I led the effort on the Board of Aldermen to make sure that the City’s technology reimbursement from the Federal E-Rate program would go primarily for technology in the classroom in the Newton Public Schools. When proposals for administrative computers for the School Department came before the Board of Aldermen, I and other Aldermen and School Committee members worked with School Department officials to make sure that the bulk of the funds would go to computers that would be used by students.

I also helped with the effort to make sure that teachers would receive adequate training in the use of new technology. My goal has been to avoid allowing newly-purchased computers to gather dust in classrooms where they go unused. Innovation on the part of teachers should be rewarded with the technological resources they need to realize their educational visions.