Letters to the Arlington Advocate
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Curro builds consensus
Please join me in supporting Joe Curro for Arlington School Committee. As a parent of two children in elementary school, I feel privileged and excited that Joe Curro is willing to serve on the Committee.
I support Joe Curro because he has a proven ability to build consensus in resolving tough issues, a vital characteristic for effective service on the School Committee. This is evident through Joe Curro’s involvement and leadership on multiple Arlington committees, such as the Human Rights Commission, Symmes Neighborhood Advisory Committee, and Arlington Common Threads Steering Committee.
I have seen firsthand Joe Curro’s engagement and enthusiasm in tackling the school transportation safety improvement initiative. I am confident that Joe Curro will continue to work hard in learning about all of the issues facing our school system, and will make sound judgments on behalf of our children and the citizens of Arlington.
Joe Curro is a smart, hard-working, independent thinker who is ready for the challenges faced by the School Committee. Please join me in voting for Joe Curro (#4 on the ballot) for Arlington’s School Committee on April 5.
Angela Alton, Harlow Street
Leadership and dedication
Although I have lived in Arlington my entire life and have seen many fine candidates run for office, I have never been moved to publicly support any of them with a letter to the editor. Until now.
I have had the pleasure of working with Joe Curro as a Town Meeting member and as a commissioner of the Arlington Human Rights Commission for several years and have observed first hand his leadership abilities and dedication to the town. I have been constantly impressed with how thoroughly Joe Curro prepares for every assignment; with how knowledgeable and thoughtful he is, researching the issues in depth for himself before taking a stand; with how he does not shy away from a difficult decision when it has to be made; and with how committed he is to seeing a job through to the finish.
I have also been impressed with how much of a unifying force he is, always seeking a common ground, always insisting that everyone's voice be heard and always treating everyone with respect. Even when he and I have disagreed on an issue, I have always looked forward to working with him on the next one.
I support Joe Curro wholeheartedly for School Committee because I know that he is up for the task and because he can be counted on to do the right thing at the right time. I urge others to support Joe Curro too.
Christine P. Deshler, Huntington Road
Marzilli endorses Curro, Heigham
The Arlington School system has been rocked by controversy this year. The election next week gives us an opportunity to elect the people who can mend the divisions in our schools and our town. I hope you will join me in voting for Joe Curro and Leba Heigham for two of the three School Committee seats.
Joe Curro led efforts for reasonably scaled development at the Symmes redevelopment project. He led the community response when hate mail was directed against public officials. He led the transformation of the No Place for Hate initiative into a freestanding Arlington organization when the national sponsor's stance on the Armenian genocide threatened to undermine the group's mission.
Leba Heigham will bring a balanced approach to the Committee. She is both a parent with children in the Arlington schools and a teacher with real experience in the classroom. She has taught math and science in public schools. She mentors other teachers in their professional development, and she is a licensed school principal. Leba has been involved in negotiating teachers' contracts as a union member. Her depth of experience is remarkable.
We need leaders who have experience at seeing all sides of an issue. We need leaders who know how to lead a group to consensus. Joe Curro and Leba Heigham are offering calm, reasoned leadership for Arlington's schools at a time when divisions seem fairly intractable. I hope you will join me in casting two of your votes for School Committee for Joe Curro and Leba Heigham.
Jim Marzilli, Steven Terrace
Understands concept of community
I urge all voters of the town of Arlington to join me on Saturday, April 5 in voting for Joe A. Curro, Jr. as one of the members of the School Committee. All residents of Arlington and especially the students of Arlington will be well represented and served by Joe Curro as a member of the Arlington School Committee. Joe Curro is well qualified to serve on the School Committee as an effective voice in evaluating and meeting the educational concerns and needs of all of Arlington’s students and others involved in the educational process.
I have served with Joe Curro as a member of the Arlington Human Rights Commission and have been much impressed by his personal commitment to issues of diversity and community well-being for the town of Arlington. Using his remarkable leadership and diplomatic skills, Joe Curro has consistently been a voice of reason as issues of concern and importance have been raised and debated.
Joe Curro understands the concept of “community” and how important it is to maintain and to increase a sense of “community” for the town of Arlington. As a parent of young children making their entrance into the Arlington public schools Joe Curro is keenly aware both of Arlington’s educational needs and of the necessity for the community to promote educational excellence for all its students. I am supporting Joe Curro for the School Committee because I am convinced that his candidacy is not being used to advance a personal agenda. Rather, I am convinced that his desire to serve in this position of considerable importance in the town of Arlington fundamentally reflects his philosophy of the importance of serving the community by insuring that government through its actions and policies meets the needs and understands the concerns of those it serves.
Please join with me in casting one of your three votes for School Committee for Joe Curro. All of Arlington will be well served by Joe Curro’s presence on the Committee.
A. Nick Minton, Highland Avenue
From the one who knows Curro best
As the person who knows Joe Curro best, I want to add my voice in support of his candidacy and provide a little different perspective.
I have known Joe for 22 years, and we have been married since 1994. Together, we are raising two daughters, a first-grader at Stratton Elementary School and a preschooler at Sunshine Nursery School. Our first major decision after our marriage was that we wanted to bring up our family in Arlington, a town where each of us had previously lived.
Even before we had children, Joe was an active volunteer with kids.
Around the time of our engagement, Joe was actively involved in international cultural exchange and youth leadership programs. After we moved back to Arlington, he volunteered his time working several weekends with parents at the Dallin Elementary School to wire the building for high-speed Internet access.
Joe has always cared about public service and community involvement. We used to meet for lunch on Boston Common when he was a young legislative aide in the Massachusetts Senate. And not two weeks after our first daughter was born, he bundled the baby into a carrier and brought her to a neighbor's house to hear about plans for the nearby Symmes Hospital; as is typical for him, he was not content to listen, and he assumed many of the subsequent challenges around the project as his own, spending untold hours in research and advocacy.
I have to admit that it would sometimes make life less complicated if Joe weren't constantly in motion, always involving himself in a wide array of community issues. This is just the way he is, though, and it is one of the reasons I love him.
When the question of running for School Committee first came up, Joe and I talked long and hard about what a campaign and subsequent service would mean to our family. We were fortunate to be able to meet with other Arlington families who have gone down this road before us. And in the end, we both agreed that the stakes for our kids and all of Arlington's children are so high this year, that the sacrifice would be worth it.
Joe Curro is a good man. He is a loving husband and father and my best friend. Joe insists on excelling at whatever he does, and — throughout it all — he maintains a keen sense of humor. He is not perfect, and he is very conscious of his flaws. Joe is committed to spiritual development for himself and our kids, both as a progressive Catholic and through extensive engagement with adherents to and literature about other religions. And he never forgets his roots as the grandson of immigrants, a proud native of a working class town just south of Boston, and the beneficiary of an excellent public education.
Joe Curro will do a great job.
Please join me on April 5 in voting for my husband, Joe Curro, for Arlington School Committee.
Lisa Moncevicz, Millett Street
Works through challenges
The children of this town who are educated in the public school system, deserve to have the best, most qualified and creative School Committee members representing their varied interests.
We need to make certain, in light of the current fiscal projections for the town, and more specifically the school department, that we pause and choose the next representatives with measured care.
It is our hope that all School Committee members possess not only the essential traits of integrity, compassion and unbending support of all our children's well-being, but will also exhibit the willingness to work with others, even and especially when they disagree. Being able to work through challenges that face our district, with colleagues who will not always see eye-to-eye, is of paramount importance moving forward.
The candidate we are voting for does, and will, embody these traits. We have the opportunity to choose an individual who will not divide, but unite; who when faced with challenges will reach out; and who we believe will be a wonderful addition to the Arlington School Committee.
We urge you to cast one of your three votes for Joe Curro on Saturday, April 5.
Tom Robertson, Sheelah Ward Robertson
Go for the Joe with the "O"
With school budgets tightening it is increasingly important to have a school committee filled with those who can help to find solutions and broker peace among parents, administrators, and teachers. This requires school committee members to be level-headed, good listeners, and have experience thinking out of the box to find new solutions.
Joe Curro has already proven his ability to meet these criteria with his work on the Symmes Neighborhood Advisory Committee and as chair Arlington Human Rights Commission. Joe is one of those rare people who not only can see the need for something, but jumps in and helps to get it done and makes it happen. Joe Curro's multitude of skills as well as his warm demeanor make him an excellent candidate for Arlington School Committee. It is so great when you find really wonderful people out there in your community who not only care enough to help solve the problems, but are also willing to step forward to lead the charge. I urge you to join me in casting a vote for Joe Curro for Arlington School Committee on Saturday, April 5.
Cindy Starks, Monadnock Road
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Way to go Curro!
Arlington is fortunate to have Joe Curro as a candidate for School Committee. His rational approach to problem solving, his ability to listen and learn from opposing points of view and his honesty are needed to heal and move the Arlington public school system forward. I have had the privilege of working with Joe during Town Meeting, and I applaud the great job he has done bringing together disparate communities as Chair of the Human Rights Commission, as Chair of the Symmes Neighborhood Advisory Committee and as a member of the Steering Committee for Common Threads (formerly No Place for Hate). I am confident that Joe Curro will bring the same skills, passion, dedication to the Arlington School Committee. When Joe wins; it's a victory for our kids.
Carol Band
Bartlett Avenue
Puts education first
We are writing in strong support of Joe Curro, a candidate for School Committee. Of the many qualities that Joe has demonstrated throughout his campaign, his incredible work ethic and commitment to learning all there is to know about education in Arlington has been truly impressive. Joe has met with past and current administrators, educators, parents and students to gain varied perspectives, a history, and an understanding of what is currently happening in our schools. This approach demonstrates the value that Joe places on listening to others. Joe shows a strong ability to come to decisions while bringing together people with varied viewpoints.
The next Arlington School Committee will face extremely difficult decisions. We need members who are willing to do their homework and put in the time it will take to hear, consider, and make decisions using all perspectives that put the students of Arlington first. Joe Curro strongly believes in the need for civil and open conversations, the acceptance of all, and hard work. This is what makes Joe Curro an exceptional candidate for our School Committee. We hope that you will join us in voting for Joe Curro (fourth on the ballot) for School Committee on April 5.
Sharon and Irwin Grossman
Peabody Road
Proactive and positive
We are writing to express our support for Joe Curro as a candidate for the Arlington School Committee. Joe will work with parents, School Committee members, teachers and the community at large in a proactive and positive way to ensure high quality education in our town.
Joe is a person who works well amongst a wide range of constituencies and interests. His work on the Symmes Neighborhood Advisory Committee, the Human Rights Commission and Town Meeting has provided him with an understanding of the community and the issues confronting the Arlington schools.
We are fortunate to have a School Committee that is comprised of members with strong ideas, demonstrated commitment and diverse opinions. Joe Curro has the ability to bring such a group together for a common purpose — the best education for Arlington school children.
We encourage you to join us in voting for Joe Curro on April 5.
Joani LaMachia and Alex Bingham
Shawnee Rd.
Support for Curro
I am supporting Joe Curro's candidacy for Arlington School Committee. Joe, his wife and his daughters have been part of the Sunshine Nursery School family for the past four years, and he has been a dedicated volunteer in our classrooms and at our annual school fair.
Arlington's preschools rely on close partnerships with the rest of the education community. I have had the opportunity to discuss with Joe some of the ways in which Sunshine has historically worked together with the Arlington Public Schools to assist children with special needs and to prepare kids for future educational success.
Joe Curro is a sympathetic and caring person, who truly cares about children. I ask you to join me in voting for Joe Curro for School Committee on April 5.
Geraldine Pedrini, Director
Sunshine Nursery School
Joe Curro is a listener and a healer. These traits make him an outstanding candidate for Arlington’s School Committee. After the School Committee’s last rocky and polarizing year, it is time for a bridge builder. Joe will be one.
Joe has worked successfully for his neighborhood near Symmes Hospital as the head of the Symmes Neighborhood Advisory Committee. He has headed Arlington’s Human Rights Commission and helped mold the town’s nascent “No Place for Hate” Committee into a more inclusive committee, now called “Common Threads.” He has taken on these difficult positions to help people live better lives, and he has succeeded.
Joe’s Web site motto is “Open Eyes, Open Mind and Open Heart.” It suits him and is what Arlington needs right now. He is accessible and open and really smart. He also has a wonderful sense of humor, which will serve him well in public office.
Please join me in voting for Joe Curro on April 5. I enthusiastically endorse him, and look forward to working with him.
Clarissa Rowe
Brantwood Road
Levelheaded
I am writing to endorse the candidacy of Joe Curro for School Committee. As a member of the Arlington Human Rights Commission (AHRC), I have had the opportunity to work closely with Joe and get to know him.
Joe is one of the most levelheaded people I know. He works tirelessly for causes he believes in and he takes into account the feelings of all involved parties. He is a terrific communicator; he is a wonderful listener, and an excellent writer. Joe is a successful consensus builder. I have watched him sensitively and successfully help resolve difficult issues that have come before the AHRC. At this time in the life our community, we especially need someone who is smart, thoughtful, energetic and a leader who is committed to ensuring that the children of Arlington get the very best education available within a cost effective environment. The role schools play in our community is crucial.
Please join with me in voting for Joe Curro on April 5. You will be glad you did.
Marlene Schultz
Whittemore Street
Brings people together
We believe Joe Curro is a highly qualified candidate for a position on the School Committee.
He has served on the Arlington Human RightsCommission for three years and has been very active in the many discussions on cases that have been brought before it. He has been chairman for a year and listens well to others with their diverse views and opinions, and he tries to bring people together in discussions.
In these difficult economic times, we feel that Joe will be an excellent School Committee member dealing with hard budget decisions.
Please join us in voting for Joe Curro for the School Committee.
John and Nancy Sweeney
Support for Curro
As chairman of the Arlington Human Rights Commission, Joe Curro led the effort to collect over 1400 signatures for a full-page statement published in the Arlington Advocate last year that "intimidation and bigotry have no place in Arlington,” when certain public officials were subjected to threatening e-mails and anti-Semitic remarks. His work in this capacity had one goal: to bring people together. He did.
As a former legislative aide to state senator Bill Golden, he learned his way around the State House and budgetary issues, skills that will be very valuable on the School Committee. His many volunteer efforts in town speak of his ability to coordinate working with many groups, such as the Arlington Land Trust and Conservation Commission on issues facing the Symmes Neighborhood Advisory Committee. His proficiency in foreign languages, notably German and Russian, developed into being a foreign exchange student himself to bringing students from the former Soviet republics to study in the U.S. He taught technology at Bentley College and now is a development manager for the New England Journal of Medicine.
Voters often want to get beyond the statistics and credentials in order to get a sense of the character of the candidate, however. Joe Curro dedicated his campaign to the memory of a good friend, Mark Shinney, a teacher in Weymouth, whom he met during his work with foreign exchange students. Mark was one of those teachers who was an inspiration and whose life and tragic early death were felt deeply by his students. At his memorial service, a poem by Langston Hughes was read. Recently, when poet laureate Robert Pinksy appeared at Arlington High School, it was one of the few poems that was read by an Arlington student.
Joe Curro was there, felt the connection immediately, and understood at that moment the importance of opening oneself up to seemingly unrelated events to find the special meaning in them. Those who run for elective office often take great pains to hide their sensitivity to such occurrences, but Joe Curro embraced it and shared it with the public. This is an unusual gift, and Joe's willingness to share his experience gives us insight into how he will examine difficult issues with sensitivity. Please join me in voting for Joe Curro for School Committee on Saturday April 5.
"Dreams" by Langston Hughes
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken winged bird
That cannot fly
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
Cynthia Tollen
Fairmont St.
Sincere and optimistic
I write to support the candidacy of Joe Curro for Arlington School Committee.
I have known Joe for several years as a fellow Town Meeting member and former parishioner at the Church of St. James the Apostle, where he was a choir member and volunteered to transport elderly members of the parish to special Masses for sick and otherwise shut-in individuals. In Town Meeting, I have witnessed Joe's concern for his constituents and his compassion for residents of the town as a whole.
I have spoken to Joe about his ideas for and commitment to strengthening the connections between our school communities and our senior citizens. I have found him to be sincere and optimistic.
Please join me on April 5 in voting for Joe Curro for School Committee.
Robert Tosi, Jr.
Inverness Road
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Ability to build consensus Joe Curro has proven to me that me will be an asset to the Arlington School Committee. I first met Joe when he became a member of the Arlington Human Rights Commission two years ago. From the start, Joe dug his heels in and worked hard to further the mandate of the commission; to help promote tolerance and create a welcoming, safe atmosphere in our town. It was immediately apparent that Joe was deeply committed to fair and equal treatment of all individuals.
Joe took on the position of chair very quickly, and led the commission though a very challenging year. He was faced with issues surrounding the rights of gay families, the Armenian response to the ADL's stance on the Armenian Genocide, the name-calling incident at a high school basketball game, and the occurrence of anti-Semitic hate mail in our town. He handled all of these situations with the same measure of dignity, tenacity and fairness.
He spent hours thoroughly researching all sides of the issues before moving forward. He wrote thoughtful, intelligent position statements. He met with school administrators, law enforcement officials, town leaders, parents, students and concerned citizens of Arlington. He spearheaded an effort, which drew more than three percent of the town to publicly endorse a proclamation denouncing hateful acts of intolerance in Arlington. In each situation, Joe took the high road, building coalitions rather than creating additional divisiveness. This ability to build consensus is vitally needed on the School Committee. Joe will bring that.
Joe Curro is a reasonable, thoughtful, caring man who will be a very positive addition to the Arlington School Committee.
I hope you will join me in voting for Joe Curro on Saturday, April 5.
Sheri A. Baron
Raleigh Street
We write to endorse the candidacy of our friend and neighbor, Joe Curro, for School Committee.
Most of us have lived in Arlington our entire lives and are graduates of the local schools. Like Joe, we have chosen to raise our own families here, and are directly invested in the Arlington Public Schools.
Joe Curro demonstrates the traditional values of family and community on a daily basis. He respects all people, regardless of their background. Whether at school or at play, on the athletic fields or in common worship, or engaging in simple neighborhood pleasures such as Christmas caroling, trick-or-treating, and toasting marshmallows, Joe and his family have been right there with us in creating an environment for our kids that they will cherish for the rest of their lives.
Joe has exhibited time and again his willingness to advocate for his neighbors — when our interests have been affected by town actions, public utilities, or private developers. He has also been a strong supporter of our neighborhood schools, and for solutions that allow our families to walk safely along busy streets.
We need a reasonable voice to be heard during a time when difficult decisions need to be made. Joe is a man with unquestionable integrity, and we know that he would be a great representative of Arlington parents on the School Committee. We are voting for Joe on April 5, and encourage you to do so as well.
Maura Crowley and Steve Crowley
(AHS Class of 1986)
Cara Dalton and Joe Dalton
(AHS Class of 1987)
Brattle Street
Rob MacGillivray
(AHS Class of 1989)
Rachelle (Brown) MacGillivray
(AHS Class of 1990)
Rockland Avenue
Rick Luongo and Cheryl (Colman) Luongo
(ACHS Class of 1985)
Millett Street
I am a lifelong resident of Arlington, who has seen many changes in our town throughout the decades. I have had the rare distinction of living in the same house since infancy, raising my three children there, and watching people in the surrounding neighborhood come and go.
I am very proud to see my grandchildren growing up in this community, and I have been blessed to have the opportunity to volunteer in their classrooms and share in their learning. I only wish more seniors were given this same chance to see up close the great work of the teachers and staff of the Arlington Public Schools.
I have discussed this issue on several occasions with my neighbor Joe Curro, a candidate for Arlington School Committee. Joe agrees with me on the need to strengthen the compact between generations in Arlington by more actively inviting the elders of our town to share of their time and talent with our children. And he has made the idea of reaching out from our schools to the broader community a top priority of his campaign.
I know Joe as a neighbor, an advocate for the needs of others, a man of faith, and as a husband and father of two beautiful girls, whom he obviously loves very much. I am confident that if given the chance, Joe would put his whole heart into the betterment of our schools and the building of strong, productive relationships both on the School Committee and beyond.
For the sake of our children, our grandchildren, and our town, I will be voting for Joe Curro for School Committee on April 5.
Ruth T. Daley
Curro will listen and lead
You can learn a lot about a person by working beside one another, standing on the same side of an issue, cheering for your cause. Occasionally, I’ve found I can learn even more about a person by being in a position of conflict, confronted with differences that need to be resolved for the community to move forward.
I came to know Joe Curro as chair of the Symmes Neighborhood Advisory Committee while I served as vice-chair of the Town’s Symmes Advisory Committee. The latter was charged with shaping and advancing the Symmes redevelopment; the former, with protecting the neighborhood most deeply affected by the project. There’s been no shortage of conflicting viewpoints that must be acknowledged and balanced.
Through our work on this issue I came to respect Joe Curro as both a passionate advocate, and a dispassionate decision-maker.
Joe Curro is an energetic and hard-working leader who is also a respectful listener. He understands that all views must be considered, all participants must feel they’ve been heard and acknowledged, and in the end common ground can and must be found for collective progress to be made.
Our schools face the continued challenge of how to do more with less — how to continue on a path toward excellence with limited resources. Our School Committee faces its own challenge: how to reach consensus on the direction that path should take. Joe Curro has the skills and energy we need to help forge that consensus, and I hope you’ll join me in supporting him with one of your three votes on April 5.
Brian Rehrig
Academy Street
It isn’t often you have the opportunity to endorse your neighbor for something as important as Arlington School Committee. Having known and watched Joe’s dedication to children in Arlington I’m delighted to support Joe Curro. We in Arlington are fortunate that he is willing and committed to pursuing and fulfilling this role.
He is thoughtful and compassionate and a real listener. He really cares about Arlington as a community. He not only talks the talk but walks the walk. He has always been involved in organizations working for the causes that he supports.
Joe volunteered to chair the Symmes Neighborhood Advisory Committee. The issue of property development can be emotional and divisive. He provided terrific advocacy for the neighbors and demonstrated that rare ability to balance leadership and consensus development and the ability to prioritize issues. He worked diligently to keep us informed and elicit our concerns, ideas and feedback. As a town meeting member, we trusted our concerns were well represented.
As a mental health professional, I can recognize Joe’s ongoing commitment to children with special needs of all kinds in town. His commitment to the ideals of effective education and to public schools is apparent. Joe possesses a unique ability to bring people together — a quality that will most certainly be important moving forward on the school committee. Joe is an asset to any group he participates in — his sincerity and leadership skills will be valuable given the challenges that face our schools.
I hope you will join me in supporting Joe Curro for Arlington School Committee.
Lucille Traina
Brattle St.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Curro will be good community leader
I am supporting Joe Curro for School Committee. As a colleague of Joe's at the New England Journal of Medicine, I see his professionalism, dedication, and work ethic on a daily basis. In addition to being a wonderfully positive person to collaborate with, Joe brings commitment and integrity to every task, and he is recognized as a leader in moving our 200-year-old research journal into the wired world of the 21st Century.
Joe motivates the people around him because he values their ideas and encourages their input. His open-minded approach to problem-solving and his intellectual curiosity have made him a respected individual in our organization.
It is well known there are factors outside of our control that got us into our current fiscal difficulty. I think we can all agree that we will be best served by School Committee members who will gain the respect of their peers and community.
The qualities that make Joe a good leader in the workplace, are also the qualities that I — as an Arlington resident and homeowner — look for in a community leader. I am confident that Joe Curro will bring the same commitment, honesty and respect to the School Committee that he brings to work everyday.
Please join me in voting for Joe Curro for School Committee on April 5.
Betty Bettencourt
Belton Street
Excited about Curro
I was truly excited when I learned that Joe Curro had decided to run for School Committee. Why? Because I knew immediately that he was the man for the job.
I first met Joe through our mutual work on Town Meeting and then through his active and dedicated volunteer work in town. Joe Curro is exactly the type of individual we need on our School Committee: thoughtful, sincere, grounded, open to input and creative ideas from all. Joe Curro is someone who is both willing and able to roll up his sleeves and to work tirelessly to develop sound and collaborative solutions to the difficult challenges facing our schools once he is elected.
For me, there is absolutely no doubt about it, on April 5 I will be casting my vote for Joe Curro for School Committee. I hope you will join me in helping to elect someone that will be a great addition to Arlington's School Committee.
Gordon Jamieson
Scituate Street
Thursday, Feb 28, 2008
Curro builds consensus
I write in support of Joe Curro's campaign for School Committee.
For several years, Joe Curro has served on Town Meeting, the Human Rights Commission, and the Symmes Neighborhood Advisory Committee. In that time, he has shown himself to be a person of great character and great commitment. His perseverance and patience on the matters with which he has been involved, has been exemplary.
I like Joe Curro's open, transparent, consensus-building approach to dealing with difficult issues. He's been able to go into initially adversarial situations and work with others to achieve reasonable outcomes. I don't expect to agree with all of the voting decisions made by anyone I support. What I do ask for, and am certain Joe Curro will deliver on, is that he'll bring a thoughtful, considered approach, that he'll go the extra mile to be well-informed, and that he will will reach out to all and listen to all.
As parent who will have two children in the schools next fall, I am grateful that Joe Curro's willing to make the commitment to serve our schools. We know some of the challenges the schools will face over the coming years, and we know there will be others less foreseeable. I’m confident that Joe Curro will work well with the other School Committee members, with the school personnel, and with the town, to meet these challenges.
Please join me in voting for Joe Curro on Saturday April 5.
Michael Quinn
Shawnee Road
Joe Curro: an effective leader
I am writing to endorse the candidacy of Joe Curro for School Committee. I have lived in Arlington for over 25 years, and I have come to know Joe through his work as one of my Town Meeting members and as chair of the Symmes Neighborhood Advisory Committee.
Joe has been a tireless advocate for his constituents, promoting balanced solutions to problems and providing people with thorough analysis and information. I have witnessed how he worked with town transportation officials on approaches to mitigating traffic at the Symmes redevelopment; presented reasoned and well-documented case studies in support of appropriately scaled commercial signage at the project; and cooperated in the promotion and advancement of stewardship activities at the Summer Street woods.
Although I do not have children in the schools, I understand the role that strong schools play in building a better community. I believe Joe Curro has the experience and character to provide effective leadership in these difficult times, and I ask you to join me in casting one of your three votes for School Committee for Joe Curro on April 5.
Marcia J. Byrne
Summer Street Place
Thu Feb 07, 2008, 08:33 AM EST
Joe Curro runs for School Committee
I made the decision to run for the Arlington School Committee to ensure the quality of education not only for my two daughters (a first-grader at the Stratton School and a preschooler at Sunshine Nursery School), but for every Arlington public school student. Our schools continue to face difficult times, and we cannot afford to fail our kids or our town. We need to build consensus and to work together to make sure that Arlington’s schools provide our children with the best possible education and provide our teachers and administrators with the tools and support they need to do their jobs.
In addition to being a parent, I have been involved in public service in Arlington as a Town Meeting member and as immediate past chair of both the Human Rights Commission and the Symmes Neighborhood Advisory Committee. In these roles, I have accumulated a solid track record of bringing people together:
- When the Stratton School’s plans to upgrade its aging heating system and remove a failing oil tank required digging up a nearby private way, I brokered an agreement between Keyspan and affected residents, allowing Stratton to convert to a more fuel-efficient and cost-effective energy source, averting an environmental tragedy, and satisfying concerns of private property owners.
- I helped bring Brackett School families together with the superintendent and other administrators, resulting in a school-sanctioned support network for gay parents and their children.
- When public officials found themselves the targets of anonymous anti-Semitic and threatening hate mail, I spearheaded the organization of a community statement of concern rejecting bigotry and intimidation. Over 1,400 people — including the superintendent, School Committee members, and 60 Ottoson staff members — signed this statement of principles against a backdrop of otherwise deep disagreements in our community.
Other examples of pressure-filled situations that I have navigated include: my role in helping to redefine the former No Place for Hate® program as a local Arlington initiative following widespread concerns in the Armenian community regarding the original sponsor; and my experience advocating for the Symmes neighborhood during the painful and difficult process around the former hospital’s redevelopment. Indeed, in the latter case, some of those with whom I have publicly disagreed on policy matters have become my strongest supporters, because they recognize the value I place on respectful debate and a search for common ground.
I am running a grassroots campaign for reconciliation and renewal. I seek to expand the covenant between our schools and the greater Arlington community, particularly with senior citizens, private businesses and professionals, and other populations of individuals. I invite you to read my full vision at http://www.JoeCurro.info/, I look forward to speaking with you, and I respectfully ask for one of your three votes for School Committee on April 5.
Joseph A. Curro, Jr.
Thu Feb 14, 2008, 08:37 AM EST
Curro brings people together
We enthusiastically support Joe Curro's decision to run for a seat on the Arlington School Committee. Joe's experience bringing people together during difficult times will be an asset to the School Committee and to the all of the citizens of the town of Arlington.
Joe has the skill and the desire to learn about the issues facing our school system, will work hard to hear the voices on all sides, and will endeavor to make decisions that benefit our schools and our community. His ability to make sound judgments will ensure that current and future students of the Arlington public schools receive the best education possible.
Joe is committed to the town of Arlington. Over the years, Joe’s involvement in several town groups such as the Arlington Human Rights Commission, the Symmes Neighborhood Advisory Committee, Arlington Common Threads Steering Committee and Town Meeting has shown his dedication to our town.
We encourage all of you to learn more about Joe Curro by visiting his Web site, www.JoeCurro.info and we hope that you will join us in voting for Joe Curro for School Committee on April 5.
Christine Carney
Richfield Road
Beth Martin
Hemlock Street
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