Would look for ways to increase school funding
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| Virginia Justicz. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz) |
Virginia Justicz was appointed to the School Committee eight months ago, to fill a vacancy after member Mark Hardy resigned. It proved a baptism by fire, as the board was already embroiled in controversy, culminating in the town’s vote to censure the School Committee last fall. Not to be daunted, Justicz has found her term on the board to be very “energizing.”
“The first two months were difficult. But some good things came out…I heard people saying they want more two-way communication [with the board]. I’ve learned a lot…I’d love to be able to continue in some of the initiatives I’ve been involved with,” by winning another term on the board, she said in a recent interview.
According to Justicz, there is a steep learning curve for being on the school board, and she believes her experience makes her more effective.
For example, during her time on the board Justicz has served on a strategic planning task force, which is developing several five-year goals, along with an implementation plan, for the schools. In addition, she sits on a school policy subcommittee, helping to update school policies and publish them on the web.
Justicz has also worked on the schools’ capital plan, an experience that will be useful when the plan needs updating, she said. Finally, she has participated in efforts by the school board to build connections with key members of the governor’s education staff, in hopes of impressing upon them the difficulties towns like Harvard face in funding their schools.
Justicz moved to town almost six year ago, and has three small children, the oldest of whom is at the elementary school. She has an M.B.A. from Dartmouth, and previously worked in publishing and consulting.
When asked why she volunteered for the School Committee, Justicz said she saw it as a chance to get involved, and to try to help the schools “get away from being in the override business.
“In essence, my involvement is to look at funding, and to try to sustain an excellent system,” Justicz said.
She wants to help the schools find more non-taxpayer revenue sources, such as increased state aid, grants, and partnerships with corporations, to overcome some of the schools’ budget woes.
As a new board member, she has tried to ask a lot of questions, and to listen to people’s concerns. Justicz said the school board’s perceived lack of openness with the public was a major impetus for the censure vote.
“It was symptomatic of several things—a feeling of tension around the special education questions…understandably. It steamrolled with a lot of frustrations people had with other things. They felt the school board was nonresponsive, not open to input, and lacked transparency,” she said. Justicz believes the board is now becoming more open at its meetings and is working to be more inclusive.
When questioned about the schools’ strengths and weaknesses, Justicz replied that Harvard’s dedicated and professional teachers are the greatest strength of the schools.
“We have an excellent staff, with little turnover,” she said.
In looking at the weaker aspects of the schools, Justicz says the fault often lies with one thing: the tight budgets Harvard schools have to deal with. For example, the schools are not strong when it comes to using computers and technology in teaching and administration. This is an area where the school department could try to seek grants from corporations to help solve its technology budget shortfalls, she believes.
“Historically, we’ve had problems funding it. There are inconsistencies in its use, and problems with the infrastructure,” she said.
Justicz would also like to see the teacher training and development efforts beefed up, though once again funding and time constraints would need to be resolved.
She also worries a bit about the morale at the schools, especially at the elementary school. Justicz sees some lingering tension among the staff, perhaps resulting from the contentious teacher contract negotiations last year.
“I’d like to see a more supportive, nurturing place to attract the best people,” she said. “The organizational culture needs attention, especially as we go into another round of teacher contract negotiations. You want to have teachers who enjoy coming to school.”
Justicz also thinks it is very important to keep class sizes small, “particularly when some students are struggling, or are on I.E.P.’s [individual education plans for special education pupils.] There are lots of different rationales for keeping class sizes at the lower end.”
Even though Justicz wants to increase the schools’ revenues, she ended up being the only board member to vote against the motion to submit a proposal to educate the Devens elementary pupils, even though such a contract could bring in a lot of money if Harvard wins the bid. She felt there was just too much uncertainty about the number of Devens pupils who might end up at the elementary school.
“It’s a real trade-off; each of us went through the math. I struggled—there’s the potential for a lot of revenue,” she said.
However, Justicz ultimately concluded that the resources at the elementary school, such as space and teachers and guidance staff, might be stretched too thin if more students than expected ended up coming.
“It’s a gamble. I was risk-averse. We’ll have to see what happens,” if Harvard wins the contract, Justicz said.
Justicz's website is www.virgforsc.com.
Note: Virgina Justicz is running against Keith Cheveralls, B.J. Pessia, and Brian Stevens for a three-year term on Harvard's School Committee.