To the Editor,

My name is Cynthia Rainey and I am running for School Committee. My husband and I moved to Concord in 1999 because of the town's wonderful attributes and especially because of its excellent schools.

I am married to Chris Kacher and we have two sons, John who is currently a ninth-grader at Concord-Carlisle High School, and Ben who is a seventh-grader at the Peabody Middle School; both attended the Willard School. I have volunteered at my children’s schools and in many youth sports in town.

I graduated from Skidmore College with a degree in Government and History. After college I worked in publishing and then went to work for various computer software companies. I currently work at IBM in Littleton as a software test architect.

Concord schools are outstanding and we should be extremely proud of all of who contribute to this accomplishment. As a member of the School Committee I will dedicate my energy and efforts to ensure that our students and educators have schools that are a great place to work and learn. I will also focus on sustaining excellence in our schools while maintaining a budget that allows all of our residents to live within their means. I feel the School Committee members are elected to represent all members of our community.

During the last six months I have attended numerous meetings of both the School Committee, and the School Building Committee. I have also attended many Finance Committee meetings to get an overall feel for how our school system is run. Over the course of this time I have gained a better understanding of the School Committee processes and responsibilities and observed the budget process for the town and schools which has given me a solid foundation to represent the community on the School Committee.

Over the next six weeks I look forward to the opportunity to speak with members of the community and to hear all points of view. I will bring a fresh viewpoint to the School Committee and hope you will support me in this endeavor.

Cynthia Rainey
80 Hunters Ridge Road
Concord, MA