After six years on the committee, Nazzaro signals a new chapter ahead
During last night’s School Committee meeting, Carla Nazzaro announced that she will not seek a third term, marking the end of a tenure that began just as the COVID‑19 crisis unfolded. In a thoughtful and reflective statement, she acknowledged the extraordinary challenges of serving through the pandemic, expressed pride in the district’s progress—from expanding academic pathways and strengthening the METCO program to advancing the Killam building project—and emphasized the collaborative effort behind these achievements. Nazzaro thanked her colleagues, administrators, staff, and the community for their partnership and support, noting that while she will step away from elected service, she intends to remain an active advocate for Reading’s schools.
Her full remarks can be found below:
Good evening,
I want to take a few moments tonight to share a personal decision with the community.
After careful thought, I have decided that I will not be running for another term on the School Committee.
My time on this committee began at an extraordinary moment. I was sworn in the day before our schools were forced to close due to COVID-19, and nearly every aspect of our work was shaped by that crisis. We were asked to make decisions that affected students, families, and staff during a time of fear, uncertainty, and constantly changing guidance. There were no easy answers, and often no perfect options—only choices that had to be made under difficult circumstances and intense public scrutiny.
Serving during that period was challenging, at times exhausting, and always consequential. It required balancing health and safety, educational needs, family realities, and limited resources, all while conditions continued to evolve. While reasonable people often disagreed, I believe this committee approached that work with sincerity, care, and a shared commitment to doing what we believed was best for our students.
I first ran for School Committee more than six years ago because I had serious concerns about our district. I ran on a platform focused on bullying, knowing that meaningful change was needed—because our children deserved better.
As I reflect on how far the district has come, I am proud of the progress we have made. The single most important decision we made as a committee was hiring Dr. Milaschewski. Under his leadership, the district has achieved several significant milestones, including:
- Offering tuition-free full-day kindergarten—an achievement that would not have been possible without acknowledging Tom Wise as the funding mastermind
- Expanding math pathways and educational tracks at the high school, along with developing internship opportunities and dual enrollment classes
- Implementing ARC Core and other high-quality curriculum across all levels of the district
- Increasing our Boston resident enrollment and advancing our METCO program into one that is admired across the state
- Creating and truly living our equity statement, centered on the belief that “All Means All” for both students and staff
- Being innovative and fiscally responsible by leveraging a variety of revenue sources
- Earnestly providing appropriate services to our special education students
- Hiring district-wide curriculum coaches, adjustment counselors, and assistant principals in every school
- Coaching and empowering our dedicated staff to be the very best they can be for our students
- And keeping national political noise out of our classrooms—a gift not only to our students and staff, but to our entire community
We have also successfully moved the Killam School Building Project forward. As long as the committee wishes, I will continue to lead this effort. We have a strong and talented team, including a dedicated designer and OPM, and I am proud to say the project remains on time and under budget. In the coming weeks, we will submit our 90% design documents to the MSBA.
I want to sincerely thank my fellow committee members for their collaboration and dedication, even when we did not always agree. I believe this committee serves as a model for how School Committees can and should operate. I also thank our administrators, educators, and staff for their professionalism and unwavering commitment to our schools. And I am grateful to the families and community members who stayed engaged, asked hard questions, and cared deeply about the direction of this district. It truly takes a village.
I will continue to work hard through my final day. Thanks to Shawn’s dedication in streamlining the search process, the town election will be held on April 7th, and we will meet on April 6th to select a new superintendent to lead the district forward. I remain confident in the future of this district and in the people who will continue this important work. I look forward to supporting our schools as a community member and advocate.
Serving on this committee has been an honor. Thank you for the trust you placed in me and for the opportunity to serve.
Thank you.
