The following was submitted by the candidate.
Paul Hays
I am pleased to announce my candidacy for Milton Library Trustee.
As a thirteen-year residents I, along with my wife Piel, who serves as Town Meeting member and board member of the Milton Foundation for Education, are proud Milton residents and Tucker parents. The Milton Public Library has served as a central part of our children’s upbringing as it is the cultural center of our community. As a Library Trustee I will work to continue increased use of the library and ensure that during the next decade our library will remain current, relevant, and accessible to citizens of all ages and backgrounds.
My commitment to service was learned from my parents who met serving in the Peace Corps. I am in my twenty-second year serving in urban public schools first as a teacher, then a principal for nine years, and now as chief academic officer. Twenty of my years of service have been in Boston. I am a proud Terrier, having earned my doctorate from the BU School of Education in Education Administration (I also have a little Eagle in me as I as I earned a Lynch Leadership Fellowship from the Boston College Lynch School of Education). In my present role as chief academic officer, I oversee three public high schools and have extensive management and budgeting expertise that I will bring to my work as Library Trustee.
Learn more about me and my service on my Facebook and Linked in pages: HERE and HERE.
Milton is a classic New England town with a rich history. Times are changing every second, and the Trustees must support our dedicated director, William Adamczyk, to ensure that Milton’s library stays relevant and financially flexible with a long-term strategic plan.
Where else in Milton can you buy a used hardcover for a $1.50, peruse art from a local painter, answer your email, check-out the newest Irish Tenor CD, let your grade school kid read every Elephant and Piggy while your teen goes to yoga, and attend a seminar on antiques? All in one hour? Our library. To get better every year, the library depends on the smart work of its trustees.
Libraries are no longer silent temples to reading; libraries are opportunities to access all the world has to offer and the internet isn’t free and available to all. Our library must be a place with ample up-to-date technology and digital resources available at all hours of the day with appropriate firewalls and filters and technical support; our library must reach all the town’s citizens and we must increase the use of the library by families of all racial and ethnic backgrounds to ensure the diversity of all neighborhoods of the Milton community are represented at the library; our library must be a place teens want to go to study, think, and socialize under safe and monitored conditions; our library must close the gap as the libraries in our public schools are insufficiently staffed: an elementary student in a Milton public school will only see a librarian and receive library services once every other week. All grade school children should have a library card and learn to use their public library; as library foot traffic at the library continues to increase, sufficient hours of personnel must increase to meet the rise in demand for services.
Oh, and yes, we have to improve parking and traffic to ensure we have access for all who want to attend the library and to allow the library to hold simultaneous events without causing chaos on Canton Ave.
In closing, I believe our library is the crown jewel of our great town. We must actively celebrate our library, expand our library, and protect our library. And for the honor to serve as Library Trustee and work to that end, I respectively ask for your vote.
Dear Editor,
My name is Margaret Carels and I am endorsing Paul Hays for Library Trustee. I have gotten to know Paul as a neighbor and friend and have enjoyed discussing town politics with him and his wife Piel, who serves with me as a town meeting member from Precinct 4. He has proven to be thoughtful, intelligent and at the right times, passionate about the issues. I am thrilled that he has chosen to enter political life here in town and I believe we will benefit tremendously from his service.
Paul understands the importance of the library as the cultural center of our town. Accessibility for all ages and for all communities is a priority for him. And he knows it means more than just getting in the door. He wants everyone to feel welcome, comfortable and have the supports necessary to be able to make use of the full range of services offered. I want users of the library to represent the wonderful diversity of our town and Paul shares that vision.
While it may not be as interesting as some of the long term issues facing the library, Paul knows – like most users of the library know – that a critical need is a resolution of the parking problem. When you cannot park near the library, or feel safe walking to the library, usage will soon decline. This is the first issue Paul wants to tackle and I know a lot of people will be very happy to see a solution. I believe that Paul can get this done.
As the principal of an urban high school for nine years, Paul has experience managing access for families when parking is limited. He has proven to be a creative problem solver. He is now the Chief Academic Officer with City on a Hill Schools, responsible for over 75,000 sq. ft. of facilities and a budget of over $12 million. This is the type of leadership and experience our library Board of Trustees needs to allow them to continue the great work they have done over the past decade.
I hope others will join me in voting for Paul Hays for Library Trustee on April 28th.
Sincerely,
Margaret Carels