Veteran Teacher, Parent Joins the Race for School Committee

A veteran teacher has joined the race for the Watertown School Committee.

Andrew Swan, who has lived in Watertown for nearly a decade and his two children attend the Lowell School, joined the ballot. The first time candidate currently teaches eighth-grade history at Bigelow Middle School in Newton and previously worked in Brookline and Weston.

Swan said his experience as a teacher would be useful as a School Committee member.

"Some people think I'm crazy for teaching middle school the past 13 years, but I love the students' energy and helping them grow through the year. My experience gives me plenty of ideas to address many parents' concerns about Watertown Middle School," says Andrew Swan.

Some concerns he has heard from parents include drug and alcohol use, uneven special education services, the 'Humanities' curriculum, and the general reputation of the middle school and Watertown as a district.
Swan said he is also concerned about the class sizes in the elementary schools.

If elected, Swan said one of his priorities would be communications “at all levels.”

"The Town Council needs and deserves more information about how the superintendent spends funds and gets results,” Swan said. “The teachers need and deserve more input about professional development and more explanations about program changes.The parents need and deserve more details about nightly homework assignments and their children's progress in learning.”
Swan added that with his understanding about what goes on in the classroom, he could bridge the gap between the School Committee and the public.