Lexington is a community that values its public education system. It is what draws families here, and is part of what makes our community strong. It is why my family moved here 11 years ago.

As we enter the new decade, we see signs of an economy slowly but surely reviving. Being a member of Town Meeting, I know we face tough decisions in the coming years concerning our schools. But I also know that the education we are giving our children today must sustain them in the future. As we go forward, we must make fiscally responsible choices, but we must also preserve the high standards of Lexington Public Schools for our children's tomorrow.

I am a faculty member at Harvard Medical School with a laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital. My professional career has revolved around the life sciences for 25 years, and I've taught and trained students and fellows from all over the world. I understand first-hand why a quality education matters.

Our world is increasingly global; our children's will be more so. A forward-looking education is one that will instill in our children knowledge, critical thinking and communication skills, and cultural depth and understanding. For me, that means championing not only math and sciences, but also languages and the arts. I will advocate for programs that are the most vulnerable in difficult economic times because they are essential to a full, enriching education.

I want to see technological improvements in our school system that would contribute to student-teacher interactions. I want to see a town-wide early intervention program implemented that would identify students in need and help in cutting out-of-district costs. Any special education programs we develop must not only be cost effective, but also educationally sound.

There is no question that, as a community, we will have to make some difficult choices over the next few years. But we must make wise choices and preserve as much as we can now to give our children a solid foundation for the future, and so that when the economy turns around, we can hit the ground running.

Alessandro Alessandrini