Fitzgerald requests your vote for School Committee

The Longmeadow School Committee race of 2008 is an important and historic one. We have six fine candidates running for three seats on the committee. The election will be June 10 at the Longmeadow Community House. Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

I hope that voters will consider giving me one of their three votes.

My qualifications for office include 33 years of experience as a teacher in the Longmeadow School System. I know the importance of curriculum coordination for all subjects, K through 12. I have seen the cumulative effects of quality teaching for our students. Each grade level of instruction contributes to the next level and definite progress and growth are evident in the maturing skills of the students.

Most of my service was at the high school level and we had a strong emphasis on college preparation. The extent to which we were successful depended on the preparatory efforts of all of the teachers that worked to build students skill levels in reading, writing and arithmetic in the elementary and middle schools.

Parental involvement and support is of critical importance in the education of our children, but the town as a whole has a moral obligation to support schools that goes beyond the legal requirement of paying taxes. Our children are literally the future of our community, state and nation. If we prepare them well, they will serve us well. They will be productive citizens of our larger humanity.

Their preparation must go beyond the core curriculum of English, math and science. It must, include history, world languages, music and art. The development of creative and critical thinking skills is central to all of these. Athletics, physical education, health and extra-curricular activities also need support because of their important contribution to the growth of the whole child.

I believe that the Longmeadow Public School System is a quality system; however, it requires constant vigilance to maintain that measure of quality.

My pledge to the voters is that I will protect and defend the quality

of the Longmeadow schools for all of our children.

John J. Fitzgerald

Longmeadow