Rambling biography/background on Alisa V. Brewer, vice chair, Amherst School Committee, who is running for re-election March 29, 2005 (previously elected unopposed to three year term, 2002).
Age 40; spouse 
Steven D. Brewer, UMass Director of Biology Computer Resource Center (BCRC); two sons, both at Mark’s Meadow: one 5th grade (almost 11), one 1st grade (6 1/2); mother-in-law lives with us; other animal companions include 2 boxer dogs, ball python, turtle, wild mouse, hissing cockroach, and rabbit
Grew up in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, graduated public school 1982
Left home to earn BS Human Environment and Design from Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; graduated 1986
Moved to Kokomo, Indiana after 12 weeks of intensive Social Security Administration training in Eau Claire, WI
Social Security Administration Claims Representative Kokomo, Indiana, and Detroit, Michigan, 1986-1989 (relocated to Michigan due to spouse employment)
Customer Service for used Wang computers in Dexter, Michigan, 1989
Edutainer, Astronomy Inflatable Planetarium, throughout California, Nevada, and Arizona, school year 1989-1990 (with spouse)
Regulatory Affairs, Customer Complaint Coordinator, and Customer Service for Stryker Instruments, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 1990-1996
Stopped paid employment July 1996, when elder son 2 1/2
Followed spouse to rental in Pelham, Massachusetts for his first job after completing his PhD in Science Education, September 1996
Joined Amherst Family Center (then HCAC, now under UMass and HEC), September 1996
Created and facilitated Attachment Parenting play group, 1997
Served on Amherst Family Center board, chaired committees, 1997-1998
Helped raise funds for the UMass Early Childhood Laboratory School at Skinner
Purchased Amherst home without a real estate agent, June 1998 (three weeks before younger son born)
Joined Town Meeting, Spring 1999
Headed the play equipment selection group for the renovated Mill River Playground
Helped represent family concerns in response to the dissolution of the UMass-Mark’s Meadow Lab School relationship and the use of the observation corridor, 1999-2000.
Began attending Amherst School Committee meetings regularly, 2000
Appointed School Committee liaison to Comprehensive Planning Committee, 2000
Began coordinating various Mark’s Meadow Parent Guardian Group (formerly P/GAC) projects, 2000
Chair of Mark’s Meadow Parent Guardian Group, summer 2000-October 2001
Coordinated Family Participation Policy Project at Mark’s Meadow, 2001-2002
Elected to Mark’s Meadow School Governance Council, October 2001
Elected to Amherst School Committee (unopposed), 2002
Significant role in hiring new Superintendent, 2002-2003
Significant role in defeating charter proposal (Not This Charter), 2002-2003
Student, Anti-Racism Basics professional development class for Amherst-Pelham faculty, 2003
Study circles on race and class participant, 2003
Significant role in keeping Middle School pool open, 2003
Began serving on Joint Capital Planning Committee (JCPC), Fall 2003
Coordinated pilot improved Superintendent evaluation procedure and revised instrument, 2003-2004
Helped improve transparency of Principal searches and process, 2003+
Elected chair of Comprehensive Planning Committee (CPC), January 2004
Significant role in passing override, 2004
Learning for Each -- Achievement for All
I am committed to community participation in education. I believe family involvement in the life of our schools shows our children we value their education and the wide variety of people that provide it. I have insisted on the provision of childcare for a wide variety of meetings, so one or more parents can participate without having to hire a babysitter.
I want families with school age children, not just real estate agents, to tell everyone they meet that Amherst schools are the best, and charter schools are unnecessary. I want our preschool through high school students, whether they live here for six months or sixteen years, to believe that this community cares about the successful learning of each and every one of them. I want our Regional schools graduates to look forward to sending their children to Amherst schools. I want our teachers to feel that being a part of our community is worth the financial struggle because of the other kinds of support they receive, even when pay rates are less than ideal. I want our administrators to feel driven to lead us into this future, not to merely manage numbers and problems.