Last week provided several occasions for me to take stock, to look ahead, and to celebrate. On Wednesday I said good-bye to my colleagues at Community Charter School of Cambridge, leaving my job of the past three years to campaign — and hopefully to serve the city — full-time. Imbuing students with the commitment and the skills to be lifelong learners, the courage stretch beyond their comfort zones, and the desire to apply new knowledge in the real world is what CCSC and all good schools endeavor to do. Working at CCSC and getting to know students whose families are struggling to climb the ladder of opportunity was part of what inspired me to run for office and to stretch myself by making a deep dive into the city’s policies and politics.
We can do, and must, do better by the next generation — this was the theme of a forum I attended at the Boston Foundation on Tuesday. Harvard professor and Cambridge resident Robert D. Putnam spoke about his new book, Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis. Closing the achievement gap through high-quality public education is no longer sufficient when structural barriers persist that pull the rungs off the lower levels of the ladder. Putnam’s recommendations include public and private investments in universal early childhood education and workforce development, along with criminal justice reform, increases in wages and policies that help working families. He didn’t mention investing in more affordable housing, and, to me, it was one of several political elephants in the room. The pernicious and divisive effects of growing class segregation that Putnam’s book documents are the logical outgrowth of our “pay to play” political culture.
Campaign bike!
Last week I also attended three events where orange (my campaign color in case you hadn’t noticed) dominated. The YWCA’s annual meeting on Tuesday evening included an update on the construction of 40 units of affordable housing next door on Temple Place, due to open this fall, as well as a renewed pledge to stand against racism through community dialogue prompted by the nine hate murders in Charleston. The next night I helped celebrate the 10th birthday of the Livable Streets Alliance, a Cambridge-based organization whose mission I enthusiastically support (unlike several of the current councillors who chewed up a good part of last week’s Council hearing complaining about the recent addition of a protected bike lane on Western Ave.) And on Saturday I attended at brunch at the venerable S&S Deli in Inman Square jointly hosted by the Princeton Alumni Corps and Princeton Internships in Civic Service, two of the many ways my alma mater furthers civic engagement and public service.
On Thursday night the Cambridge Residents Alliance held its annual meeting. The CRA, whose mission is to bring more progressive and diverse voices into the public discussion about the city’s future growth, inspired me to found the Fresh Pond Residents Alliance, and our goals and values remain closely aligned. With the election just four months away, the CRA asked those attending the meeting (including me, Councillor Dennis Carlone and candidate Minka van Beuzekom) to list three qualities they most want to see in future city councillors.The three qualities I cited were: proactive, responsive, and inclusive. Over and over people cited transparency and accountability, and said they would not support candidates who accept donations from large real estate developers. I pledged this at the outset as well as to work full-time as a councillor (without becoming a professional politician) rather than continuing to hold another job.
Coming on the heels of the Supreme Court’s historic decision on marriage equality, Friday night’s city dance party in Central Square was a public expression of the pride in our city that I and many others in the crowd of 20,000-plus were feeling. We are fortunate to live in the city where the nation’s first same-sex marriage took place and where the city throws an annual street dance for all ages outside City Hall. It was a colorful event in all respects, and for me a highlight was watching hundreds of people do the “YMCA” arm motions right in front of the YMCA building. As the young folks say, “I can’t even…” — oh, what a night!
Doing the YMCA dance in front of the YMCA
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