Deanbrook.Org

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Campaign Statement Supporters Absentee Voting Discussion Meet the candidates, Wednesday November 30 How can you help? My name is Stephen Bannasch, I am running for election to the School Committee and I'd like your vote. I recently completed a three-year term on the School Committee where I helped develop the new mission statement, select the interim and current superintendents, and served on the Union #28 Budget and Personnel committee. I work at Concord Consortium as the Director of Technology and have more than 25 years of experience developing innovative educational technology and curricula, managing projects, hiring people, and maintaining budgets. The Concord Consortium is a non-profit educational research and development organization that specializes in developing and adapting technology for both K-12 math and science education and teacher-professional development. Educational Philosophy Our school must do the best job possible to prepare our children to lead successful lives of personal and social meaning. This means more than a narrow focus on high-stakes tests and State curriculum frameworks, it means making certain that students are involved with their hearts and their minds in projects that are meaningful. I believe that children learn best when they take an active and engaged ownership in their own learning and use this involvement to build an understanding of themselves and the world around them. I think this is best achieved with a curriculum that emphasizes thematic and project-based learning. The learning strategies and essential skills described in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks are learned most effectively when children use these skills in projects they have a personal investment in. It is important for the School Committee to defend this educational philosophy and approach against a general theme in education today that values a broad but shallow mastery of facts. Open Communications The School Committee should pass a communications policy that states we will take all practical steps to make all of the School Committee and the School's business, budget and communications as accessible to the public as possible. For example I'd like to have copies of any information sent by the superintendent to school committee members posted publicly on a web site. Of course most of the time almost no one will be interested in this information but anybody in town who is interested should be able to easily find out what the School Committee is discussing and deciding. I encourage you to continue the conversation with me in person or by contacting me at 259-9125, email at

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