With a background in education, Ward 6 Newton School Committee candidate Mali Brodt hopes to use her experience to repair what she sees as a damaged relationship between teachers, parents, and the school committee.
Brodt, who has spent two decades working in education in Boston, Dedham, and Reading, believes that her experience in the classroom provides her with an important perspective.
“I have a unique perspective to mend those rifts and steer NPS in the right direction,” Brodt said.
After spending 16 years as a middle school teacher, Brodt transitioned to student counseling upon observing an increase in social-emotional and mental health challenges in students, according to her website.
Brodt believes NPS has been plagued by problems for the last five years, spanning from last year’s historic strike initiated by the Newton Teachers Association (NTA) to a growing budget deficit to the unpopular implementation of multi-level classes.
Part of this problem, according to Brodt, is a rift between the school committee and Newton families brought about by a lack of communication and worsened by committee members making disparaging comments about the union and teachers.
“The way that teachers and the union were talked about from the school committee was very negative and combative,” said Brodt.
Forging a strong, collaborative partnership begins with changing the rhetoric, explained Brodt, and she believes she can help mend the rift between all parties.
NPS also faces a looming budget deficit of $4.5 million. While funding for NPS increased by over 3 percent from last year, the $292.6 million allocated was less than what Superintendent Anna Nolin hoped for.
“NPS has been underfunded,” Brodt said. “It has been funded at lower rates than other departments and in our peer cities and towns.”
To achieve generational equity, Brodt believes adequate funding is necessary to address the needs of today’s students.
“What we need today requires more funding than we already have, and it is our responsibility to make sure they [students] are getting what they need to thrive,” Brodt said.
Lack of transparency, Brodt believes, has played a big role in the budget crisis. In Brodt’s eyes, creating sustainable funding means improving communication on why certain departments are getting particular funding. Addressing this allocation will go a long way in addressing mistrust between parents and teachers, Brodt explained.
“The mayor, the city council, and school committee need to be much more transparent about what funds the city has, how they are used, and what the needs are,” Brodt said.
Brodt stated that the rollout of the multi-level classes program at the same time teachers were offered per diem was ill-advised. Brodt also said that teachers did not have a full understanding of how to operate in this new class structure due to a lack of resources.
Multi-level classes have received some criticism since being implemented in 2021.
“If Newton wants a successful multi-level class program, it needs to restart, with clear reasoning behind it,” Brodt said.
Brodt is running against fellow first-time candidate Jonathan Greene in her bid for the Ward 6 seat, with the municipal election taking place on Nov. 4.
Correction (Oct. 06, 2025, 1:11 p.m.): This article has been updated to reflect that Brodt has worked as a teacher in Boston, Dedham, and Reading, not Newton Public Schools.
