Page 8 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, October 18, 2019 GRAY AND DEAN | FROM PAGE 3 SNOW BLOWER SALES, SERVICE & REPAIRS Pickup/Delivery Available 781-289-6466 Renee Dean With three children in Malden schools and years of involvement as treasurer of the Forestdale PTO, Renee Dean decided to take the next step and run for the Ward 6 School Committee seat. “It seemed like a natural progression,” said Dean, who added that she met a lot of families through her PTO work, which made her want to become more involved. “It’s a great way to be part of the community,” she said. Dean, who juggles her busy family life with her part-time work as an interior designer for her family’s architectural firm, understands how complicated life can be for working parents who run into issues involving their children’s education. Her own experience as a Forestdale parent has been positive, and she feels she can help other families who are facing challenges navigating the system to find answers. Dean acknowledges that she needs to learn more about different aspects of the school department, such as the Special Education program or curriculum development, before offering any opinions. However, she is excited about digging into the details and working with other committee members. “I don’t have an agenda,” she said. “I want to go into this with fresh ideas and an open mind.” In addition to serving on the Forestdale PTO, where she not only kept the books but also helped organize fundraisers, school events and classroom activities, Dean worked with the District PTO to foster communication between city schools. Dean feels the district needs to increase communication and transparency with school families. “I feel they can be slow at times,” she said, pointing to the cancellation and subsequent reinstatement of the afterschool program at Salemwood as a prime example of a communication breakdown. “But there’s a way to improve it, and I would like to help,” she said. “Having real, clear communication makes all the difference.” Dean is on board with other families who want to see recess time extended, particularly for younger children. “We are pushing for more recess time for the kids, and I think there are enough people to back it,” she said. She supports ongoing efforts to promote racial equity in city schools. “I think that given the diversity of our community, a more diverse staff and programs that promote diversity would be fantastic,” she said, adding that the district needs to look at more opportunities to recruit teachers of color. By connecting with other parents and school families, Dean said, she has learned about different programs and initiatives, such as social and emotional learning, which she said reflects some of the district’s core strengths. “Teachers have been open to all of these ideas and to trying new things,” she said. “And that’s great.” WE WORK FOR YOU! * Have your car repaired by Real Manufacturer Certiified Technicians * An I-CAR GOLD CLASS SHOP Highest Certificate in the Repair Industry * Premier Insurance Co. Collision Repair Shop for Geico, Liberty Mutual, Metlife, Progressive and more! * Over 30 Years of putting families back on the Road Safe & Fast! * ATLAS Stands Behind All Repairs with a Limited Lifetime Warranty 1605 North Shore Road, Revere * 781-284-1200 Visit us at: www.AtlasAutobody.com or call (781) 284-1200 to schedule your appointment today!
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