LYNETTE
MARTYN
ARLINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE
VOTE SATURDAY JUNE 6th, 2020
Testimonials
"I had the honor of meeting Lynette a few years ago, and from day one I knew how positive and energetic she was. I was amazed at the variety and mosaic around her. People of different races and directions. She is really a nice and kind person rich in ideas and knowledge. I am proud of her friendship. I am sure that her presence will be surely of great impact and an influencing factor for the educational process in Arlington".
~ Mousa Kharnaf, Hardy and Ottoson parent
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"Lynette Martyn is the progress I want to see in our schools. She is committed to being an agent of change for the good of all of Arlington’s students. She has done and will continue to do the internal work, so that she can best represent the needs of all of our learners."
~ Inae Hwang, Chair, Arlington’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC)
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"Lynette's superpower is that she makes things happen by the sheer strength of her passion, commitment and hard work. I can't wait to see what she'll accomplish for this town as a member of the School Committee."
~Melanie Brown, Candidate for Town Meeting, Precinct 19
“Lynette Martyn is a driven and organized human being. One of the things I appreciate about Lynette is her willingness to receive and incorporate direct feedback -- to me that is respectful. I think that is an important quality to have as a committee member charged with caring for our most prized resource- our children.” ~ Michaiah Healy, Candidate for Select Board, Arlington Diversity Task Group Chair
"As a recent graduate of Arlington Public Schools, I am confident that Lynette Martyn will be an excellent addition to the School Committee. I worked closely with Lynette on Arlington’s Diversity Task Group for a year and have learned what a passionate and dedicated person she is. Lynette will fight for each and every student and will handle difficult problems with fairness and determination. ~ Sophie Spink, former AHS student intern for the Arlington Diversity Task Group
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“I met Lynette during School Committee meetings about goals to achieve cultural competency. These discussions ultimately led to forming the Diversity and Inclusion Groups (DIGs). Lynette played a key leadership
role in helping these groups off the ground, outlining their role and organizing them in each school. I was struck by her resolve to ensure that fairness and mutual respect for all people were at the forefront during that process. Since then I've come to know Lynette well. What
has impressed me the most are her organizational skills to bring people together, her drive and energy in the leadership role for the APS Diversity and Inclusion Groups to grow and sustain, and her overwhelming commitment to always be working to make things better. I'm glad that Lynette is running for School Committee as I am convinced that her leadership and vision will greatly benefit our school community."
~ Rajeev Soneja, Ottoson DIG Parent-lead
"Lynette is a one of the most can-do people I know; when she sees something that needs to be done, she gets to work. Her passion, compassion, and commitment to equity gives her seemingly endless energy to put her ideas into action, and to transform her hopes into realities. I have no doubt that she would consider the needs of every student as a school committee member, and be a determined advocate for the rights of all students and staff, especially those who are currently under-represented or overlooked. Lynette's drive to increase diversity of representation can make Arlington a better place for all."
~ Jill Fekete, Bishop and Gibbs parent
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“You should elect my mom because she tells me that everybody should be treated equal because it makes people sad if they're not treated fairly. My mom tells me to be kind and curious and to have fun everyday when I leave for school. If she gets elected she can make sure everyone is kind to each other.” ~ Kyle Martyn-Crawford, Brackett 3rd grader
“Lynette has been a tireless advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in our schools, town government and the larger community. I’m delighted to support her candidacy for School Committee and trust in her commitment to our children, faculty and the entire Arlington school community.”
~ Chris Dimeo
Town Meeting candidate, Precinct 16
“I’ve served with Lynette on DTG and am always impressed by her seemingly boundless energy, and by her ability to tease out, and move forward on, issues that should concern us. She is a sensitive advocate for inclusion, a tireless and talented organizer, and as hard a worker as I’ve ever met. As a professional translator and interpreter, I am struck by her strategic use of translation in announcements, and her recruitment of volunteer interpreters for some of our events as a means of encouraging participation by our non-English speaking neighbors.”
~ Louise B. Popkin, PhD, Arlington resident
"Our town leadership will be increasingly called upon to rise to the challenges of changing demographics, income inequality, housing affordability, and more. Each of these challenges impacts our schools, and our schools impact all residents. Lynette sees these challenges as opportunities for the schools and the town as a whole to grow more fully into the welcoming and diverse community that I for one long to see us become, and she has the ideas and the energy to inspire and nurture this growth as a member of the School Committee."
~ Mary Fusoni, Arlington resident and former AHS parent
" It's important to have members of the School Committee who consistently pay attention to diversity. Lynette has not only thought in detail about diversity in Arlington's public schools, but has also developed concrete plans for improving it. Through her record of commitment to social justice, she would be a gift to public education in our town."
~ Rosalind Shaw, Arlington resident and Associate Professor Emerita, Tufts University
"I am voting for Lynette Martyn because of her love for Arlington and her love for justice. My children need people like Lynette Martyn fighting to make our schools the best environment for all the students, and who continually fights to make our education system better. The status quo means we're accepting the current situations where students can slip and feel the need to drop out, and that's no okay with me.."
- Brian Kang, Thompson parent
"Lynette has been a consistent voice for diversity in her role as founder of the Diversity Inclusion Groups across Arlington Public Schools. She has been supportive of the Rainbow Alliance and she initiated collaboration to help make the LGBTQ+ community more visible.”
- AnitaCristina Calcaterra, Founder, Rainbow
Alliance, Arlington Public Schools
“As a member of the Black Student Union and someone who challenges racism and issues of injustice, I'm proud to endorse Lynette for the School Committee. Her passion in working with the youth is clear; she has been an ally who signifies hope within the town of Arlington. Her energy is demonstrated through her work and she is a force to be reckoned with."
~ Doralee Heurtelou, Arlington High School student, Black Student Union co-chair
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"I've served with Lynette Martyn in volunteer capacities in Arlington and know her to be a tireless advocate for diversity and inclusion in our schools. As a School Committee member, I think she would hear the concerns of families and students and would ensure that Arlington's schools are seeking to consistently improve and move forward on many issues that impact our kids' education."
~Katell Guellec, Arlington Diversity Task Group Co-Chair, Peirce parent
I live in Arlington and I've known Lynette for a few years now. I met her through the town’s diversity task group. Since I've known her, whenever I have needed advice or help Lynette has always been there for me. It gives me tremendous pleasure to know that she has decided to run for a school committee. I have full confidence Lynette will think only about our kids’ futures whenever she has a decision to make. Those of us who live in town will benefit by Lynette being on our school committee.
~ Arlington Public School employee
“As the chair of an organization that supports refugees and asylum seekers in Arlington, I have been privileged to work with Lynette for several years. She is generous, tireless, a brilliant networker and always looks for a way to say "yes." All 4 of my kids went through the Arlington public schools, so I have some view of the complexities and challenges the schools face. Lynette is exactly the person we need.” ~Eric Segal, Founder and Director, ArCS Cluster - Arlington, Cambridge, Somerville refugee support group
"Lynette is a committed and passionate advocate for social justice. As a community activist, she has worked tirelessly to catalyze important community dialogues on the issues of racial healing and to increase understanding and broaden awareness and sensitivity among town officials. She will bring an important perspective to the creation of policy and practice of the Arlington Public Schools and the intelligence, energy, and organizational skills needed to see that they are implemented effectively."
~ Stanley Pollack, Founder of Teen Empowerment, Arlington resident
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"Lynette has put in many hours behind the scenes to encourage the voices of families of all backgrounds to participate in important school community discussions about budget, curriculum, teacher recruitment and development, as well as on school and district
policies that promote more effective K-12 education for all children. Lynette's concern for students, teachers, schools and families add a constructive voice to build on past successes in Arlington Public Schools and ensure we become more effective in "raising the floor" of academic success for those students and families whom we collectively must serve better in our public schools. I encourage folks to support Lynette's candidacy"
~ Ben Moynihan, Brackett parent and Diversity & Inclusion Group participant; Director of Operations at the Algebra Project, Inc.
"As a longtime teacher and tutor who has worked extensively with marginalized youth, I would be hard-pressed to think of a more dedicated and empathetic individual to serve on our Town's school committee. She will no doubt work hard to ensure that our underrepresented students and their families have a voice and prioritize the advancement of equity and inclusion in Arlington's public schools."
~ Laura Kiesel, Town resident and educator
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"I have worked with Lynette around providing safe, inclusive communities for our Arlington residents. She shows energetic, dedicated leadership addressing community concerns over our undocumented immigrants, affordable housing, and quality public education for our children."
~ Kaspar Kasparian, TMM, Precinct 18
"Lynette’s work with the Arlington’s DIGs can’t be overlooked. She’s not just passionate in listening to the citizens’ concerns, she prioritizes strategizing and executing on that effort."
~ Caroline Murray, Precinct 12 Town Meeting Member, Brackett parent
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“I know Lynette Martyn as someone who truly lives her values and is diligent in doing whatever work is necessary to bring those values into her family and community life. She is a devoted parent who cares deeply about all students and the quality of education in our schools. I have no doubt that she will be a committed and tireless advocate for a more comprehensive and culturally competent education for Arlington.” ~ Lynette Culverhouse, Arlington Democratic Town Committee, associate member, former APS parent
“Lynette is a force of nature: organized, persistent, with a comprehensive view of the issues. She understands how to build coalitions, and will work to make the School Committee the best advocate for our students it can be.” ~Wynelle Evans, Arlington resident & homeowner
43 Letters Supporting Lynette Martyn for School Committee
1. “I often feel I don’t belong in a class and there is a fear in raising my hand, in participating. A fear that if I mess up, it will be reflective of the color of my skin; it will reflect and make it harder on all the other black students who are struggling to “represent.” If all of us are afraid to raise our hand in class, hesitant to reach out to a teacher for help, every time one of us hesitates to perform at our fullest, we are one step farther from reaching our full potential. It’s a systemic problem. There is the disparity Ms Martyn is touching on. If the almost 2,000 Arlington Public School students of color all feel the same way I do, all hesitate to raise their hands, because they know the kids that look like them make up a disproportionate percentage of the kids in detention and a smaller percentage of the kids showing up for AP classes, then we do fail thousands of kids.”
~ Doralee Heurtelou, Arlington High School Black Student Union co-chair, AHS graduating senior
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2. "One of the hardest workers I know in Arlington... a determined advocate for those most marginalized in our town — including in our school system. She cares deeply for our students and wants them all to not just succeed, but thrive...she will not only make sure she gets the job done, but that it is done right.”
~ Melanie Brown, Arlington Fights Racism co-chair
3. “I've served with Martyn on the town's Diversity Taskforce Group (DTG) and have found her to be tenacious, driven, and compassionate ... She is laser-focused on advancing justice and equity at all levels of our town's institutions.. we need her kind of candid willingness to push past racial fragility and come up with solutions to disparity issues in our schools.”
~ Katell Guellec, Diversity Task group co-chair
4. “Lynette played the single-most important role in getting the Diversity And Inclusion Groups (DIGs) established. Her skills in organization and ability to identify and engage dedicated members and parents with a range of specific concerns was instrumental in bringing together a diverse coalition.”
~ Rajeev Soneja, Diversity Task group co-chair
5. “As one of the few women of color on town meeting, Lynette has encouraged me to get further involved in town governance...I genuinely appreciate her encouragement and support. During my interactions with Lynette, I have found her to be respectful, cooperative, and a great listener.”
~ Zarina Memon, TMM member Precinct 21
6. “[Her] passionate drive for community improvement has yielded tangible accomplishments.. she has directly participated in efforts that have advanced warrant articles that became bylaws, such as our Trust Act resolution to make Arlington safer for our undocumented residents and visitors, and a waiver to our overnight street parking ban for low income and disabled residents who lack viable off-street parking options. Her knowledge and resourcefulness will make her an exceptional addition to the School Committee.”
~ Jordan Weinstein, TMM member Precinct 21
7. "..brave enough to name the issue of disparities ...she reaches out to others to work together for possible solutions. She's fallible and admits it--which is refreshing in our local political atmosphere, where admitting error or taking accountability for mistakes is treated like the worst kind of weakness.”
~ Jordan Weinstein, TMM Precinct 21 (2nd letter)
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8. “She is kind, she is thoughtful, and she is relentless when it comes to helping all voices be heard... right now we need her passion, her skill, and her relentlessness more than ever.”
~ Tony Siddall, Brackett parent, Program Officer, Next Generation Learning Challenges
9. “..only when we bring all of these students into our full consideration, and create an atmosphere where they not only succeed but can thrive — that our schools fulfill their mission and purpose.. in order to achieve this, we will need a strong advocate who prioritizes equity and compassion on the committee.
~ Edith Wun, Thompson DIG parent
10. "The DIGs have strengthened our school communities to better meet the needs of all of our children and their families, and we owe this achievement to Lynette.”
~ Judith Schaechter, member Superintendent Diversity Advisory Committee, Thomas DIG lead
11. “..beyond impressed by her energy, enthusiasm, courage and in-depth knowledge of the issues
... well-developed ideas for improving parent engagement, transparency and the achievement gap.”
~ Lynette Culverhouse, long-time resident and educator
12. “As a scientist, an educator and a journalist who myself grew up poor and with a learning disability, what I know is that data is not just a set of numbers; data also tells a story. The numbers represent real people with real struggles. When we dismiss data, we dismiss people. When the other candidates downplayed the data Martyn highlighted and glossed over their implications, they also essentially sidelined those represented in that data ...”
~ Laura Kiesel, Disability Advocate, Educator & Journalist
13. "It's very clear she really cares about these issues, that injustices don't sit well with her, and that she does not give herself a pass to pretend they don't exist or pass the buck to someone else. It seems she takes to heart the saying that one needs to be the change they wish for the world. To put it bluntly: Lynette Martyn is the candidate we need to move the dial in the right direction to help make Arlington Public Schools the best they can be.”
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14. “Lynette has put in many hours behind the scenes to encourage the voices of families of all backgrounds to participate..(Lynette) adds a constructive voice to build on past successes in APS and ensures we become more effective in “raising the floor” of academic success for those students and families whom we collectively must serve better in our public schools.”
~ Ben Moynihan, Brackett DIG parent, Director of Operations at The Algebra Project
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15. “...excited to elect an intelligent, a dynamic and an empathetic person in this position... someone that is a goal-oriented organizer and collaborator..Lynette is not just a good listener but is someone who is not afraid to ask the difficult questions and is ever-responsive in an evolving situation/issue. She is very hardworking, besides being resourceful when seeking answers and presenting solutions.”
~ Manisha Sharm, Ottoson parent
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16. “...in Lynette's case, collaboration explicitly means reaching out to and including those usually not given priority or often even overlooked altogether in policy decisions: low income individuals, the disabled, people of color, and LGBTQ+ folks. Unlike many who seek or are in office, Lynette wants to truly democratize our government and expand accessibility to it for all.”
~ Kaspar Kasparian, TMM Precinct 18
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17. “[As] chair of the Arlington School Committee, I noticed that the most productive and exemplary members had a passionate desire to help every child become the best they can be. That does not mean they agreed on every specific issue. They just were relentless driving forces for highest education standards, inclusion of special needs and racial equality together with complete absence of self-interest and conflicts of interest. Both Bill and Lynette are terrific and determined examples of these essential attributes.”
~ Patricia Worden, former APS School Committee member
18. "We will not find a better or stronger candidate to represent parents and students in the Arlington Public Schools. We need a person who has a hunger for positive change. A community is strengthened by how diverse its people are, and we need to see ambitious goals of increasing diversity, inclusion and belonging efforts. We will be voting for Lynette Martyn, and support her all the way.”
~ Nada El-Newahy and Khaled Aly
19. “I appreciate her tireless working for all folks in town and her ability to be honest, listen and not shy away from truth telling and in supporting the idea that Arlington schools should work for all students. Lynette also supports the on-going work around cultural competency in education. Lynette will add a positive, passionate voice to the issues facing Arlington in education today.”
~ Paula Jordan, long-term Arlington resident, educator
20. “...a deep knowledge of the topics with which she has engaged, and an indefatigable energy with which to pursue and complete the task at hand. Lynette has all the tools to help the School Committee move forward and face the future educational challenges of Arlington.”
~ Paul Parise, native Arlingtonian
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21. “...the antidote to the relative gridlock we have in properly addressing our achievement and discipline gaps and other disparities that are an issue with our school system. How can we address something we won't even acknowledge? We can't.”
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22. “An accomplished leader and innovator in matters concerning our schools.. A tireless advocate for diversity and inclusion with a 21st-century perspective..if elected she will work passionately and honestly to ensure that all our children receive the highest quality, most culturally proficient education possible.”
~ Louise Popkin,long-time Arlington resident and educator
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23. “Lynette has been a diligent and dedicated voice on the need to address the troubling disparity gaps in our public schools. And as a parent of children who attend Brackett, she has valuable insight into, and a vested interest in, the system's functioning.”
~ Louise Popkin (2nd letter)
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24. “Today’s students are tomorrow’s citizens and community leaders. Lynette Martyn is a forward-thinking advocate for the kinds of programs and schools that will help today’s students become those leaders. Her leadership experience on the Diversity and Inclusion Group positions will enable her to make important contributions and provide guidance to programs that embrace the increasing multicultural diversity all around us and build on it in the years ahead.”
~ Nancy Stevenson and Neil Clark
25. “Ms. Martyn is a leader. Let’s get started recognizing, acknowledging and tackling real and serious problems that are uncomfortable to address.”
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26. “Lynette promises to work hard to provide a safe and welcoming learning space for all our children.”
~ Sandra Mostajo (2nd letter)
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27. “..infuses necessary new blood and fresh ideas for our town.. particularly has her eye on narrowing achievement gaps between our low income children and non-low income children. We have an academic divide in Arlington that is really unconscionable. Martyn will rally us to address that with tenacity and compassion.”
~ Sarah Glover, K-12 Education Consulting
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28. “ ..(Lynette) will bring much needed awareness of issues affecting low-income residents and people of color..will work to improve the disparity gap in MCAS scores, graduation rates and disciplinary measures among students of color and students with disabilities.”
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29. “..motivated, passionate advocate for our town, our residents, our environment, and our future.”
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30. “..has a strong track record of leadership on issues related to our schools, and is a coalition builder and creative problem-solver, with a focus on inclusion in our schools.”
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31. “..she has fresh ideas backed by data based analysis, and a focus on the needs of underserved students. A broad planner who never forgets that details make or break an initiative, she will bring boundless energy to this role.”
~ Wynelle Evans (2nd letter)
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32. “..tireless in (her) commitment to Arlington and will lead with humility and compassion.”
~ Gwendolyn Wong (2nd letter)
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33. “nationwide an astonishing number of people are standing up and speaking out — individuals who want to “be part of the solution.”
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34. “Direct experience of our schools’ strengths and challenges. As a data-driven decision-maker with years of marketing and project-management experience, Martyn has proven her ability to identify needs and organize successful responses to them..with equity and transparency at the heart of the system.”
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35. “Martyn continues to engage voters about their questions and concerns related to APS respectfully--regardless of whether they are her supporters or not. It seems she is the one with the best temperament for the position, which is why she’s the one getting my vote.”
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36. “..laser-focused on issues of inclusion; I see Lynette as reasonable in her passion, even-tempered in her commitment. Lynette deserves one of the seats on the new school committee as an affirmative vote for the project of forming a more perfect Arlington. "Not as bad as others" or "as good as most" should not be the standard to which Arlington holds itself. And no one should be told he, she, or they is statistically insignificant. Lynette Martyn thinks we can do better. I agree with her.”
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37. “Lessons learned; the mere idea of losing power makes some people act unethically, double standards are alive and kicking in Arlington politics, we would rather attack each other than talk about race, and Arlington desperately needs Lynette Martyn’s brave, data-driven and collaborative leadership.”
~ Elizabeth Dray, AHS Parent, Immigrant Advocate
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38. “Exton and Martyn bring fresh, progressive ideas to the table and I am confident they work tirelessly for a better school system and a better Arlington overall.”
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39. “Arlington parents who have worked with Lynette believe that she would hear the concerns of families and students and ensure that Arlington’s schools are seeking to consistently make progress on the many issues of inclusion that impact our children’s education.”
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40. “..tenacious enough and responsible enough to look not just at the numbers but also to look at things holistically. ..has also made it a point to yield space and really listen to members of marginalized communities. She has her finger on the pulse of the district, and I believe she is interested in asking the questions “what is going well” and “what can we improve.” She will suss out those choices causing negative ripple effects and work together with the administration and the committee to make improvements.”
~ Wendy Fields, Stratton Parent, Teacher
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41. “Lynette brings a fresh, innovative, approach and a list of well-researched, data-driven proposals designed to make significant improvements. She is calling for early intervention and identification plans for our struggling readers, per last year’s Dyslexia Screening Law. She supports executive functioning skills support for all students. She has proposed social and emotional learning measurements for student progress reports (more than behavioral metrics) and expanded individualized support for our English language learners. She has called for Collaborative Problem-Solving programming for our middle school. And Lynette wants to engage more with special education parents through SEPAC (Special Education Parents Advisory Council) and TASA (the Arlington Special Education Alliance). And most of all, Lynette is listening — listening to the stories, challenges, hopes and aspirations of our high needs students.
~ Robert Saoud, Parent former APS student with Special Needs
42. “ [Lynette] has consistently sought to encourage school and district leaders, as well as parents, to collaborate to improve education for all students. Yes, let us celebrate and build on APS successes, acknowledge where we have fallen short, and hold ourselves collectively accountable for creating a school system that actually manifests “goal one” for all students”
~ Ben Moynihan, Brackett DIG parent (2nd letter)
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43. “Embodies the kind of change we need right now: bold, data-driven and collaborative.”
