1) Why do you want to serve in this position?
I would like to continue serving as a K-8 School Committee member because I am passionate about education and teaching. I’m seeking re-election to further the work in budget and policy that the School Committee has been involved in for the last three years. The schools have seen level funding budgets the past few years, and I’d like to focus efforts to ensure that in these fiscally challenging times, our schools are able to continue to provide a high level of education and services to our students and prepare for further growth of our programs, activities, and capital improvements.
2) What special qualifications and experience will you bring to the office?
My experience as an educator for the past six years, first in private school and now in the public school setting, allows me to think through that lens and constantly ask myself how the decisions the school committee makes will impact our students, teachers, and learning outcomes. I pride myself on constantly asking questions, and will continue to do so if afforded the opportunity to serve for a second term.
3) Describe ONE other activity or (sub)committee you’ve been involved with within the town. What has it meant to you and how did it shape and impact the town?
I have enjoyed my experience serving as the School Committee representative on the Town of Northborough’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. The work we are doing to gather information about our town and how it can be a more diverse and inclusive community seems to resonate with residents. Working with residents from the town and their different backgrounds and expertise has been productive and led to important discussions about the future of Northborough.
4) Describe THREE key issues/challenges facing the town and how will you address them in this role?
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
As our schools are becoming increasingly more diverse, our school district has realized the importance of growing and learning how to be culturally proficient to meet the needs of all of our learners. This past school year, the Northborough-Southborough School District’s Coalition for Equity was formed to address strengths and weaknesses as we strive to become a more inclusive community. The work that our administrators and teachers have done this year has included learning about implicit bias, evaluating curriculum, and assessing school and classroom libraries to identify resources that will allow all students to feel represented. This work is ongoing and I look forward to seeing this work continue and expand for years to come. - Music Program
As a member of the PreK-12 Music Study Group last year, we spent the year evaluating the music program and making recommendations that included expanding the music program to include strings/orchestra and weekly PreK music classes. I would like to see these recommendations come to fruition by passing a budget next year that reflects any financial considerations to make these changes happen. - Robust Education for All
A robust educational experience for all of our learners is necessary. I’d like to see continued resources to our special education students, and more added as needs are identified. Furthermore, I’d like to support opportunities for gifted learners to flourish in the classroom.
5) Is there anything else that you would like to share about yourself?
I have been a resident of Northborough for 4 years, and have served on the School Committee for the past 3 years. Local government is a role that I see myself continuing in because of the impact it has on our daily lives. I hope to continue to serve for a second term, bringing the knowledge I have gained over the last 3 years as a K-8 School Committee member. As I prepare to grow my family this summer with the addition of a little one, I am looking forward to stepping into the role of School Committee member with new eyes: as a parent of a future Northborough student!