In running for Wareham's School Committee, Julianne Cummings said she's concerned about the intrusiveness the federal government within Wareham's schools.

She's critical of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, which was implemented in Massachusetts in 2011, and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) testing currently taking place on a preliminary basis in the ninth and eleventh grades at Wareham High and across the state.

“I am sure anyone else running has their heart in the right place, but this race is about higher standards for our children’s education, and I support higher standards,” said Cummings. “While some ideas offered by Common Core [State Standards Initiative] advocates are good, Wareham can introduce them locally at a better cost without the national baggage. Education policy should not be so complicated that it has to take over the heads of parents and grandparents.”

Similarly to MCAS, PARCC testing is meant to show whether students in grades K-12 are on track to be prepared for college and their careers, though one of PARCC's goals is to set up a nationwide standard for testing while MCAS is strictly within the state.

The Common Core State Standards Initiative was introduced to Massachusetts as a state-led effort to establish a shared set of clear educational standards for English language arts and mathematics.

“The Common Core national standards is lower than the standards Massachusetts had before, with more complexity, more intrusiveness, and worse results,” said Cummings.

In June of 2014, the Wareham School Committee voted unanimously to have preliminary placement of testing for the PARCC program for both the ninth and eleventh-grades for next school year.

Cummings is against PARCC testing, as well.

“PARCC testing is invasive to the privacy of both students and their parents,” she said.

A Wareham resident of over 20 years, Cummings notes that her children and grandchildren attended Wareham Public Schools.

“I am running because I want Wareham’s schools to provide the best education for students, and I am concerned that the national standards are lower quality, too intrusive, and too expensive,” she said.

Cummings, who regularly visits with seniors at Wareham’s Council on Aging, said she enjoys spending time with friends and going to town government meetings.

Her work experience includes customer service in many businesses including Chadwick’s of Boston and driving shuttle buses, and she is also involved with Liberty Chalkboard, a local anti-Common Core group.

“If I wasn’t doing this, I’d be trying to work with the Council on Aging,” she said.

This is her first time running for the School Committee.

“Parents need to know what’s going on,” she said. “There’s some teachers out there that don’t like [Common Core and PARCC], but they have to do it.”

“My message is simple as A, B, C — accountability in spending, boosting the standard, and constituent service to parents.”