Rachel B. Weinstein
2021 Candidate for Cambridge School Committee

Home address:
60 Standish St. #1
Cambridge, MA 02138

Contact information:
email: info@rachelforcambridge.com
phone: (857) 600-1265
website: www.rachelforcambridge.com
Twitter: @RachelforCambridge
Facebook: @RachelforCambridge
Instagram: @RachelforCambridge

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Committee to Elect Rachel Weinstein
60 Standish St #1
Cambridge, MA 02138

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Neighbors,

Thank you for making the time to learn about the candidates for the Cambridge School Committee.

I am a proud K-to-12 product of, parent in, and policy-maker for the Cambridge Public Schools.

Two months into my first term in elected office, we closed school buildings for COVID, so this has not been the experience I anticipated. That said, I am grateful to have been in a position of influence during this incredibly challenging time. My colleagues and I have ensured layers of protection for our school communities. I also have been the most outspoken advocate on the School Committee for vaccine mandates.

As many have noted, COVID has only highlighted deep racial and socioeconomic inequities in our society. Racial equity was the fire in my belly to run in the first place, as I have witnessed my daughter have very different experiences in our schools, as a Black child, than I had as a white child. The very first motion I brought to the School Committee, with Member Wilson, was to name racial equity as a priority of the term. This was an outgrowth of our work with the Building Equity Bridges movement. The policy’s enactment positioned us to advocate successfully for racial equity components in the budget, including an Office of Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, and a more robust family engagement team. This summer, the Committee adopted community-developed antiracist vision and mission statements.

When Dr. Salim submitted his resignation, we learned that School Committees can simply appoint interim superintendents, but I was able to secure approval from my colleagues for a community process that I designed. I worked with students, families, and educators and out-of-school time partners. We specifically recruited families of color, families who are English learners, and families whose children receive special education services. While there were multiple reasons to do so, chief among them was to demonstrate to the finalists that Cambridge is serious about centering the voices and experiences of the people we have failed historically. I am proud of this process, as it was an example of us walking our talk.

I have long believed that our system works for students who have an adult supporter. Far too many of our students fall through the cracks simply because they don’t have someone to help them sign up for after school, find translation for their parents, or secure an internship. I continue to hold that young people would have better academic and life outcomes if we ensured each child had a champion. We experimented with one approach during COVID when I introduced a policy that would require students to receive a weekly check-in call from a staff member. If reelected, I look forward to iterating on this concept, particularly as the Committee has expressed interest in implementing student success plans and expanding our early college initiative, both of which require an adult in a navigator-like position.

I am committed to seeing our district’s organizational culture shift in the coming years and hope to have the opportunity to continue to partner in this work from a School Committee role. Additionally, in the coming two years:

• CPS needs to adopt a district plan that expects all children to reach or exceed grade level expectations. As long as I serve on the School Committee, it will not be okay to have different expectations for different children. We cannot tell half our Black children and two third of our students with disabilities that they do not need to read on grade level by third grade, as our current plan does.
• We need to figure out how every child has a champion. Teen Health Survey data show that the vast majority of our upper and high school students do NOT have an adult at school they would go to with a problem. I want to work with students, families, educators, administrators, out of school time professionals and others to change that.
• More high school students need to have access to internships and industry-recognized credentials. Over time, we should ensure all students in high school gain work-based experience.

My values and goals remain consistent. This is critical work that takes time, especially when we’re also dealing with COVID. I’m just getting started and hope to earn your number one vote this fall.

Please reach out with questions and ideas anytime.

In collaboration,
Rachel
Rachel@rachelforcambridge.com
857-600-1265

Rachel Weinstein is a proud product of, parent in, and policy-maker for CPS. She has had extensive experience with a variety of schools. Her early career included stints as a paraprofessional at the Graham and Parks School and as a reading teacher (in AmeriCorps) for sixth graders performing below grade level. She also worked on redesigning family-school conferences to position students, caregivers, and educators to be on the same team. Rachel worked for two California State Assembly Members and then directed the Oakland, California office of the state Senate President. For the last decade, Rachel has served as the Chief Collaboration Officer for the Boston Compact, coordinating the partnership of Boston’s district, charter and Catholic schools. In this capacity, she has catalyzed productive professional relationships across a diverse array of educators as they establish a path forward that benefits children and families across Boston.

Rachel’s perspectives on Cambridge schools can be found on the “Rachel’s Reflections” page of her website, rachelforcambridge.com.

CCTV candidate video (2021)

2019 Candidate Page     CCTV candidate video (2019)