We urge the Acton Public School Committee to fund positions that will support the talented Principals at Conant, Douglas, Gates, McCarthy-Towne and Merriam as they administer our schools during these difficult times. Here in Acton, we’ve come to expect that our principals perform at the highest levels of excellence. They do a wonderful job, but it has become clear they are not being provided adequate support and assistance necessary to perform at the levels we desire. In many schools with greater than 500 kids, the principal is supported with an assistant principal. This is not the case in Acton for any of the elementary school principals,and we are living with the consequences.Overworked and over stressed instructional leaders hard pressed to find the time and energy to lead. We have repeated searches for principals with its cost to tax payers, parents, teachers and students in uncertainty, anxiety and dollars. While we understand the financial difficulties we face as a Town, as Schools, and as Taxpayers, we believe the added burdens of budget cuts, teacher cuts and burgeoning class sizes need to be mitigated with strong leadership from the Principals. We must support the talent at the top if we expect to keep talented, motivated teachers teaching our children. Please act to keep our schools on the path of continual improvement.