I am the mother of two Bates elementary students and a chemistry professor at Salem State University. I earned a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from Bates College and my Ph.D. in Chemical Oceanography from the MIT/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science & Engineering. Following that, I completed post-doctoral work in toxicology at Rutgers University.
I taught in an adjunct capacity at Boston College and North Shore Community College before starting an appointment as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Colgate University. In 2013, I joined the Salem State University faculty as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry and I have taught there ever since. Many of my students are graduates of Salem's public schools.
I served on the City of Salem's Renewable Energy Task Force, today called the Sustainability, Resiliency, and Energy Committee. At SSU, I serve on the Academic Policies Committee and as a Bates Elementary School parent I have served on the Bates School Council.
As a faculty member at Salem State, I have my college students conduct water quality experiments with students from the Horace Mann Laboratory School. I have volunteered for STEM career counseling and science demonstrations at the Collins Middle School and the New Liberty Innovation School, and I've brought hands-on science activities into classes at Bates Elementary School.
Why are you running for School Committee and what particular skills can you bring to the position?
I am a parent, educator and a scientist. I am running for School Committee because this combination provides me with a unique perspective of our district. As the parent of two Salem elementary school students, I am invested in this district and the challenges that we face. As the professor of graduates from the district, I am very familiar with the successes of our graduates and with some of the challenges that we have yet to remedy. As a scientist I will use evidence to examine the policies and ideas brought before the committee. Just as I do in my academic work, I will always seek to constructively improve our district - both in what we are doing well and where we need to improve.
If you could make any change in the school budget that was recently passed, what would you change?
My most immediate concern surrounds how funding is allocated to the different schools for their supplies. This seemingly small line item can represent an enormous burden to our teachers and families - if schools are not adequately funding their classroom supply budgets, then supplies must be purchased by the teacher or the families of the school. School supply lists for this fall contain items such as ’tissues’ and ’soap’; it is inappropriate and potentially a health-risk for these essential items to be requested from families rather than provided by the district. This problem is also symptomatic of our district’s larger challenges of leadership, organization and communication. Requests like this are inappropriate and demonstrate a breakdown of the budgetary process.
The district is beginning a search for the next Superintendent. What are three key characteristics you are looking for in the next Superintendent in Salem?
We must find a strong leader whose experience and characteristics match our needs as a district. As an SSU faculty member who has served on faculty hiring committees, I recognize that when hiring it is essential that the committee has an excellent understanding of the requirements of the job. Not just a list of responsibilities, but a day-to-day understanding of what the challenges of the job entails. Thus, in order to hire an excellent superintendent I am looking for these three things out of the process:
The hiring committee should include a current or former Superintendent from a neighboring or comparable district. This person will be able to provide insight into the day-to-day details and intricacies of running a school district that cannot be provided than anyone else.
The candidate must have a vision for the district that aligns with our community’s strengths and challenges, and have a practical plan for how to achieve the goals that they envision.
The candidate must have the experience to support the agenda that they lay out to accomplish their goals for the district.
What will you do to advance the goals of a more equitable education for all students in Salem?
We must examine the current programs in place and evaluate them based on evidence. When we establish that a policy or program is succeeding, we should amplify it so that all students have the ability to access it. When our School Committee is discussing important issues and votes, we should ensure that even those families who lack the means, access, or affluence to be able to attend a Monday evening meeting at 7pm have an equal opportunity to be heard and respected.
We must ensure that every student - no matter what their language of upbringing, their gender identity, their nation of origin, their skin color - every student, has the same opportunities, education, and resources as their peers. This requires continual education and training not only for our students, but for our faculty and staff through practical and informative professional development. Finally, we must ensure that our curriculum provides the support required for all students to find the opportunity to succeed, as well as to provide challenging material required for our students to achieve excellence.