A great education is the best equalizer in a system full of inequity. I know this because public education played a central role in converting my likely story of continued poverty to one of personal success. It is with the strength of this conviction and my determination to give back that I respectfully put my name forward as a candidate for School Committee.
As a global infrastructure project leader and staff manager over 16 years at Goldman Sachs, I learned how to create consensus, developed an ability to find operational efficiencies, and coached teams to improve effectiveness. My dedication to listening, embracing hard conversations, and empowering people helped me achieve turnaround when brought in on floundering projects. I honed my financial and data analysis skills and became adept at navigating details while retaining high-level perspective.
My desire to focus long term on education led me to earning my master’s degree in education, leadership, politics and advocacy. I currently hold a fellowship with a school improvement nonprofit that funds teacher-led projects and brings high quality, evidence-based arts, math, and career programming to Boston Public Schools. This experience has given me new understanding of what makes a school and district thrive and the systems that serve to either support or fail students.
Our district faces some key challenges in the next few years, including ongoing strategic management of the school budget; re-negotiation of our teachers’ contract, which sets the tone for our faculty to feel supported and engage our kids to learn; and oversight of HES construction, which requires strong communication with the community as we navigate the project’s inevitable complexities. I believe my work experience and skills and my passion for education position me to make a strong positive contribution in these areas and beyond.
We moved to Harvard with our two young boys because we love the close-knit community, the many nature trails, the stunning sunsets over Bare Hill Pond. But most of all because of the schools. I am excited to serve our students and community, and ask for your support of my election to School Committee.
Sharlene Cronin
Bolton Road
