Gail Spector
Gail Spector was a candidate for Ward 8 representative on the Newton Public Schools school board in Massachusetts. Spector was defeated in the by-district general election on November 7, 2017.
Elections
2017
- See also: Newton Public Schools elections (2017)
Eight seats on the Newton Public Schools School Committee were up for general election on November 7, 2017. All nine seats on the board were up for election. The ninth seat on the board was held by the mayor of Newton, but was not covered by Ballotpedia as the city fell outside of municipal elections coverage.[1][2]
In the race for the open Ward 1 seat, Bridget Ray-Canada defeated Kathleen Marchi. In Ward 2, incumbent Margaret Albright won re-election, defeating former candidate Cyrus Vaghar, whom she had previously defeated in 2015. Anping Shen won the race for the open Ward 3 seat, defeating Eileen Sandberg. Incumbents Diana Fisher Gomberg, Steven Siegel, and Ruth Goldman ran unopposed for the Ward 4, 5, and 6 seats, respectively, and newcomer Kathleen Shields ran unopposed for the open Ward 7 seat. The race for the open Ward 8 seat was won by Matthew Miller. He defeated Gail Spector in the general election.[3][4]
Results
| Newton Public Schools, Ward 8 General Election, 2-year term, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Matthew Miller |
55.37% | 8,862 |
| Gail Spector | 44.48% | 7,119 |
| Write-in votes | 0.14% | 23 |
| Total Votes | 16,004 | |
| Source: City of Newton, "11/07/17 Local Election Official Results," accessed December 8, 2017 | ||
Funding
Spector reported $10,600.72 in contributions and $8,931.02 in expenditures to the Newton Elections Office, which left her campaign with $1,669.70 on hand in the election.[5]
Endorsements
Spector was endorsed by the following organizations and elected officials:[6][7]
|
Spector was also endorsed by former officials and community members. Click here for a list of her supporters.
Campaign themes
2017
Spector highlighted the following issues on her campaign website:
| “ | Class size – Small class sizes are essential to a positive learning experience at the elementary, middle and high school levels. I will work to maintain the appropriate class size for all grade levels.
Breadth of program – A wide range of educational options encourages students to learn, explore and discover their passions. I’ll prioritize funding a wide range of academic and other programming opportunities for students throughout the school system. Emotional well-being – More than three quarters of Newton’s high school students describe their lives as either 'somewhat stressful or very stressful.' More than half of middle school students say the same. I’ll encourage and prioritize funding programs that help our children develop skills to reduce and/or manage stress. Academic achievement for all – All children in Newton deserve an education that allows them to work to the best of their ability, regardless of learning needs, socioeconomics, or racial and ethnic background. I will work to evaluate outcomes of student services, will support programs that aim to narrow the achievement gap, and will encourage expanding Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs. Sound fiscal management – Overseeing NPS finances and ensuring sound fiscal policies are among a School Committee member’s most important responsibilities. I’ll use the experience I gained as a Boston Globe correspondent and Newton TAB editor studying school and city budgets for nearly two decades to ask difficult questions, to understand proposed trade-offs and to make informed decisions. Communication – As a journalist, I’ve built my career listening to, speaking with and informing Newton residents about our schools with in-depth analysis and reporting. I’ve also communicated with many people in the city about what they feel is going well and what needs improvement. I’ll apply my skills and perspective to improve communication between the School Committee and the community.[8] |
” |
| —Gail Spector (2017)[9] | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Gail Spector Newton Public Schools school board. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ City of Newton, "2017 Municipal Election Calendar," accessed February 2, 2017
- ↑ Newton Public Schools, "About School Committee," accessed July 24, 2017
- ↑ City of Newton, "Elections: Local Election - November 7, 2017," accessed July 26, 2017
- ↑ City of Newton, "Unofficial Results November 7, 2017," accessed November 7, 2017
- ↑ Newton Elections Office, "Campaign Finance Reports," accessed January 23, 2018
- ↑ Wicked Local Newton, "City Council, School Committee endorsements," October 31, 2017
- ↑ Gail Spector Newton School Committee, "Endorsers," accessed November 1, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Gail Spector Newton School Committee, "Gail's Priorities," accessed November 1, 2017
| Newton Public Schools elections in 2017 | |
| Middlesex County, Massachusetts | |
| Election date: | November 7, 2017 |
| Candidates: | Ward 1: • Kathleen Marchi • Bridget Ray-Canada Ward 2: • Incumbent, Margaret Albright • Cyrus Karl Ward 3: • Eileen Sandberg • Anping Shen Ward 4: • Incumbent, Diana Fisher Gomberg Ward 5: • Incumbent, Steven Siegel Ward 6: • Incumbent, Ruth Goldman Ward 7: • Kathleen Shields Ward 8: • Matthew Miller • Gail Spector |
| Important information: | What's at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
