During meetings leading up to the last override, scientist and Belmont parent Michael Todd Thompson started attending School Committee meetings to voice his concerns about the need for additional school funding.
“I went once, and I just kept going,” said Thompson.
Now, he is running to become a member of the Belmont School Committee to further represent the concerns of Belmont parents — particularly around issues of student and staff mental health and well-being.
Thompson is also running for the board of health.
Stepping Forward
While observing and participating in School Committee meetings, Thompson learned more about School Committee operations and key issues facing the committee.
Some issues he is most passionate about include developing a comprehensive technology policy within the schools, providing students and staff with adequate mental health supports, and ensuring that the school budget addresses gaps resulting from the re-allocations of staff positions.
Thompson also said he sees a need for greater accountability and transparency within the district, when it comes to addressing these re-allocations.
“There have been a lot of parents that have stepped forward in a number of ways,” he said. “I think this is one of the ways that I can do that: as a School Committee member.”
Collaboration
Thompson said he sees mental health as a primary concern of schools nationwide.
“I think people are starting to understand that schools are not a place anymore where mental health is a student-by-student service — Schools are moving to a place where they’re going to have to start providing mental health as a core service,” he said.
To address this need, Thompson said he would like to see greater collaboration between the School Committee and the Board of Health.
“I think it’s imperative that the Board of Health, as a public health department, needs to work hand in hand with the school committee to address this, especially if the schools are going to be providing this as a core service to their students,” he said.
Generating Public Involvement
Thompson said his background in health sciences taught him to master various subjects while working closely with others and navigating tough situations.
In light of statements made by the current presidential administration regarding cutting federal funding for education, Thompson said he believes the School Committee should be prepared to respond with swift coordination.
“We need to get ahead of these things, and we need these committees and boards to work together,” Thompson said. “We need them to operate with agility and precision and at a level that we’re really not accustomed to.”
One of the ways he would like to see the School Committee grow is by encouraging members of the community to participate more in committee meetings.
For example, he said, it would be advantageous to develop a system for notifying parents about when meetings will be occurring.
This increased public involvement would benefit both the committee and greater community, he said.
“The committee needs to hear back from the people that they represent … how their policies are impacting the students and the families,” Thompson said. “Otherwise, we’re kind of implementing policies and crafting budgets and things in a vacuum.”
