The Mason-Rice School Council is an all-volunteer group of parents, faculty and community members who serve as an advisory group to our Principal.  The Parent Members include:

Jane Mansour (Term 2011 - 2013)
I am the mother of a kindergartner, and have two younger children (3  and 10 months). I have a long-standing interest and belief in the importance of education and child development inherited from my parents –both teachers in the UK. We moved to Newton from the UK a year ago.

My professional background is in public policy and social research. I was Director of the Ingeus Centre for Policy and Research for six years before moving to the US. My specialist areas include the impact of targets on delivering quality public services; effective procurement practices to ensure maximum benefit from private sector delivery of public services; welfare to work programmes; childcare and work; adult learning, and career development.  I am able to successfully analyse, interpret and challenge both qualitative and quantitative research data, and have experience of both designing and managing original research projects.

I am experienced in delivering operational objectives, from writing bids, to implementing national programmes to delivering excellence. I managed the most successful Employment Zone (a national welfare to work programme) in the UK between 2000 and 2002, and was responsible for introducing a careers element to improve the sustainability of the employment outcomes. I understand the constraints that exist when delivering quality programmes within an externally defined target structure, which may or may not complement those outcomes.

I would love the opportunity to bring my expertise, experience and enthusiasm to the Mason-Rice School  Council. I am really excited about the chance to work alongside the principal, teachers, parents and community members in this forum.

Kathy Sillman (Term 2011 - 2014)
As the parent of three children who are (and will be) attending the Mason-Rice, I have a personal interest in the school's long-term  success.  Our children,  in grade 3 and grade 1, enter school each day willingly and gladly.  And our three-year-old, can’t wait until he gets to join them at the “Mason-Wice.” As much as I enjoy seeing the school through my children’s perspectives, I understand that being on the school council calls for us to view the school through a wider lens.  As a parent representative, I will actively seek out and consider diverse points of view.  Overall, I see the school council as an advocate for the emotional well being and academic success of each child, every day.

Supplementing my personal connection to the Mason-Rice, I bring professional experience in educational settings.  I have taught public elementary school in New York City’s District 2, worked in curriculum development and teacher education in Massachusetts, and conduct educational research with an international team.  Currently, I teach graduate courses in education and work in a master’s program of teaching at a local university.

I believe the coupling of my personal and professional interests in education will position me as an effective member of the school council who can productively serve the community.

Eydie Balsam (Term 2011 - 2014)
I am former/new parent at Mason Rice.  We were members of the Mason Rice community for the academic years 2006 – 2008; my oldest daughter  attended. Mason Rice for kindergarten and first grade.  Due to a job transfer, we moved out of state for a few years, but are now happily back in the community.  I currently have children in kindergarten, second and fifth grades.  During our stay in Maryland, my children attended both a public school and an independent school.

I have been very involved at each of the schools my children have attended.  Prior to leaving Newton, I was the chair of the pre-school committee at Temple Beth Avodah for 2 years and volunteered at Mason-Rice.  In Maryland, I was a member of the PTO at our local public school and the Co-chair of a parent committee of the independent school my children then attended.

Professionally, I have a Masters in Social Work and a Masters in Education.   I own my educational therapy business and have been working with students, their parents and their schools for over 12 years.  Through both my personal and professional lives I have had the opportunity to work with some amazing teachers, administrators and school communities in both Massachusetts and Maryland.  I have seen some very creative, innovative ways to educate and enrich our children. 

I feel that with my personal and professional experiences and my educational background I could be an asset to the school council.  I look forward to the opportunity to work with Mr. Springer and other members of the council to help Mason-Rice continue to be the wonderful place that we are once again glad to be part of.

Maggi Alexander (Term 2010 - 2012)
I am deeply committed to seeing that every child in the Mason-Rice community is equipped to face our ever-changing world with pride, empathy, knowledge, and self-determination as lifelong learners. When our children graduate Newton Schools, they should be prepared to be successful in college, careers, and as citizens. In our global economy, the United States is rapidly falling behind in the education of our children. Of all the OECD countries, the United States is the only nation in which this generation is less educated then the previous one. As a country, we are losing ground rapidly. Mason-Rice and the Newton schools are performing very well compared to other public schools in the United States, but in an increasingly competitive global job market and economy, we need to continually benchmark against international standards of education excellence. Globally, we are not at the top.

As a School Council member, my focus will be first and foremost listening to all of you, to understand your concerns and ideas. I also intend to support Mark Springer and our teachers at Mason Rice; to ensure that our children learn the skills they need to be successful in the 21 and 22nd century; to ensure that different learning styles and diverse cultures are embraced; that teachers receive peer mentoring and coaching; and that parents and community members are positively involved. Newton is a community that has historically invested and prioritized education – this is a tradition that will benefit us all for generations to come. But we should not live in a bubble!!! We are not as great as we could be!

Education is my field. I have worked in education for over 25 years. National foundations like the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (that grant over 40 million dollars a year to educational programs) have contracted me to help them think through wise allocation of their philanthropic dollars. I am also a member of the Education Funder’s Network – a group working closely with the President and the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, on education policy issues. These are the topics I understand and  influence on a regular basis. On the personal side, my five siblings and I attended Mason-Rice, so I have a very strong commitment and incredible gratitude for growing up in a neighborhood that had a great public school. Mason Rice was an excellent school then and it is even better now; Mark Springer’s leadership has maintained a great school culture. I want to support our school by bringing my expertise, networks, and commitment to the table.

Over the past 25 years my professional vocation has been focused on education and learning locally, nationally and globally. I have amazing contacts and passion to see this benefit our children. My son Matthew just started first grade and my daughter Maddie is in the fifth grade grade. I am very invested in Mason-Rice and  am honored to serve this community.

Laura Holt (Term 2010 - 2012)
In the 6 years my two children have attended Mason-Rice. I have served in a variety of volunteer positions. These include:

• PTO Co-President (2 years)
• PTO Board member (5 years)
• Fools’ Folly Chair (also ticket sales co-chair and entertainment co-chair other years)
• Programming Co-Chair
• Book Fair Co-Chair
• Room Parent Coordinator and room parent
• Volunteer Co-Coordinator
• Raffle Basket Fundraiser Co-Chair
• Mason-Rice Moms’ Chair
• Volunteer at field day, fun run, graduation committee, and others too numerous to recall

Being a member of School Council would enable me to contribute all of my experience to the school in a valuable way. In my last two years as a parent at Mason-Rice, I welcome the opportunity to participate in this capacity.