Please provide a brief biographical background on yourself. What should voters know about you?
My husband, Robert and I are residents of Northborough since 1978 with two children who are the products of the Northborough schools. As a parent I actively volunteered in schools, community and church. The world of education is an integral part of my life. A graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a B.S. Elementary Education and M.Ed. from Salem State University, as a member of Pi Lambda Theta , International Honor Society and Professional Association in Education. My teaching career began in Pennsylvania in 1971 and after relocating to Northborough, I worked for the Massachusetts Department of Education. I am a retired educator with 30 years service, retiring as a Literacy Specialist for Hopkinton Schools. For seven years I served as an appointee to the MCAS Assessment Development Committee (ELA Grades 4 & 5) to assist in the review of reading passages, test questions and scoring rubrics.
Why are you running?
As the candidate for the Northborough-Southborough Regional School Committee, I am asking for the continued support in my quest to further teamwork and collaboration among educators and community members to assure the best educational “rate of return” for each tax dollar invested for Algonquin Regional High School (ARHS); address pandemic-era learning loss and its outcomes; to support social and emotional learning (SEL) so that students develop and enhance their social and emotional skills to succeed in school and life; to maintain and advocate for small class sizes and staff to support social and emotional learning; to make sure that both proficient students and those who may have difficulty in learning are provided with the most educational rewarding and challenging experiences; and, to work toward a common vision of educational excellence that delivers the appropriate services to all students through policy implementation and budget development.
What specific skills/experience/expertise would you bring to your role?
The strongest asset that I bring to the position as a Northborough-Southborough Regional School Committee member is 36 years of educational experience coupled with business spirit, organizational skills and strong commitment to serve the communities for the betterment of Algonquin Regional High School students. As a school committee member i have worked on the following subcommittees: operational and capital budget, strategic planning, policy, curriculum, technology, liaison to ARHS Booster Club and Northborough Senior Citizens. I am a graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a B.S. Elementary Education and M.Ed. from Salem State University, as a member of Pi Lambda Theta. I am a retired educator with 30 years service, retiring as a Literacy Specialist for Hopkinton Schools. For seven years I served as an appointee to the MCAS Assessment Development Committee (ELA Grades 4 & 5) to assist in the review of reading passages, test questions and scoring rubrics.
What do you see as the three issues facing Northborough/Southborough schools?
The three issues are: (1) To assure the best educational “rate of return” for each tax dollar invested for Algonquin Regional High School (ARHS); (2) To address pandemic-era learning loss and its outcomes; and (3) To support social and emotional learning (SEL) so that students develop and enhance their social and emotional skills to succeed in school and life.
How do you plan to address the issues identified facing Northborough/Southborough schools?
Through good supportive planning that is mindful of the financial constraints of the towns of Northborough and Southborough and what they can afford. To maintain and advocate for small class sizes and staff to support social and emotional learning. To advocate to our legislature delegation of Northborough and Southborough to make sure our schools have adequate funding for fully-funded regional transportation, increase minimum local education from $30 to $100 per student, fully fund Circuit Breaker and to support Universal School Meals House Bill 714 and Senate Bill 714 to continue access for all students for no-cost breakfast and lunches. This state bill is needed since the Federal universal free meals ends on June 30, 2022.
How do you think schools should address potential learning loss from the COVID-19 pandemic?
To provide tutoring and academic coaching to those students that are in need of remediation. To integrate more individualized learning through tutoring and mentoring during the school day, after-school and/or summer programs. Schools can seek tutors by having a peer-to-peer tutoring program within the school where upper classes can assist 9th and 10th graders and/or seeking them through interns at local colleges. To maintain and advocate for small class sizes and staff to support those that are in need of remediation.
Schools have identified mental health as a topic of concern especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. How should the Northborough/Southborough schools address this issue?
The Northborough/Southborough schools have on the administrative team a Social-Emotional Learning Coordinator, PreK-12 who partners with the Director of Student Support Services to lead work of guidance counselors, adjustment counselors, behavior specialists, and school psychologists. Initiatives to address student mental health: meet the individual needs of students, staff and families; to continue to support students with anxiety, social isolation, school avoidance, etc.; collaborate with community partners and agencies; professional development on mindfulness initiatives, executive functioning training, mental health first aid, etc. First step is systematic data informed practices and currently the schools are collecting data from the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) screener, the Metrowest Health Foundation Survey, SBIRT (Screening Brief Intervention Referral Treatment) that is mandated by the state, attendance and grades.
