Education411 is a non-partisan, grass-roots citizen organization. Its mission is to celebrate Westwood’s long tradition of educational excellence and to inform residents of key issues facing our public schools. Education411 is neither a “Yes” committee nor a “No” committee. Because the issues facing the public schools will remain complex for the foreseeable future, we expect Education411 to exist for many years to come.
Since its formation, Education411 members have published several newsletters about education-related topics, spoken to various groups, disseminated summaries of town meetings involving school issues, and begun compiling an email circulation list that currently reaches several hundred households and, we estimate, more than a thousand readers.
We welcome the time and talents of all Westwood citizens; to whatever degree they may be able to contribute to this effort. Please send an email to WestwoodEducation411@yahoo.com to subscribe to our newsletter or if you would like to assist with the work of any committee.
The following committees facilitate the operations of Education411:
Steering Committee, 2010-2011
Co-Chairs: John Loughnane and David Belcher
The Steering Committee meets and communicates
on a regular basis to coordinate activities of the group.
Research Committee, 2010-2011
Chair: Ann Marie MacIntyre
The Research Committee is responsible for developing
written fact-based descriptions of issues of importance. Members
attend School Committee and Finance Committee meetings and develop
short concise summaries of those meetings. These summaries are
provided to the Public Relations Committee for use in the newsletter.
In addition, members solicit FAQs from residents and help find
answers from relevant sources. The answers, which should be
concise, may provide links to further information for those
interested in learning more. Issues that the Committee will
address include the impact of Westwood Station, state/federal
policy and budget issues, school issue developments in other
towns, etc.
Public Relations Committee,
2010-2011 Chair: Eamonn Murphy
The Public Relations Committee is focused on helping
the Research Committee disseminate information. The Public Relations
Committee develops and maintains a website, produces the newsletter
(with information provided by Research Committee), organizes
public forums, reaches out to the local media and serves as
a point of contact for media, and maintains the email database
list. The Public Relations Committee endeavors to maintain a
written description of the process by which the website is maintained
and updated in order to facilitate such efforts by different
members of the organization.
Grassroots Committee
The Grassroots Committee is comprised of individuals
who serve as central points of contact for various local schools
and institutions. They act as liaisons between the people associated
with those institutions and EDUCATION411. Thus, they help make
friends and colleagues at local schools aware of EDUCATION411.
They obtain and pass on to the Public Relations Committee email
addresses for people to be added to the newsletter list. They
listen for questions and issues and pass those on to members
of the Research Committee for answers. Ideally, each school
in the district and other community groups (such as the Council
on Aging and Westwood Educational Foundation) has at least one
liaison with EDUCATION411.
Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee recommends nominations
for new chairpersons of the various committees of EDUCATION411
on an annual basis in the spring of each year with the terms
of such new chairpersons commencing in June of each year.
