Newton Beacon: Linda Swain Talks Education Priorities
Elizabeth Plese, Newton Beacon
Newton, MA — September 1, 2025 — Linda Swain and her husband, George Guzzi, moved to her husband’s hometown, Newton, in 2005 to start their family, making their kids fourth-generation Newtonians.
Her son Luca, a junior at Tufts, and her daughter Marina, who graduated from Newton North in the spring, both attended Cabot Elementary, F.A. Day Middle School, and Newton North High School.
“I’ve lived here for over 20 years and it’s a city I care deeply about,” Swain said.
Swain grew up in Wayland, Massachusetts, before moving to Cambridge to earn her Bachelor of Arts in social psychology from Tufts University. She then went on to earn her masters at Boston College before moving to Newton with her husband.
“We decided to move to Newton because of the reputation of the schools, and my husband is also a graduate of the Newton Public Schools, so we knew firsthand the quality of the schools,” she said.
Swain is running for Newton’s Ward 2 School Committee seat now held by chair Chris Brezski, who is not running for reelection.
“I’m truly proud of what I’ve seen, but I’m also concerned,” she said. “But I am hopeful with a vision that has been set by Superintendent [Dr. Anna] Nolan, as well as the data-driven direction that chair Brezski has taken the school committee, and I’d like to continue that direction.”
Swain has served NPS as the president of the Cabot After School Board, has participated on the Cabot Principal Search Committee, and most recently served as a co-president of the Newton North Boosters Association.
“I decided to run for the school committee because I would like to bring back the excellence in education that many of us moved to the city for, including myself and my family,” said Swain.
Swain has experience with NPS firsthand, with both of her children in the school system from kindergarten through 12th grade. She knows that the school’s budget has been a topic of debate for several years.
“I think with 89% of our budget being staff, there’s not a whole lot of wiggle room in the budget,” she said. “In addition, the cost of running schools is growing at a faster rate than our revenues to the city, so budgeting is a challenge.”
Every year, NPS has to overhaul its budget from the previous year to account for shortfalls. Swain says she wants to think differently to solve this yearly issue.
“I think there are some creative opportunities for us to get additional funding, whether that’s advocating the state for additional chapter 70 funding, advocating the state for additional special education dollars, or potentially slowing the pace of paying off our pension liabilities,” Swain said. “Also, thinking creatively on the revenue side, whether that’s through grants or fundraising.”
She also says that proposing an override that raises property taxes on residents should not be the primary solution to budget issues. NPS should explore other solutions that could add money to the fiscal budget.
“There may still be a need for an override in the future, and if so, I think we need to do a better job identifying what those dollars would be used for and exactly the impact to families’ taxes, and I think with such clarification, we could garner more support,” said Swain.
Swain says multilevel learning was created to expand access to higher-level coursework and to help close persistent achievement gaps; however, those goals have not been accomplished.
“The superintendent has begun to announce a new math pathways program, which would be implemented in the ’26-’27 school year, and I think that’s an excellent step in the right direction.”
Swain also does not want NPS to participate in School Choice based on conversations she has had with the community. She wants to respect Newton’s opinions, and she thinks it counters their vision for neighborhood schools. She also said the program appeals to Massachusetts families because of Newton’s special education program, which she says could be strengthened and enhanced before adding more children into the mix.
In the wake of the Israel-Gaza war, there has been a reported increase in bias-related incidents at NPS. Swain responded with a zero-tolerance policy.
“My understanding in 2024 alone was that we had 74 hate incidents [in NPS], many of which were antisemitic,” she said. “Every student deserves to feel safe and supported, and it’s our responsibility as a school committee to ensure that our non-discrimination policies are upheld.”
As Ward 2 representative, Swain promises to consider the values of parents and the opinions of experts.
“If I am elected on the school committee, I will be focused on basing decisions on data as well as what’s in the best interest of our kids,” she said.
Newton’s election will be Nov. 4.