Ruth Ryan Allen
2019 Candidate for Cambridge School Committee
Home address:
48 Fenno St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
Contact information:
email: Ruth@RuthRyanAllen.com
phone:
website: RuthRyanAllen.com
Twitter:
Facebook: facebook.com/Ruthisintherace/
Send contributions to:
Committee to Elect Ruth Ryan Allen
48 Fenno St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
OR
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/committee-to-elect-ruth-ryan-allen
Ruth Ryan Allen is a new candidate this year.
My name is Ruth Ryan Allen. I have had the privilege of living in Cambridge all my life, as a third-generation Cantabridgian, and a second-generation American. I come from a working class background, and was the first person in my family to go to college and earn a degree. My father was a Cambridge Fireman, a U.S. Marine, and was involved in founding the Rescue Squad. My mother was a homemaker and small-business owner. My husband Irving and I have been blessed with two daughters, one who graduated from CRLS in 2016 and one who is entering CRLS as a Freshman this year.
I have fought tirelessly for both of my girls within the Cambridge school system. I have navigated the IEP process, at times not successfully. I have sat in the Superintendent’s office and waited to be seen to attempt to resolve issues. I serve as a very vocal advocate for all children as a council member on the Cambridge Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SE-PAC). I have testified and rallied at the State House to pass the Dyslexia Bill. There is still much to do to implement this Bill successfully within the city.
I believe that college is not for everyone. Growing up in working class Cambridge, I saw how unions and trades saved many young men and women. I think now is the perfect time to make this more available and increase the options for our young people.
I own and run Paddy's, the oldest woman-owned bar in Cambridge, celebrating our 85th year in business. People don't realize that Paddy's has always been owned and managed by the women in my family. I am an advocate for girls’ sports in Cambridge and established the Paddy's 5K Road Race to support Cambridge Girls’ Softball, Title IX Girls’ Running Club, and Falcon Basketball. Paddy’s and I support many Cambridge schools fundraising efforts, as well as many non-profits.
My work in the community has been personally rewarding. I’ve been awarded the 2016 Unsung Heroine Award from the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women, the 2016 YWCA Ruth Barron Award for Outstanding Women, the 2019 Trailblazing Women of Cambridge Award, Galluccio Associates’ Volunteer Award, and 2019 Legacy Business Award.
The most important part of Cambridge is our children. They are our best resource and we must do right by them, providing them with an education, no matter their style of learning. We must include children of all abilities into all programs. We need to increase support for all students. Education doesn’t stop at the classroom door.
I look forward to doing the hard work, seeking the best solutions for the children of Cambridge.
CCTV candidate video (2019)