Katjana's Education Recovery Plan

As mayor, I’ll continue to be guided by science, and public health data in making policies to keep our community safe. I am committed to guarding the health of students, families, teachers and school workers. As we continue to restart our schools, every family needs the appropriate education options for their children. However many students and their families have lost well more than a year of progress due to the pandemic. I’ll focus resources on those students and families who are disproportionately affected by the quarantine. In particular, students with special needs and those who learn best with personal interaction should be afforded every resource to help them to get back on track.

Several, general priorities will assist every student and family with kids. As mayor, I’ll work to implement these individual and universal resources:

• Individual assessments, education plans and counseling will be vital to understanding how to help students and families to best recover and get back on track. I’ll make these an urgent priority.

• Universal Pre-K. In recent years we’ve established options for preschool. I’ll work to make this opportunity available city-wide and to every child and family in Somerville. Data shows that there is no better investment to achieve long term positive education outcomes.

• Universal After School. Working families need after school care to thrive. The enrichment programs available through after school are known to benefit students for life. After school enrichment activities are common in families of means. As mayor I’ll make these programs available to every student and family who wants them.

• Universal Transportation for Education. Our city offers various school and after school resources in various locations. As mayor, I’ll work for free transportation to allow students to have equitable access to the programs that work best for them no matter where in Somerville they live.

• The CARES Act for Municipal Government can be used to address educational disparities and to promote healthy childhood environments. As mayor, I’ll work to fund our shared education priorities from all available resources, including CARES

We will need to work together to get everyone back to school and back on track. To make our excellent schools even better we’ll need to focus our efforts and resources,. As mayor, I will be committed to making our schools even better for every student and family of Somerville.