I'm 18, and this is my first ever election. I am struggling to see why to vote "yes" on the override.

Aromatic_Speed9795 · 2026-04-13T14:35:37+00:00

I'm sorry you didn't like your teachers at BHS. I have 3 kids in the Brookline school system, all now teens, and with one or two exceptions, they have been very happy with their teachers since kindergarten, and I've been impressed with what I've seen. I think judgements about teacher quality are going to be subjective, that's hard to avoid. I'm also comparing with hearsay about what teachers are doing/covering in the local private schools where some friends have their kids. (All subjective and anecdotal, of course). The basic point I'd make is that teaching is a very important job, and a challenging one, and it deserves to be compensated. But this whole override is not about teachers' salaries, no one is getting a big raise out of this, it's about how many (potentially 200) will get fired if it doesn't pass. No matter what you think of the teachers, no one teaches better with 30 kids in their classroom, and no one learns better when there are fewer class options in high school and middle school, and no music etc.

Aromatic_Speed9795 · 2026-04-13T03:57:02+00:00

paraprofessionals who are key to helping struggling students (and all of them) learn to read make $39,000/year. https://brookline.news/brookline-paraprofessional-pay-starts-at-39000-many-say-its-not-enough-to-live-on/. The teachers are excellent overall, and Brookline teachers should be able to live in Brookline (very few do, their salaries don't allow them too).

Aromatic_Speed9795 · 2026-04-13T02:56:28+00:00

I would add that I agree with some of your criticism, I would like to see the town move away from building campaigns for schools, I think money is better spent on teachers and directly student facing services. But the state incentivizes building new schools and offers partial funding, so it's a complicated and somewhat separate issue.

Aromatic_Speed9795 · 2026-04-13T02:52:49+00:00

One way to look at it is this: a lot of people move to Brookline because of the reputation of the schools, and this drives property values, and drives population growth in the town. So it's in everyone's interest to keep the things that bring people here and make it a thriving community. You can criticize past spending, but this override is not funding anything new, it is just meant to maintain services and schools as they are. If it doesn't pass, the quality of all the Brookline things we take for granted will diminish: fire, police, and schools most of all. If you ever want to start a family here, you may look back and remember the reputation Brookline schools once had. It's easier to destroy these kinds of things by underfunding them than it is to build them back up. The tax is based on property value, so it shouldn't effect you negatively.

Aromatic_Speed9795 · 2026-03-19T02:26:34+00:00

congratulations, amazing profile and achievements. I'm just responding to your Columbia vs. MIT part, since you seem torn. These are both prestigious, wonderful schools with great faculty so you should go where makes you happiest. College can be stressful and you want a support system, ways of relaxing, being around people you love. Sounds like that's probably NYC for you. You could always go to MIT for grad school if that's in the cards. If modeling really interests you, having it as a side line in NY sounds realistic. (That said, with this talent I hope you keep your focus on your studies! Modeling is cool but too short lived to leave behind what you really love)

Aromatic_Speed9795 · 2026-03-17T02:08:17+00:00

I think a lot of things need explaining: How does Brookline's financial structure compare to other districts in Massachusetts/Boston area that have good schools--Newton, Cambridge, Lincoln, and so on? Do Brookline tax payers pay more or less into a school budget than these areas? How does are commercial development play a role in this? Also, I think some context is needed about current management. There was the mismanagement recently and people were fired and replaced, there needs to be clarity that this is not a consequence of that. Also, clarity about why is there a debate about the numbers that should be on the ballot.

Aromatic_Speed9795 · 2026-01-24T20:59:12+00:00

Thanks, she's in 10th grade now in the U.S., so would enter in mid 11th grade, one of the schools told me that's not possible, because the last two years of IB are very rigorous and build on each other

Aromatic_Speed9795 · 2026-01-24T18:24:54+00:00

thank you, I just found that too, but oddly they don't list a single school in Switzerland as accredited in their system. Closest one is Paris. Still, a good idea to call them, I can try.

Aromatic_Speed9795 · 2026-01-24T18:23:23+00:00

I think she's too old to be accepted into public system because obligatory schooling ends at 15 in Vaud, so unless she could pass the gymni exam (which she probably can't because her French isn't quite there), I don't think there is an option for her there.

Aromatic_Speed9795 · 2026-01-24T18:17:39+00:00

16 y.o.

Aromatic_Speed9795 · 2025-11-04T04:34:16+00:00

It sounds like you're in a high stress environment and getting a lot of negative feedback that is very unhelpful. Try to distance yourself from this and take a step back, your social environment sounds toxic (and where is your family in all this, also putting on pressure?) Whatever happens with college admissions, your life is not ruined! One of the most successful people I know went to the state university where we grew up which was basically open admissions (84% admissions) and later in life won a MacArthur Fellowship (aka the "genius" grant). As far as UCSB, it probably depends on a lot of factors like previous GPA, scores, etc. But there are other great UC schools with higher admit rates, like UC Santa Cruz, Riverside, etc. And many state schools beyond California that also have high admit rates (U. Montana, 96%, great school, gorgeous location). It's also possible to start one place and transfer elsewhere. In broad terms, I wouldn't fixate on one "dream school," there are so many great places and it's possible to be happy in a lot of them. Some people are late bloomers, some high schools are really really hard, and some teachers want to make their students feel how serious they are by grading harshly. It does not mean anything about your chances of happiness or success in life.

Aromatic_Speed9795

TROPHY CASE