School Committee Candidate, Ward 2
Northampton Open Media, Candidate Statement, 10/8/25
NHS Student Union Municipal Forum, 9/29/25
“My name is Anat Weisenfreund. I’m the – since January – the current school committee member. I’m running to be elected in November because I know how important early experiences are in shaping our children’s future and because I am concerned about the well-being of our children, caregivers, and staff in our district due to years of underfunding and lack of strategic and collaborative vision.
I think you should elect me to continue in this position because in my many experiences as a student, leader, mentor, and advocate working in large and complex child serving systems, I’ve already demonstrated that I can help solve the key issues impacting us today.
In this election, some people have said that we should behave like our children are watching. And I agree 100%. And what I want our children to see is that we as a community do everything possible so that they have a future in which they thrive.
We all had someone or wish that we would have had someone who did that for us.”
NHS Student Union Municipal Forum, 9/29/25
Video Clip – With declining enrollment, what is one bold change you think our schools should make in the next 5-10 years to stay relevant?
“While it is true that enrollment is declining, we should be careful not to overstate it. Between 2021 and 2025, enrollment has decreased by 83 students, which is really just over 3%. And we don’t really know why enrollment is declining, so I think the bold piece is to find out – to collect the data on who is leaving and why.
Has there been a shift in demographics? Is rapid gentrification, forcing working class families out of Northampton? Are families dissatisfied with limited options produced by continued cuts to the school budget? Are families dissatisfied and made to feel unsure because of so much turnover and administration and leadership? Are families pulling their kids to send them to charter schools or has there been an increase in homeschooling?
It’s the answers to these questions that will inform our strategy and to remember that satisfied caregivers are the biggest promoters of our schools. We need to hold exit interviews with families. We need to ask them. What is it that you wanted that you didn’t get? What is causing you to seek other options? We have to do the work to understand the data and we have to develop a robust family engagement strategy. “
NHS Student Union Municipal Forum, 9/29/25
Video Clip – Do you believe our city’s discourse around the school budget has been productive? And if not, how do you plan to move the conversation forward?
“We’re in the midst of a very challenging conversation in Northampton about how to use our resources. If you’ve watched and been to school committee meetings and city council meetings, we have seen caregivers, teachers, children rise up with passion and energy to protest the insufficient funding and the harm that this is inflicting every day. These are healthy and necessary responses in a democracy. It is a gift to us and we should show our respect and gratitude to each one of them who stand up and make their voices heard. And we need to listen to them and do our very best to make it better.
Yes, the conversations have been uncomfortable. They have strained relationships. But I agree with the mayor and many people here who’ve said they have been productive. As Angela said, more people understand the budget and the choices being made. People in the district who have felt marginalized for a long time are for the first time seen and heard and feel like they matter. And these conversations have in fact brought more resources to the schools. For example, the midyear appropriations of almost $300,000 and moving the mayor from a 4 to 5.88% budget, saving probably 20 jobs.”
NHS Student Union Municipal Forum, 9/29/25
Video Clip – It is no secret that our special education department has been under increased scrutiny this past year or more. How do you plan to improve our special education systems and service delivery?
“I have lots of experience in this area as a former Director of Early Intervention and as a former Director of Child Find for the City of New York. Over 40% of our district’s children are considered high-risk and about 700 or 25% have IEPs. As you know, DESE investigated our district as a result of a serious parent complaint and found us in violation of state law in a number of ways: not meeting IEP service delivery, not tracking misservices, not having the proper licensed personnel to deliver some of the services. Don’t get me wrong. I mean, these are civil rights violations and they are a direct result of insufficient school funding, as parents have been telling us.
Here is what I’ve already done in my role as school committee member: ensuring that this is brought to the agenda for ongoing discussion, ensuring accountability and oversight. We have brought before us the Director of Student Services to tell us what it will take to implement the necessary fixes. dug deep into the Case Report created for our schools that discusses the strengths and challenges of our special education program, and highlighted the necessity of a real family engagement strategy that can repair some of the deep erosion of trust that has been identified.”
School Committee Meeting, 4/10/25
Video Clip – At the April 10, 2025 School Committee Meeting, Anat Weisenfreund speaks about the importance of a strong school budget and challenges the binary that meeting the needs of children and families will weaken the city.
“I’ve heard and read extensive testimony from our constituents, including tonight children, families and staff who prepared their remarks and came and spoke so clearly and passionately about what they believe and what is important to them.
Thank you to each one of you.
Overwhelmingly, our constituents are asking us to pass a strong budget so that there’s finally some relief and so that children and families and staff can get back to having the necessary resources that make our schools productive and joyful places of learning.
Before I make a motion, I would also like to say that I do understand that implementing the strong budget will require rethinking of the city’s current budgeting priorities and strategies, and will require the work of collaboration and innovation with all of us.
I do challenge the binary that has been created that meeting the needs of children and families will weaken our city.
On the contrary, I believe that it is only when we strengthen our schools that our city will continue to thrive.”
With that, I make a motion to approve the strong budget of forty-six million dollars, six hundred ten, and ninety and direct the Superintendent to advocate for the necessity of the strong budget to meet our current needs and district goals in her presentation to the City Council.”
Website: electanatweisenfreund
Guest Column: Why I’m running for Northampton’s Ward 2 School Committee seat
Local News: Head Start Director to fill vacant post on school committee
