Marcony Almeida-Barros has announced for re-election to Ward 5 School Committee. The following is Almeida-Barros’s announcement:
I’m Marcony Almeida-Barros, candidate for School Committee in Ward Five.
I work for the Attorney General, where I am the Director of Community Engagement. In this position, created by Maura Healey, I’m responsible for outreach and educating communities on how the AG’s office can work for them – from protecting senior citizens against scams to combating school bullying and opioids.
I was also an educator. I’ve taught at Northeastern University as an adjunct professor, which has given me an appreciation and compassion for students at all learning levels and diverse backgrounds.
Throughout my short time on the School Committee, I’ve been an active voice for parents, students and educators while concentrating on the future of our school system, bringing my professional background, passion and expertise to accomplish several important goals.
This experience came in handy last year when our schools were confronted with a global pandemic and required us to respond quickly and with care to protect the wellbeing of our students, teachers, and staff. I helped arrange for a donation of 12,000 disposable masks for students, and 4,000 N-95 masks for our educators and staff – a donation worth $40,000.
I also helped secure 1,000 sanitizer stands to be used in all school buildings, and earlier this month, I worked with several local health care providers to bring a vaccination bus to Everett High to help vaccinate students, families, and staff.
Additionally, I continue to be accessible and present at many school events and community forums, online or in person. In my first term, I started office hours, so parents can bring their concerns directly to me as well as learn what the role of a School Committee member is. Throughout the Covid pandemic, I maintained virtual office hours and plan on transitioning back to in-person office hours towards the end of this summer.
I also fought for and won $75,000 in grants from the Mass Housing and Shelter Alliance to help Everett students in housing crisis, to cover emergency expenses for temporary food and housing. This program, the first-of-its-kind in a public high school, has already helped improve graduation rates and lower truancy. I will continue to work hard to fight to maintain these efforts.
I’ve also secured thousands of dollars for opioid abuse prevention, summer youth jobs, and a Reebok Foundation youth sports grant. And early in my tenure, I helped secure a $5,000 donation from the Cambridge Health Alliance Foundation to buy laptop computers at the Devens School.
Finally, I helped create a new sub-committee on the School Committee, called the Equity, Inclusion and Diversity sub-committee, which will work to ensure greater equality outcomes for the district in curriculum, hiring, parent engagement, and professional development.
I’m working hard to earn your vote. As we move into a post-Covid world, my experience and proven results will help us transition back in the strongest possible manner. Together, we can continue to ensure the brightest possible future for our school age children. I would be honored to have your support to continue to serve on the School Committee representing Ward Five.