It’s hard to believe that Glenn Pavlicek is the old dog in this school committee race.

It was about 15 years ago that I first saw Mr. Pavlicek loping onto Kelly field with a young boy in tow. I was coaching T-ball and his older son was on the team. All our children are in college now. It seems like a long time ago. In the intervening years Pavlicek has served on the Warrant Committee (and chaired it). He has also served 2 terms on the School Committee. With that service comes knowledge and experience. One thing hasn’t changed, however. The beard; he had the beard back then too.

“People have a better idea of what we are doing.”

Pavlicek has experience with education at all levels. His two boys went through the Milton schools. One was in French Immersion, the other was not. He himself is a professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at Bridgewater State College. And, of course, he has served on the School Committee. So it was natural to ask what has been achieved while he’s had a seat at the table.

The most significant achievement in Pavlicek’s mind is the “setting up a framework with Gormley and Phelan.” The result is better communication and more openness. “People have a better idea of what we are doing. We’ve come a long way.”

“Framework” was an interesting choice of words. In education it is an industry term. States have the notion of curriculum frameworks that are essentially the foundation for a course of study that will best ensure academic success. Pavlicek noted that Massachusetts has high content standards. You can find the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks here. His point was clear, the success of the schools rides on the Superintendent the School Committee hires and Gormley was a good hire. Hiring the school superintendent is one of the three primary responsibilities of the school committee. The other two are setting policy and negotiating contracts. The committee also needs to give a fair evaluation of the superintendent and system overall. To do that, they need to ensure that “we are all on the same page and working towards common goals.” It is a big system and there are a lot of parts. Pavlicek says it is important to “get a sense we are all going in the right direction.”

“There was no money and there as no override. It just tears at you.”

Sometimes success or the lack of it, however, is beyond one’s control. This was the case when Pavlicek was on the Warrant Committee.

The Warrant Committee is a board appointed by the Town Moderator that is tasked with ensuring that the town lives within its means. Every year they go through the budget, department by department, line by line. It is never very easy, and sometimes financial realities make it exceptionally hard. Pavlicek acknowledges that one of the hardest things he had to do was confront “the damage that would occur” with a budget that would not go far enough. “There was no money and there was no override. It just tears at you.”

“There are certain ages when a kid should take a chance – that age is the elementary age – they’re fearless.”

Pavlicek’s personal experience with the schools has been a positive one. “Music was huge. [It is] a tremendous program.” And so it is not surprising that he characterizes the cuts in art and music at the elementary level “terrible.” He is equally bullish on the French Immersion program and is concerned that has become a “political battle.” Pavlicek believes, “there are certain ages when a kid should take a chance – that age is the elementary age – they’re fearless.” And for kids to take chances, they need to have choices.

Financial pressures squeeze these programs in part because certain costs are mandated. Utility costs, insurance, etc all continue to increase. For suburban communities like Milton that are largely built out with a small commercial tax base and little room to grow, there are not a lot of options. Pavlicek notes that Milton is hardly unique in this regard. In fact, a coalition has formed made of towns that share this financial footprint. It is called the Suburban Coalition. You can learn more here.

“[I] still have something to contribute.”

Pavlicek now has a fuller understanding to the town and the different cultures that exist at the elementary schools. He understands the pendulum swing in defining what makes a good teacher:  solid classroom management vs a comprehensive knowledge base of the subject matter. And he believes that collaborative bargaining works best when it is issue-oriented and there is mutual respect.

Some might think that three terms on the school committee would be two too many. But Pavlicek says, “the schools have served our family well [and] I still have something to contribute.” The time may come when he feels he has given all he has to give; but “I am not there yet.”