total time: 4.35 minutes
total words: 98
[Nicole Branley]: Hello everyone, and thank you for taking the time to watch this. I am Nicole Branley, and I am running for re-election to the Medford School Committee. In 2023, I decided to run for school committee with the fire in me so hot I ignited the city. That fire has not been extinguished, and in fact burns even hotter today. I have enormous respect for the seat I earned at City Hall and the voters in our beloved city trust me with. I don't just represent the voters who cast a ballot for me, but our city as a whole. Running a grassroots, independent candidate campaign is not easy. It makes me proud to not only have won in 2023, but to run again this election season. I'm not a politician. I'm a mom who ran for office and won, and I want to do it again. I have held true to my 2023 campaign promises, safety, accountability, and excellence. Safety will always be at the forefront of my campaign because when students and faculty feel safe in their environment, supported and know the correct policies and procedures for accountability, they will thrive. Supporting our staff is imperative. They show up every single day and are the backbone of Medford Public Schools. They want to be heard. They want their needs met so they can meet the needs of our children. We all own a part in that. Whether you have a child in Medford Public Schools or not, what happens in our schools spills into our neighborhoods and our community. The children are our future and they need to matter to us all. When staff and students feel supported, I truly believe pride and excellence follows. Mustang pride runs deep in my Mustang blue and white veins, and my unwavering dedication to our schools, our community as a whole, has only grown deeper during my time in office. My whole heart is in everything that I do. I know it's said the school committee is a part-time job, And what you see in Chambers is a small clip of my life as an elected official. This job is 24-7, from reading policies and contracts, prepping for meetings, emails, phone calls, text, chatting with everyone and anyone that deserved to be heard, attending events throughout their city. I show up, and I will continue to do that. Nothing tested my heart more than budget season last year. I truly felt I used my voice to stand up for our staff and our students, to ask the hard questions and dig deep to look for answers as to how and why we needed to ask all our residents to invest more into Medford. It proved we needed to work together for solutions, listen, be clear in our goals and needs, and follow through. It's okay to listen and disagree. Let's learn from each other. Let's meet in the middle. Compromise. Be kind. We need to lead by example for the children and families who are entrusting us with our elected positions. I have learned an enormous amount about our district's inner workings, laws, motions, bills, payroll, Contracts, grievances, curriculum, etc. I truly love watching my colleagues and I digest all the information at hand, break it down, bounce ideas off one another. Believe it or not, we don't always disagree. So much has tested us as a district, but I'm grateful for all of it, and I yearn for more. I have never walked into City Hall for myself, but for our city. I have worked in public education for nearly a decade. My six years as a kindergarten aide allowed me a rewarding first-hand experience in the classroom. My role as an administrative assistant for Somerville Public Schools Special Education Department, working for our most vulnerable students, is yet another layer in my work in public education. I say all the time that no one job in public education is more important than the other, because at the end of the day, every one of us is working towards a student's success. And you can make a difference too. Your one vote matters. I can't do this without you. Your support through the years has made the difference to me, to my family. So many people ask, what can I do to help? And if you know me at all, you know I answered kind, but direct, and with a list. Host a lawn sign. Share my website on your social media. Talk to your neighbors about the candidates you support and the why. Donate. Hold a sign at a polling place on election day or at a standout. Show up and vote for independent thinking candidates on November 4th. Thank you.
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total time: 4.35 minutes total words: 98 |
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