

Q: What do you see as the biggest challenge to the school district?
A: Credibility. From my perspective, under the past superintendent the MURSD lost all
credibility, particularly regarding the budget. If you NEED “X” amount of money, why
come back when voters say “No” and then ask for “Y” amount? To me, that means you
only needed “Y” in the first place. And, threatening joint town meetings may be the
School Committee’s legal right, but it engenders bad feelings that are hard to overcome.
Also, Mendon’s employees did their part in taking no raises to help with budget
problems. What did the school employees do?

Q: How can that challenge be addressed in your opinion?
A: I think electing someone with a different viewpoint who promises to represent all
Mendon voters (not just parents of school children) will go a long way toward letting
Mendon residents know that they are being listened to, and represented on, the School
Committee.

Q: What measures are important to you when evaluating the performance of the
superintendent?

A: I’d look at his communication, budget, and management skills. I recently read that
another school committee in the area plans to use a standard evaluation process from
the state to evaluate their superintendent, and I’d certainly want to look at what the state
considers to be the “standard” criteria for evaluating a superintendent.

Q: Would you stand alone against your fellow committee members if you did not agree
with a majority opinion or would you feel pressured to go along?
A: Anyone who knows me knows that – if I felt strongly enough on an issue – I would
absolutely cast a dissenting vote. That said, I don’t plan to be the “1” in a constant
series of “5-1” votes.

Q: What role do you feel parents and the public play in shaping the vision and policies
of the school district?

A: You have to listen to what the “customer” wants, but – in the end – we have to stay
within our budget or get a “mandate” to expand our offerings.
Q: Should the communities’ opinion factor into policies adopted by the school dept. and
should the school committee and district solicit public input before making a policy
change or decision?
A: Elected officials should always listen to the communities that elect them. However,
the elected officials have the final say, based on the information before them.
Q: If the Town of Mendon or Town of Upton failed to support a future district budget
request would you support convening a joint district meeting in an effort to force
funding?

A: It doesn’t matter what I’d want to do. What matters is what the law says to do.
However, I would work as hard as possible to forge a consensus against holding a joint
town meeting that – in my opinion – would pit one town against another and create ill
will that would last for decades. Good communication and understanding of each
town’s finances is essential to avoiding a joint town meeting.


Q: Would you support cuts to the municipal budget (police, fire, highway, library, senior
center etc.) to fund the district budget if requested by the district and where would you
cut first if you would support this?

A: I will not support any school budget that is not also supported by the Mendon
Finance Committee as being reasonable. I will not support any school budget that
results in cuts to municipal services. We have to balance all needs within the overall
amount of money that is available to spend.

Q: Do you support celebrating established holidays in our schools like Christmas,
Hanukkah, Halloween etc?

A: Maybe it’s my age, but I’m not into all this political correctness that says there is no
“Christmas.” Holidays are holidays. Let’s celebrate them. If we have families in the
district with different religious holidays, we need to try to make some kind of
accommodation for them as well.
Q: Would you support a student who wanted to pray quietly to himself or herself prior to
a school function?
A: Absolutely yes. “Separation of church and state” means having no governmentsponsored religion, not having any religion.
Q: Do you support asking our students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance each morning?

A: Absolutely yes.

Q: Would you support a policy that directs all parents must be notified prior to any
reading material containing topics concerning homosexuality or same-sex marriage be
read or offered to students and that parents be allowed to opt their children out of any
such classroom discussion or assignment?
A: It would depend on the grade levels involved. For example, I don’t object to
notification at the elementary and middle school levels. I think by the time children
reach high school, they are well aware of these topics and parents should have had
discussions with their children on these topics, so no notification would be necessary.
Part of preparing children for college and beyond should be exposing them to different
points of view and – as long as no one is trying to advocate a certain lifestyle – learning
about “what’s out there” shouldn’t be a problem.
Q: Have you ever been or are you now a member of a teachers union or any other
union position at a private or public school?
A: No. However, I have a nephew and a niece who are teachers and the “significant
other” of another nephew is a teacher. I’ve never asked them if they belong to a union. (Full Disclosure: I was a dues-paying non-member of the Service Employees International Union [SEIU] while working at college. My father was a dues-paying member of the Unitede Auto Workers [UAW] while working his way through college.)


Q: Do you consider it a conflict to have an educator sit on a school committee?
A: No, provided the majority of committee members are not educators. I think you need
a mix of people with different backgrounds and perspectives. I think any educators who
are members of a union should recuse themselves from all matters concerning the
teachers’ union.

Q: Leigh as a professional educator would you feel compelled to support your fellow
educators regardless of the situation?

A: I can’t speak for her.

Leigh Martin and Kevin RudQ: Kevin you have been a critic of the school district in the past. Will your past criticism
cloud your decision making process if elected?
A: My criticism has been specifically directed at the override process. I plan to
approach the School Committee position with an open mind and a sincere desire to
make a positive contribution.
Q: Would you support the school district utilizing the AlertNow system to advertise for
private businesses in Mendon and Upton?
A: No. While advertising is a way to generate income for the MURSD, I think that’s
carrying it too far. I wouldn’t want to hear the “IRA Toyota snow cancellation”
announcement.
Q: Have you worked with the current superintendent in any capacity in the past or do
you have any past relationship with him that could cause a conflict if you are elected to
this position?
A: I have worked with Dr. Maruszczak on two grant applications. This volunteer work
poses no conflict. In fact, working with him led to my interest in running for election.
Q: What do you consider core academic areas?
A: I’m not a professional educator, but I think students need a solid foundation in
reading, communication skills, math and science, and history. Most colleges look for
three years of a foreign language. I also think students need to be taught financial
literacy.
Q: Do you support spending district funding on IPad for each student given the cuts the
district has sustained over the past several years?
A: Before I can answer that question, I’d want to know how the tablets were paid for and
what the goals of having them are. However, given their widespread use in business
today, I think their use is replacing personal computers and will probably be a needed
life skill. Since not every family can afford one, having the school system provide them
“levels the playing field.”Q: Kevin you have been a critic of the school district in the past. Will your past criticism
cloud your decision making process if elected?

A: My criticism has been specifically directed at the override process. I plan to
approach the School Committee position with an open mind and a sincere desire to
make a positive contribution.

Q: Would you support the school district utilizing the AlertNow system to advertise for
private businesses in Mendon and Upton?

A: No. While advertising is a way to generate income for the MURSD, I think that’s
carrying it too far. I wouldn’t want to hear the “IRA Toyota snow cancellation”
announcement.

Q: Have you worked with the current superintendent in any capacity in the past or do
you have any past relationship with him that could cause a conflict if you are elected to
this position?

A: I have worked with Dr. Maruszczak on two grant applications. This volunteer work
poses no conflict. In fact, working with him led to my interest in running for election.

Q: What do you consider core academic areas?

A: I’m not a professional educator, but I think students need a solid foundation in
reading, communication skills, math and science, and history. Most colleges look for
three years of a foreign language. I also think students need to be taught financial
literacy.

Q: Do you support spending district funding on iPad for each student given the cuts the
district has sustained over the past several years?

A: Before I can answer that question, I’d want to know how the tablets were paid for and
what the goals of having them are. However, given their widespread use in business
today, I think their use is replacing personal computers and will probably be a needed
life skill. Since not every family can afford one, having the school system provide them
“levels the playing field.”

Q: Would you vote to spend $50,000.00 on iPad/computers or would you ask that
money be used to put a teacher in a classroom?

A: Again, I’d need to know more about the pros and cons of each request, plus whether
there are grants available to purchase the tablets. Maybe we can have an Apple ad in
each school in return for getting the tablets for free?

Q: How would you support our district's attempts to save money in areas like utilities in
an effort to move more funding to students and the classroom?

A: I’ve already had discussions with Dr. Maruszczak on installing solar systems on the
roofs of the schools. Mendon is a “green community” and Clough and Miscoe might be
eligible may be eligible for special discounts because of that. By the way, we shouldn’t
just be looking at utilities, but at every single area of spending, in order to maximize
spending in the classrooms.

Mike, here are my answers:

Q) What do you see as the biggest challenge to the school district?

A: Credibility.  From my perspective, under the past superintendent the MURSD lost all credibility, particularly regarding the budget.  If you NEED “X” amount of money, why come back when voters say “No” and then ask for “Y” amount?  To me, that means you only needed “Y” in the first place.  And, threatening joint town meetings may be the School Committee’s legal right, but it engenders bad feelings that are hard to overcome.  Also, Mendon’s employees did their part in taking no raises to help with budget problems.  What did the school employees do?

Q: How can that challenge be addressed in your opinion?

Q: How can that challenge be addressed in your opinion?

A: I think electing someone with a different viewpoint who promises to represent all Mendon voters (not just parents of school children) will go a long way toward letting Mendon residents know that they are being listened to, and represented on, the School Committee.

Q: What measures are important to you when evaluating the performance of the superintendent?

A: I’d look at his communication, budget, and management skills.  I recently read that another school committee in the area plans to use a standard evaluation process from the state to evaluate their superintendent, and I’d certainly want to look at what the state considers to be the “standard” criteria for evaluating a superintendent.

Mike, here are my answers:

Q) What do you see as the biggest challenge to the school district?

A: Credibility.  From my perspective, under the past superintendent the MURSD lost all credibility, particularly regarding the budget.  If you NEED “X” amount of money, why come back when voters say “No” and then ask for “Y” amount?  To me, that means you only needed “Y” in the first place.  And, threatening joint town meetings may be the School Committee’s legal right, but it engenders bad feelings that are hard to overcome.  Also, Mendon’s employees did their part in taking no raises to help with budget problems.  What did the school employees do?

Q: How can that challenge be addressed in your opinion?

A: I think electing someone with a different viewpoint who promises to represent all Mendon voters (not just parents of school children) will go a long way toward letting Mendon residents know that they are being listened to, and represented on, the School Committee.

Q: What measures are important to you when evaluating the performance of the superintendent?

A: I’d look at his communication, budget, and management skills.  I recently read that another school committee in the area plans to use a standard evaluation process from the state to evaluate their superintendent, and I’d certainly want to look at what the state considers to be the “standard” criteria for evaluating a superintendent.

Q: Would you stand alone against your fellow committee members if you did not agree with a majority opinion or would you feel pressured to go along?

A: Anyone who knows me knows that – if I felt strongly enough on an issue – I would absolutely cast a dissenting vote.  That said, I don’t plan to be the “1” in a constant series of “5-1” votes.

Q: What role do you feel parents and the public play in shaping the vision and policies of the school district?

A: You have to listen to what the “customer” wants, but – in the end – we have to stay within our budget or get a “mandate” to expand our offerings.

Q: Should the communities’ opinion factor into policies adopted by the school dept. and should the school committee and district solicit public input before making a policy change or decision?

A: Elected officials should always listen to the communities that elect them. However, the elected officials have the final say, based on the information before them.

Q: If the Town of Mendon or Town of Upton failed to support a future district budget request would you support convening a joint district meeting in an effort to force funding?

A: It doesn’t matter what I’d want to do.  What matters is what the law says to do.  However, I would work as hard as possible to forge a consensus against holding a joint town meeting that – in my opinion – would pit one town against another and create ill will that would last for decades.  Good communication and understanding of each town’s finances is essential to avoiding a joint town meeting.

Q: Would you support cuts to the municipal budget (police, fire, highway, library, senior center etc.) to fund the district budget if requested by the district and where would you cut first if you would support this?

A: I will not support any school budget that is not also supported by the Mendon Finance Committee as being reasonable.  I will not support any school budget that results in cuts to municipal services.  We have to balance all needs within the overall amount of money that is available to spend.

Q: Do you support celebrating established holidays in our schools like Christmas, Hanukkah, Halloween etc?

A: Maybe it’s my age, but I’m not into all this political correctness that says there is no “Christmas.”  Holidays are holidays.  Let’s celebrate them.  If we have families in the district with different religious holidays, we need to try to make some kind of accommodation for them as well.

Q: Would you support a student who wanted to pray quietly to himself or herself prior to a school function?

A: Absolutely yes.  “Separation of church and state” means having no government-sponsored religion, not having any religion.

Q: Do you support asking our students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance each morning?

A: Absolutely yes.

Q: Would you support a policy that directs all parents must be notified prior to any reading material containing topics concerning homosexuality or same-sex marriage be read or offered to students and that parents be allowed to opt their children out of any such classroom discussion or assignment?

A: It would depend on the grade levels involved. For example, I don’t object to notification at the elementary and middle school levels.  I think by the time children reach high school, they are well aware of these topics and parents should have had discussions with their children on these topics, so no notification would be necessary.  Part of preparing children for college and beyond should be exposing them to different points of view and – as long as no one is trying to advocate a certain lifestyle – learning about “what’s out there” shouldn’t be a problem.

Q: Have you ever been or are you now a member of a teachers union or any other union position at a private or public school?

A: No.  However, I have a nephew and a niece who are teachers and the “significant other” of another nephew is a teacher.  I’ve never asked them if they belong to a union.

Q: Do you consider it a conflict to have an educator sit on a school committee?

A: No, provided the majority of committee members are not educators.  I think you need a mix of people with different backgrounds and perspectives.  I think any educators who are members of a union should recuse themselves from all matters concerning the teachers’ union.

Q: Leigh as a professional educator would you feel compelled to support your fellow educators regardless of the situation?

A: I can’t speak for her.

Q: Kevin you have been a critic of the school district in the past. Will your past criticism cloud your decision making process if elected?

A: My criticism has been specifically directed at the override process.  I plan to approach the School Committee position with an open mind and a sincere desire to make a positive contribution.

Q: Would you support the school district utilizing the AlertNow system to advertise for private businesses in Mendon and Upton?

A: No. While advertising is a way to generate income for the MURSD, I think that’s carrying it too far. I wouldn’t want to hear the “IRA Toyota snow cancellation” announcement.

Q: Have you worked with the current superintendent in any capacity in the past or do you have any past relationship with him that could cause a conflict if you are elected to this position?

A: I have worked with Dr. Maruszczak on two grant applications.  This volunteer work poses no conflict.  In fact, working with him led to my interest in running for election.

Q:

Are We Adequately Funding Our Schools?

One of the most frequently asked questions is whether we are adequately funding our public schools.

At the risk of sounding like I'm I'm "waffling" on the issue, the answer is that it depends on how you look at the issue.

I devoted my April 22, 2011 "Mendon Musings" column in the Upton-Mendon Town Crier, to this very subject.  Here is that column (copyright 2011 by Town Crier Publications, Inc.):

As we get closer to facing a Proposition 2 ½ override vote in Mendon, it’s time to take a closer look at school spending.  Is it really Mendon’s budget buster?

The answer may surprise a lot of people.  It’s “no,” borne out by almost three full decades of spending trends.

Because it certifies each town’s tax rate, the state Department of Revenue keeps tabs on how towns spend their money, including what percentage is spent on schools. The DOR, therefore, can be considered both an accurate and a fair source of information.  So, if you don’t mind spending a few hours digging, here’s what data the DOR’s website provides.

For 22 consecutive fiscal years (July 1, 1985-June 30, 1986 through July 1, 2006-June 30, 2007), Mendon spent more than 50 percent of its annual operating budget on schools. Over those 22 fiscal years, the percentage was as high as 60.3 percent and as low as 51.8 percent.  (Note: “schools” means all school spending, including the Mendon-Upton Regional School District and the Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School.)

The 22-year average for Mendon comes to 55.6 percent. Upton’s 20 year average (the DOR has no school spending data listed for Upton in fiscal years 2002 and 2005) comes to 48.2 percent. The statewide average during that overall 22-year time period was 45.4 percent.

Mendon’s percentage of school spending was higher than Upton’s in each of the 20 years that can be compared. (Yes, I know, school population percentage splits between the two towns could be the reason why one town contributed a higher percentage than the other in any given year.)

Now we come to fiscal years 2008 and 2009. Mendon’s school expenditures in those years were 49.6 and 49.1 percent, respectively.  Upton’s were 49.5 and 51.0 percent, respectively, for those same two years. The statewide average for the same time was 48.6 percent. For fiscal year 2010, which ended last June 30, Mendon spent 47.0 percent of all its revenues on schools; Upton’s same number is 45.7 percent.

These numbers mean Mendon’s average school spending over the past three fiscal years is 48.6 percent and Upton’s is 48.7 percent.  Pretty close ratio, huh?

So, if Mendon’s spending on education has dropped to below 50 percent of the budget over the past few years, you could make a reasonable assumption that school spending is not the cause of Mendon’s budget woes.

So, now that we can put an end to the outright lie that excessive school spending is causing Mendon’s budget woes – not to mention the lie that, when compared to Upton, Mendon isn’t spending its fair share on education – I’m left with one giant question.

When you take away school spending as the convenient scapegoat, what exactly is causing Mendon’s budget woes?

========================

Clearly, the level of spending on schools has dropped during the "great recession."  As the economy improves, and state and federal assistance to schools returns to previous levels -- and as town budgets can afford it -- we need to look at bringing support for education back to previous historic levels.

I Am NOT Anti-Education

Just because I've criticized the School Committee for coming back for more over-rides after Mendon has already said "no" does not mean I am anti-education.

I've been involved in Mendon's town government for 28 years, and the very first committee I served on was the Superintendent's (Dr. Crisafulli) Computer Task Force. Back then, we were looking at how to bring and use those "new things" known as personal computers into the school system.

In today's global economy, a quality education is essential for our community's children to achieve the careers that will be thriving during the next decades. Quite frankly, the jobs of yesterday and today may not be there and we need to prepare our children for that.  Think of how much has changed in the world of computers since 1984!

But, I believe strongly that a public school education means one that is funded as the public (that's us) decides it should be. There are options available for folks who want -- and can pay for -- more.

And, as part of government, the School Committee should not try to force a town to decide between its municipal services or giving more money to education when funds are limited.

I've had strong relationships with teachers during my own years in elementary school, high school and college -- people who have had a profound impact on my life and my career. I originally planned to become a teacher, but the job market didn't support that goal when I graduated from college.

I have a nephew and a niece who are teachers. Another nephew's fiance is a teacher. One of my sisters has served as a trustee at several colleges and just stepped down from the position of Chief of College and Career Preparation for the Chicago public school system. We have frequent, lively family discussions about what is right and what is wrong with education in America!

One of the things that came out of one of those discussions (Easter dinner of 2011) is that -- while throwing rocks may make people feel good -- it accomplishes nothing besides giving you a sore arm.  Why not use the rocks to build something of value?

In other words, why not use your energy to accomplish something positive?

After all, I've spent the past 14 years helping to teach Scouts -- our community's young men -- how to be leaders. Now, I'd like to help the rest of our children -- as the Boy Scouts say -- be "Prepared.For Life."