School Committee Candidate Statements

 

My name is Rich McGowan, and I am running for reelection to the North Reading School Committee. It has been my privilege to serve on the Committee for the past 6 years, the last 4 as Vice-Chair.

My wife Wendy and I moved to North Reading in 1998, and our son graduated from North Reading High School in 2018. I began my volunteer journey as a member of the Batchelder School Council. I subsequently served on the school councils at both the middle school and the high school, as well as on the search committee for the new high school principal in 2014.

I ran for School Committee because those experiences reinforced my belief in the power of public education and how strong, professional leadership of a school system can have a tremendous impact on our children’s future. There are a lot of challenges facing public education, and the School Committee must do everything in its power to help position the district to best face those challenges.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Served on the Superintendent Search Committee in 2019 that resulted in the hiring of Dr. Daly.

• Following the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic, negotiated the return to in-person learning in 2020 with the North Reading Education Association teacher’s union (NREA) resulting in more in-person time in North Reading during the 20-21 school year than most districts around the Commonwealth.

• Negotiated two fair and sustainable contracts (2020 and 2023) with the North Reading Federation of Paraprofessionals
• Negotiated a successful contract with the NREA in 2021 and expect that negotiations on a new contract for 2024-2027 will be completed soon, with a market-rate wage scale that will allow the district to continue to attract excellent educators for our schools.

LOOKING FORWARD:

• Managing scarce resources is a constant in municipal government.

For the upcoming school year our schools are facing a $1.2 million budget shortfall, that if not addressed will result in the reduction of 13-15 full-time equivalent positions in our schools. Likewise, municipal government is facing a gap that will ultimately result in a reduction of services.

North Reading is facing a choice: deal with constantly deteriorating services as cost increases continue to outpace revenue or make the investment in school and town services that will keep North Reading a desirable community for years to come.

I will continue to advocate for a Prop 2 ½ override, but regardless of that outcome will continue to push for more resources for the schools at the local, state and national level, as well as sound management of those resources throughout the district.

• Full-Day Kindergarten – No family should be denied access to full-day kindergarten because they can’t afford the fee. We have made great strides over the last few years reducing the fee to $2,500, but that still leaves out some families in our town. We should continue lowering this fee until full-day kindergarten is free to all.
• Fees for Extra Curricular Activities – Each year our students shine in athletics, performing arts and student activities. The level of achievement is impressive! We need to ensure that costs remain reasonable for families so that no student is unable to participate.
• I am committed to fostering a safe, supportive environment in our schools, where all students can learn, discover, grow and excel. In recent years public schools have been attacked by groups looking to undermine that vision, but my promise to the North Reading community is to work to ensure that all students feel welcome here.

These are only a few of the issues facing our schools. I’m just as excited today as I was six years ago for the opportunity to tackle them. I thank you for your consideration and ask you respectfully for your vote on May 7.

 

 

 

My name is Jennifer Leenders and I am very excited to be running for School Committee in North Reading. I moved to this town twelve years ago, growing up a couple towns over in Wakefield.

Since the day I moved here, I have fallen in love with this town. I own more North Reading gear than necessary, even two pairs of green and yellow shoes. I am proud to live in North Reading. I am even prouder that my kids will grow up and will say “I am FROM North Reading.” I have two boys, Lydon and Finn, they are in 4h and 2nd grade at the Batchelder School. I am in awe of the job the teachers, paraprofessionals and counselors do each and every day.

WHY AM I RUNNING?

Wherever I have lived, I have always wanted to make a positive impact on my little corner of the world. I can’t think of a better way then helping to ensure our schools continue to be incredible, safe spaces where students can thrive and receive the best education possible. Schools are a cornerstone of our community. Each school within itself is its own little community and has its own unique identity, fostered by the administrators, teachers, students and parents in that school. I want that to be able to continue as we face unprecedented fiscal times and a growing mental health crisis. I feel compelled to run for School Committee because our community is at an inflection point. We need volunteers who know how to have difficult conversations and find consensus in a way that brings people together rather than divides them.

BUDGET

Money that the school system has enjoyed for the past four years from COVID-19 funding is no longer being provided, inflation is rising at an astronomical rate, and we want to continue to have the ability to keep and attract the best and brightest teachers. My sons have been lucky enough to have some of the best. I want every child in North Reading to have that same opportunity.

We all see it every day at the grocery store, CVS, our favorite restaurants – prices continue to increase, and it is a burden on a lot of families, including my own. Decisions have to be made and corners sometimes have to be cut. However, corners can’t be cut when it comes to losing teachers, school adjustment counselors and other classroom facing positions. That means difficult choices will have to be made about where to cut, who to cut and possibly larger classroom sizes.

A big reason why people move to North Reading is for our school system and sense of community. I understand as the town grows, it does add more to our schools, fire and police, DPW etc., however the health of a town is dependent on the quality of the education our children receive.

Making sure the right issues are of greater importance when it comes to our budget is one of the reasons I am running. Every city/town household has budget issues, it is how you prioritize them that matters.

MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR CHILDREN

In addition to the budget, another important reason I am running is to help find grade-appropriate ways to address the mental health crisis we are in. I would like to find a way to have extended recess, more outdoor or more unstructured time in our elementary school and possibly middle school days.

The American Academy of Pediatrics said, “recess boosts concentration, cognitive function and productivity for young children. The same goes for adolescents.” I look at recess as an essential part of the school day, because kids are going to benefit socially, emotionally and physically from it. I volunteered last year during teacher appreciation week to help supervise lunch and recess. I knew the kids had 15 minutes for recess, but actually experiencing it and seeing that by the time they lined up to go out, and lined up to come back in, it is a really short amount of time. Kids need more time to play, decompress, be outside and not be tethered to their desks.

I do understand that this is not as easy as it sounds. I helped my kids look up bills to see if any were filed for extended recess at the State House and it turns out there are bills filed every year on this topic. I had them call our local officials and the Chair of the Education committee and ultimately, they were taught the lesson that government can sometimes move at a glacial pace. I then contacted a local school committee member who was receptive and helpful and has continued conversations over the past year.

I was very happy to recently receive an email about a working group on this issue. I plan on being part of the working group and in fact have previously done research on other towns with extended recess. Framingham is one city that has been able to figure out how to incorporate it into the school day. Their elementary school day runs from 9:15-3:30, same time, 6 hours and 15 minutes, as ours. If elected I would reach out to Framingham and other towns that have extended recess to understand how they were able to work it into scheduling. I would also work with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, if necessary, to better understand the requirement of structured learning time.

There is also an organization called PlayWorks New England that helps schools create healthy play environments where every child can join in. I want kids to have an outlet in ways that appeal to them. This is critical for their mental and physical health.

And not just for our younger kids, but all ages. Kids in high school and middle school are under an enormous amount of stress, at times perpetuated by social media, over scheduling and the pressures of achieving academic excellence. This time in their life can be amazing, fulfilling and also challenging. Their mental health has to be a priority. I will use creativity and innovative thinking to find solutions to problems facing our kids. Finding ways to extend recess is just one example of looking at an issue, learning about it and taking action. I would use that same ingenuity when tackling other problems.

The two most important factors to me are the educational health and mental health of students. This is the lens through which I will make all decisions if elected. All while being sensitive to the diverse needs of the kids. I will be an advocate for our students and learning.

WHAT MAKES ME DIFFERENT?

I am a communications professional, one of the only women principals in my company. Clients hire me to learn about their business, be part of their team and to solve their issues. I specialize in crisis communications. When people/corporations/non-profits are at their lowest moment and most trying times, I am a calm, reasonable and stable force to help guide them through.

I have to learn a lot about a client in a small amount of time and be able to communicate it to a broader audience. I really have to listen to all sides of an issue and use sound judgement on what is best.

Previous to my current position I was the Communications Director and spokesperson for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and an adjunct professor at Boston University. Both positions I had to effectively communicate a message to have an impact on the audience, whether it is students, government officials, or the general public.

There are many members connected to our finance department or with a finance background on or running for the school committee. My skill set complements that by providing proven thought leadership, independent analysis and clear decision making.

I also believe it’s critical that any governing board maintains a balance of men and women. Having women on committees means a greater diversity of skills, experiences, opinions and strategies – and that means better governance. Better governance ultimately leads to better results and outcomes. I will bring a different background and outlook than others.

I am a working mom in a demanding field, so I like to think that makes me at least part superhero. I am a professional multitasker. Voters should feel confident that I will always show up, put in the time and make a decision that keeps the students’ best interests at heart. I want to help my community by making decisions that will positively impact North Reading for years to come.

 

 

 

Moving to North Reading was the single greatest decision our family has ever made. We fell in love with the parks, community, and most importantly the schools. We recognized very quickly the unmatched town pride throughout the community. Within a matter of weeks, North Reading was our home. With 2 children in our schools and my wife, a 20-year educator in Revere Public Schools, the continued success of our schools is our family’s top priority.

I believe that volunteerism is one of the greatest opportunities to impact yourself and the community for the better. I have spent a substantial amount of time volunteering as a Boy Scout, the YMCA, and as a youth sports coach. My volunteerism as a young adult culminated in a role as the Summer Camp director of over 150 children ages 5-11. At my alma mater, WPI, I was a Teaching Assistant, winning teaching assistant of the year in 2004. These experiences have afforded me the ability to influence hundreds of children over the years and given me the experience and ability to appreciate the critical role our educators play each and every day.

Recognizing the deep financial challenges the town was facing, I extended my volunteerism to the Finance Committee to use my experience to make major, thoughtful considerations to balance a very tight municipal budget. Working at Raytheon for 20 years, and currently the Director for a major program area has provided me the experience to understand and influence tight budgets.

The decision to run for School Committee was not taken lightly. It is a critical role that requires experience, collaboration and leadership. Now more than ever, the School Committee will need to evolve and adapt to operate in this current financial climate. We will need to continually engage all corners of the community to be creative in how we outfit the schools with the resources they deserve. We will also need to closely collaborate with other boards and committees in new ways to work as a team to maximize what we can do for the community. My deep experience with youth engagement, town experience and financial background give me a unique skill set that will be a significant asset to the School Committee. I will be able to step in and make an impact from Day 1.

If fortunate enough to be elected, my promise to the community is threefold: First, I will give 100% into this role, as I have demonstrated for the last 20 years. Secondly, I will challenge the status quo to ensure we consider new and creative ways to solve problems. Finally, I will continually engage and collaborate with the community to understand and meet the needs of all of our students. My goal is simple– I want to use my experience, passion and leadership to promote an environment that maximizes a passion for learning and prepares our children for the world in a safe and respectful environment. To find out more about me and my campaign and specific platform, please visit www.timfornrps.com. I would love the opportunity to earn your vote!