The following was sent to us by a reader –
I have been a resident and homeowner in Reading since 2006. This is the same time Tom, and his wife Heidi moved to Reading and while we did not have the opportunity to meet until Tom ran for School Committee in 2019, we have come to discover that we moved to Reading for many of the same reasons which are public safety, commuting options to Boston, and the Reading Public Schools.
Tom is an excellent listener, collaborator, and analytical person. He is curious, results driven and can uncover the root of an issue by asking the right questions and seeing the connections between things in meaningful ways. He is a problem solver with a balanced approach between short-term and long-term goals. He cares about the students and their families and is financially astute.
Tom has proven these attributes with his achievements to date since being elected in 2019 and reelected in 2022, when in fact both he and Chuck Robinson ran for re-election unopposed, which speaks to the confidence the community had in his leadership over two challenging years during COVID.
One example of Tom’s results driven leadership is Tuition-Free Full-Day Kindergarten. For numerous years, the residents of Reading were seeking this and were told by School Committee members and administrators alike that it would not be possible due to budgetary constraints. However, Tom wanted to challenge that, and in partnership with key stakeholders, he developed a model that offered multiple paths to the goal. His work included a multi-year budget impact analysis, student enrollment forecast, and allowances and forecasts for High-Need Students. In January 2022, the School Committee voted to adopt his Three-Year High Needs model, which allowed for tuition-free status in the fourth year. And during the budget discussion for the 2025-2026 School Year this January, the School Committee voted on a budget that will include tuition-free, full-day kindergarten. What several claimed was impossible became possible through Tom’s research, analysis, collaboration, creativity, and resilience to provide what was needed for the young families of Reading.
Another example to highlight is Tom his focus on student’s needs and fiscally responsible investments surrounding special education. Tom wisely recognized it is much more cost-effective to educate our students in Reading Public Schools than to send them out of the district to specialist schools. As part his Campaign in 2019, he advocated for an Invest to Save model, demonstrating that by investing in our internal programs, Reading could save money as a town and for our taxpayers and help children and their families. His focus was the LEAD program (formerly named BRIDGE), our in-district program for children with language-based disabilities, specifically those with dyslexia, he worked to improve our ability to serve these students in-district. Recently, as part of a Needs Assessment of the Program by the MGH Institute of Health Professions, one of the foremost experts in Dyslexia and other language-based disabilities, it has been confirmed that Reading is now in the 95th percentile of programs in the area for this area of Special Education.
Tom has the experience and strong leadership to drive results and to advocate for fiscally responsible decisions. We are at a crucial time, with many large capital projects, such as the long overdue and necessary Killam School Project, coming soon and over the next few years. School and Town leadership will need a critical eye with a focus on assessing needs, not just wants, and a deep review of the overall cost options and to leverage alternative income streams to prevent another Operational Override that would increase tax burden on Reading residents. Tom has proven his ability to navigate complex financial challenges over the last six years. I trust he will continue to do so while being an unwavering champion for academic excellence and a welcoming, supportive, productive learning environment for all students.
Please join me in voting for Tom Wise for Reading School Committee on or before April 8. Let’s keep things on the right track!
Kerri Perry
West Street
- Town Meeting Member 2021-Present and Precinct 6 Chair 2022-Present
- Advisory Board Member for the Reading Coalition for Prevention & Support 2022 – Present
- Member of the Reading Bylaw Committee 2021-2023
- Member of the Reading Cultural Council 2020-2023
- Member of the Reading Human Relations Advisory Board 2018-2021
