 Hi, my name is Ben Harrington and I'm a candidate for Amherst School Committee. Some folks know me as Coach Ben because I coach basketball for LSSE. We just ended a fantastic season. Go Huskies! I'm a proud union member belonging to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees through my full-time job in the facilities department in the Amherst School District. I'm a veteran of the Army Corps of Engineers and served from 1995 to 1999. I have associate degrees in communication and journalism from Manchester Community College in Manchester, Connecticut, but the most important title I hold is as a single parent to two children. One was a third grader at Crocker Farm Elementary and the other a first year at the high school, which gives me an invaluable and incredible network of friends and family that I can count on. I'm running for school committee because I believe that our students are our most precious assets and that they represent the future of Amherst. It is important for us to fully support our students and to provide the most fair and equitable opportunities for them to grow and thrive as learners. One issue I'm passionate about is nutrition. Our food service program impacts all of our children. I'm proud to be part of a school system that has taken meaningful measures to avoid the shaming of students whose parents can't come up with lunch money. I support programs like Breakfast After the Bell and Project Brent, which help to remove stigma for economically disadvantaged students while providing the necessary nutrition for all of our students to be alert and attentive. For some students, these may be the most substantial meals they receive all day. I'm also very concerned about the physical condition of our schools. I have over a decade and a half of construction and building maintenance experience to offer the school committee discussions. A diversity of knowledge and skill sets will make for a stronger school committee. Together, we can find creative and sustainable solutions to issues regarding infrastructure that will work for the entire community. I'm an advocate of dual language education, starting at the elementary level. As the district's enrollment working group focusing on dual language found, we have an increase in Spanish-speaking students and we have an overall declining enrollment. As the reports so eloquently spelled out, both of these challenges can be addressed by a robust Spanish-English program. The future of our schools will present many different challenges, and it will take a school committee with a diverse cross-section of viewpoints and experiences in order to address these challenges successfully. With a broad range of skills and a unique perspective, I intend to serve as a productive member of a school committee that will nurture progressive learning for our children for years to come. I conclude with this request. I, Ben Harrington, humbly ask for your vote on Tuesday, March 27th. For more information, you can visit my website at www.electbenharrington.com. Thank you.