Focused on Students, Grounded in Family
Vote March 28 for Greg Fritz.
About Greg
Ways and Means Member 2021-2023
Engaged in Budget Process and identified several line items for further debate and eventual cost savings. Greg staked out the ground of a Value Voter seeking a reasonable benefit to student education for the cost and requiring reasonable certainty for projected benefits. Worked productively with Ways and Means Members, School Board Members, and Administration Officials to reduce or eliminate spending plans where little value was clear.
Greg Supports transparency in balancing the needs of various groups including students, teachers, staff, parents, and taxpayers.
I see a need for someone with the ability to think critically about well meaning proposals, communicate effectively with all stakeholders, and build a consensus to improve the educational output of the ASD as well as foster a more cohesive community. I intend to work on a far more cost-justified facility plan for Clark-Wilkins than the current proposal, align budgets to educational objectives, and communicate the pros and cons of each decision.
The Amherst School Board shall conduct themselves honorably. Since there are not any alternative facility plans costed on JFAC, it is not appropriate to mislead residents. Last year, many voted YES on the facility plan having believed that there were alternative plans considered to the same degree as the proposed. Now we know that is false and it is appropriate to vote NO this year and support my candidacy so we can get this right asap.
Large facilities proposals should be supported by understanding the total cost of ownership and the cost of the next best alternative. Uncertainties in the cost estimates should be explained. In the event that a proposal is rejected by voters after having been clearly understood, the next best option should be presented. Unfortunately, this process is not what the current Board has done and instead has followed a take-it-or-leave-it approach even after voters rejected the same C-W project last year when the interest would have been cheaper.
With clear objectives, honest tracking to those objectives, and purposeful policies, we can improve the educational output as well as decrease the amount of money taxed to achieve established community objectives.
Greg’s Letters to the Editor of the Amherst Citizen:
Mar 2023
https://www.amherstcitizen.net/letters-7
Feb 2023
My name is Greg Fritz and I am running for one of the seats on the Amherst School Board. I have served on the Ways and Means Committee for the Amherst School District for two years, and in that role, I have seen some things that I like and others that I would like to see improved. My wife and I have two children who have attended Clark-Wilkins in the past two school years, and we are pleased with the education and the experiences they have had. I like that teachers are somewhat able to shape their teaching to suit the students in front of them; further enabling a competent workforce is preferred to micromanaging. I very much like that we have a large number of excellent teachers and staff and I like that they are compensated well compared to teachers in other districts.
The main reason that I have spent so much time volunteering within this school district and what drives me to run for the school board is that I want to see more data-driven decisions and fewer gut checks. I am a scientist and engineer by training, and I have been involved in education in various ways nearly my entire adulthood. I have tutored and mentored elementary students, middle school students, foster care students, and, more recently, graduate students. I have a two-decade history of helping with educational systems as I have moved around and started a family. I have seen education decisions driven by data and others made by instinct. Data driven decisions are the best way to iteratively improve the educational process.
I have found many supportive friends in town who are like-minded on process regardless of the decision. Recently, I have found detractors as well. I have asked the current ASB members which data they want to use for measuring educational output. The only metrics they have are standardized test scores, and we all agree that this mode alone is incomplete.
I have asked for data supporting various spending plans including for furniture upgrades, curriculum, technology, professional development, and on the proposed facility project. In some cases, the plans are scrapped after simple questioning. In the case of the proposed facility project, I have asked for the total cost of ownership and the cost estimate for alternative plans that can improve the space needs at C-W and the critical building integrity needs at AMS. These studies could result in findings that bolster either position. ASB and JFAC members claim that their proposal is financially responsible and yet they have not provided any breakdown cost estimate for any alternatives as they have for the proposed plan. This project is too large and too controversial to try to sell it through sad images of current issues and CAD images of what could be. Furthermore, ASB and JFAC members claim that the proposed facility will meet the space needs for special education and yet when asked repeatedly to project what the space needs are for special education, the ASB and the Administration say they have no projections. Special education needs to be taken seriously and statements about whether or not a facility has suitable space need to be supported.
There is a lot of data available contained within this year’s Ways and Means analyses and reports to help guide decisions as we improve the educational output of the Amherst School District. It has been great being your neighbor and I ask that you elect me to be on the Amherst School Board. More to come.
Endorsements
Greg's integrity and perspective on finances throughout the district was and continues to be crucial for all involved — taxpayers, teachers, administration, and our children. Greg’s congenial and passionate presence during the process of reviewing the ASD budget was a driving force that will serve our community well into the future. I urge you to support Greg for the Amherst School Board.
I have had the privilege of watching Greg step into a leadership role in local education as member of the school Ways and Means Committee. His passion for the wellbeing of Amherst children is unrivaled, and his commitment to both the students and the taxpayers of Amherst makes him an excellent choice for school board.