Jana McCarthy for Norwell School Committee

05/17/2026

A giant THANK YOU to everyone who helped out through this experience. I’ve never run for anything and frankly I had no idea how much it entailed. Your support (whether it was donations, holding signs, sharing posts or just keeping my thoughts positive) were instrumental in both the winning part and the keeping Jana from losing her mind part. Woot woot! We did it!!

Hahaha - now the hard part - but the one I am TRULY excited about.

05/16/2026

Did you vote????

05/14/2026

Today I was in Cambridge for work, hosting a lunch-and-learn for early-stage biotech companies. The topic? Operational readiness.

I walked them through how to become more streamlined and efficient so they could focus their resources on what matters most: research and development. We talked about going line item by line item to find small fixes that save money, but also about larger strategic projects that require more work upfront and create bigger long-term impact.

I loved it.

Tomorrow morning I’ll be out holding signs, and then heading to the high school to help get the gym ready for Promenade. Tomorrow night I’ll be standing in the boys locker room ushering excited NHS juniors and seniors — dressed to the nines — up to the gym before getting on the busses to Prom.

And I’ll love that too.

Along the way, I’ll talk with teachers and administrators about the end of the year and the exciting plans for the new summer reading program. Earlier this year, I was part of a team of parents helping provide feedback on what that program could look like, so I’m especially excited to see it come to life - I love it!

Because that’s the thing: I genuinely love this town, and I genuinely love these schools.

And through this campaign, I’ve also seen how much opportunity there is to do good. I’ve seen places where stronger communication, trust, and collaboration could make a real difference before small cracks become much larger ones.

I want to help fix that.

I have the professional experience to help navigate budgets and priorities thoughtfully. I have the ability to bring people together and communicate clearly. And I care deeply about this community and the people in it.

I would be honored to serve on the School Committee, and I humbly ask for your vote on Saturday.

Thank you for your support,
Jana

05/13/2026

If you weren’t able to make it last night I urge you to grab a drink, relax and watch the replay. We’ve all been trying to give you little soundbites of where we stand but we each had a chance to further articulate and answer questions from constituents and it was awesome.

Watch Norwell Chamber of Commerce Candidates Night: 5/12/2026

05/13/2026

We are in the final stretch of this campaign (I do NOT know how these career politicians do this year round) and I'd love your help getting across the finish line. Here's what I need:

1. For the love of ALL that is holy, PLEASE VOTE. If there is a chance you won't be able to get to the Middle School from 8 am - 6 pm on Saturday, please swing by the Town Hall today, tomorrow, or Friday (only until noon on Friday) and absentee vote. It takes 10 minutes max.

2. Please spread the word - one of the candidates has gone the very intense and expensive route of mailers and weird spam texts, but I have been relying on word of mouth and the foundations and relationships that I have built in this town over the past 8 years. I have a one-pager pinned on this page that tries to encapsulate me - difficult I know.

3. Friday morning and Saturday ALL day I will be holding Jana signs. I will be depressed if I am holding them on my own, plus I am at an age where that will cause irreparable damage to my shoulder. Please come join me. We will endeavor to have snacks and drinks and such...even if you can only swing by for 30 minutes it'll make it feel so much less overwhelming. Signup genius link is below!

Thank you all for your support over the past few months...this has been an intense and crazy ride.

Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Thank you!

05/09/2026

We are exactly one week away from the election and I NEED YOUR HELP.

Two things:
1. PLEASE help get the word out about how important this race is. It is contested (three people vying for two positions) and the people elected will be in position for three years. There will be MAJOR decisions in those three years. With no override and no other contested positions, I fear that people will not take the time to vote. Not voting is a terrible option. If you can't get there next Saturday you can go to Town Hall and vote absentee - but PLEASE support me (and Liz!)

2. Friday morning and all day Saturday we will be holding signs (Friday at the various schools and Saturday at the voting site). Please come join me!! A big turnout can make a big difference in public perception. Here is the sign up genius!!

Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Thank you!

05/08/2026

It had been quite a while since I sat down for a radio interview, but Laurie Kirby made me feel right at home!

Norwell School Committee candidate Jana McCarthy speaks with WATD's Laurie Kirby about her campaign.

05/07/2026

05/06/2026

We are less than two weeks out from this incredibly important election, so it's time for another "Get to Know Jana"!

One theme I've been hearing consistently over the past year is that communication can be better - and it goes both ways.

Listening in: Not everyone feels heard. Whether it's parents with concerns or community members whose taxes are helping support the schools, many people don't feel like there is an easy or comfortable way to share their perspective.

Clarity out: At the same time, decisions are being made - but not always explained in a way that is easy to follow. School budgets are incredibly complex, and when nearly half the town budget is involved, people deserve clear, accessible information.

I see this as a real opportunity.

Strong communication means making it easier for people to share input - and making sure decisions are explained clearly, in context, and in a way that builds understanding and trust.

We don't have to make it complicated, just thoughtful and consistent.

05/04/2026

I've had several people ask me for a "one pager" to forward to friends and neighbors. It's obviously very difficult to put a full campaign into a single page without making it painfully unreadable small font, but here is what I came up with. With less than two weeks until the election, I really need your help out there. Please use this to help spread the word about the importance of this election!