Candidates share vision for School Committee, part two

June 5, 2019 | Payton North
payton@thereminder.com

LONGMEADOW – This week, we continue part two of our coverage on Longmeadow’s upcoming June 11 election for School Committee.     

As previously stated in last weeks edition, there are seven candidates listed on the ballot including four candidates running for three, one-year terms: Gianna Allentuck, William Timothy Mitchell, Kevin Shea, and Armand Wray. Currently, Allentuck, Wray, and Shea are serving on the School Committee. Additionally, three candidates are running for two three-year terms on the School Committee: current member Susan Bell, current member Jamie Hensch and resident Kevin Ryczek.

Reminder Publishing reached out to all seven candidates for a question-and-answer interview, specific to their experience and what they would bring to the position on the School Committee should they be elected. Six of the seven candidates agreed to the interview, with Ryczek choosing to not participate.

Last week, we covered each of the candidates backgrounds and experience, why the candidates chose to run for School Committee, what they feel are the most important issues facing the district at the time, and how each candidate would work to address the aforementioned issues. For part one of the interviews, head over to https://www.thereminder.com/localnews/longmeadow/candidates-share-vision-forschool-committee-part-o/. The following is the rest of the interview.

Reminder Publishing: Everyone is aware of the tensions that occurred between the School Committee and the Superintendent over the past few years. If you were a member of the Committee during that time, how would you have handled the situation?

Allentuck: During that challenging time for our small town, I was and remain a positive voice for change and resolution with the mantra of “clear heads full hearts” and genuine intentions of healing and moving forward… We have an energetic, smart, and collaborative School Committee in place now and I am committed to keeping a positive productive atmosphere. The goal is to stay actionable and ensure that we provide the support and resources our administrators and educators need to do their jobs well and to keep our students learning and safe.

Mitchell: Since I did not live in Longmeadow throughout the entire episode, I would have to base my response on hearsay; and, at best, make speculative statements. Furthermore, even if I felt fully informed, it seems unlikely that any answer would be productive in advancing Longmeadow schools.

Shea: Instead of looking to the past, let me comment about my plans for the future and my hope for the relationship between superintendent O’Shea and the School Committee. As I stated publicly at several school committee meetings in the past year, we are lucky to have Dr. O’Shea as our superintendent. He is a talented and motivated administrative leader. I look forward to working with him on strategic planning and new initiatives while leaving day-to-day implementation to him and his team.

Wray: I was not a member for the entire time of the tension being described but I was selected as a member in August of 2018.  Coming in to that position I knew that there was tension between the administration and the School Committee and thought that I could work together with the members in order to make a positive impact on the situation.  My position was that the superintendent was given a direction and then very little time to work on the areas of improvement. His goals were not finalized until after I was appointed and then the vote for his renewal was in November.  Being new to that committee I tried to offer a compromise of a one year contract extension which would allow us the time under the new goals to do an appropriate re-evaluation against the goals. I maintain that would have been an appropriate course of action for the committee.  

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Bell: Since I am unfamiliar, in part, with all of the experiences and details that occurred between members of the School Committee and Superintendent, I cannot address this question fully.  I can only speak to what I see as the role of the School Committee.  The School Committee is a governing body, whose members, individually, derives no specific authority.  It is only through the team’s collective decisions that the School Committee can exert its governing authority.  That being said, when it comes to the full governance team, which includes the superintendent, everyone on the School Committee should be ready to support the superintendent in carrying out her/his duties as the caretaker of the entire system, hold the superintendent accountable for carrying out those duties and meeting established goals, and work to create a harmonious working relationship with the School Committee.  It is our duty to deliberate on decisions that pertain to our role – the hiring and evaluation of the superintendent, policies that govern the schools, and securing the needed fiscal resources from the Town of Longmeadow – with transparency, healthy debate, and mutual respect.  That is how I have and will continue to approach the work of the School Committee, should I be elected.

Hensch: It is not my place to speak to the past, but as a present member of the SC, I have been open in my approach and tempered in demeanor.  My steady and open-minded approach helps to provide stability to the SC.  My willingness to listen and learn from others will help foster a collaborative environment.  

Reminder Publishing: How do you feel you could help rebuild trust between the School Committee and the community, as well as the School Committee and employees of the district?

Allentuck: Our sitting School Committee is fantastic.  The “Dream Team” of School Committees.  Positive.  Purposeful.  Collaborative. Knowledgeable.  Talented.  Dedicated to our children, schools, and town.  I would love to see us stay together. Each of us has the respect from the community who knows us personally, but also from those who have been watching the situation and are now watching meetings and engaged with the SC process.  People can sense that there is comradery that allows for dialogue with feedback and challenge, but done with respectful questions and evidence to support thoughts.  I feel members of the community trust us because they appreciate that we have volunteered to serve and help our students, schools, and town.  Many people watched the application, interview, and selection process of the four recently appointed members – including myself – and I think they have faith that the process was sound and fair and that from a pool of highly talented applicants four of us had something a little different or unique to offer to the collective Committee.  And now each of our talents lends itself to a wonderfully balanced School Committee.  

Also, we have had opportunities to hear from students and parents regarding efforts and initiatives taken to support our town, and we have been able to celebrate these children.  These celebrations with children and families on successes yield joy and trust.  And hope.  

Though I have witnessed positive and collegial interactions between sitting School Committee members and District administrators and educators, I personally feel blessed by Center School, Williams, and the High School in the ways they have cared for and educated my children.  Since our children’s first days in school, my husband and I have communicated our value for education and our appreciation for educators to the schools.  We have established positive trusting collaborative relationships with our children’s schools, and this allows us to share our concerns in a respectful resolution-based manner that opens dialogue versus putting anyone on the defensive.

I truly believe if you ask a parent, student, employee, or member of the community, I am sure he or she would tell you that they feel comfortable and even excited about the sitting School Committee and grateful for the healing in our town that has already begun.

Mitchell: Trust is multi-dimensional. As it refers to reliability, I will carefully contemplate all decisions, making sure to consider thoroughly all perspectives. When there are opposite sides to an issue, some people will be disappointed with the decision. This is where the truth dimension of trust comes into play. As it refers to truth, I will make every attempt to communicate why the decision made by the school committee is best for the Longmeadow students and parents.

Shea: I think the present school committee has already started this important work. We welcome feedback from the community and encourage residents to engage with the committee at our meetings in person or on LCTV. We have also already opened dialogue with our district and school administrators, and we encourage their input. I think the most important thing we can do moving forward is to stay open-minded and listen to all members of the community.

Wray: We continue to work on this all the time.  The members of the committee now have direct access to Dr. O’Shea and the key members of his leadership team.  Recently, we held a very productive team-building event with Dr. O’Shea and members of the administration at Glenbrook Middle School. We have brought in administration staff, to look at what is happening in the schools including Voice of the Graduate, CLOSE, and others to have open dialogue with them on what the School Committee can do to facilitate excellence in our schools.  The School Committee values the support and opinions of the community and strives to include that “voice of the stakeholders” whenever we deliberate. Continuing to have open, direct, regular communication is key to rebuilding that trust.


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Bell: Our role is to ensure that the superintendent, administrators, faculty and staff have what they need in order to deliver the best educational experiences to our students every day.  Operating from that lens and that approach, my goal would be to listen to the needs of all district personnel, in addition to the needs and desires of the community, in order to make the best decisions.  It is my belief that in order to support the improvement and changes taking place in our schools we as a School Committee must ensure that we are transparent with our messaging and communication, and that we are equally as attentive to seeking input from stakeholders as to their own experiences – parents, students, community organizations, businesses, etc., in order to ensure that we stay directly in touch with those supporting the future lives of our students.  

All this being said, there are circumstances under which the School Committee must address issues with executive privilege, so we must continue to be clear about the nature of those exceptions to public input and sharing, in order for the community to understand when decisions must be made without public input.  

Hensch: I am well suited to build relationships and communicate effectively between the SC, faculty and staff, and the community.  In my professional life, building trust and developing an understanding of clients is key.  I will be able to use similar interpersonal skills to cultivate an improved sense of trust and understanding between the SC and stake holders.  As a volunteer coach in Longmeadow, I already have a fantastic opportunity to make meaningful connections in the community.  I look forward to using my experience to rebuild trust in the SC.

Reminder Publishing: Why should the residents of Longmeadow vote for you?

Allentuck: In two short months, I have proven myself to be a dedicated and thoughtful member of the School Committee who has offered valuable insight as a parent and educator to the discussions at hand.  I am confident if you asked my Committee colleagues they would tell you that I am valuable as an individual and especially valuable to the Committee as a team member.  I would say the same of them, which is why I hope people vote for me and for them to keep this high functioning effective and collaborative team together for the good of our children and our town.
With my family and friends’ faith in me, my School Committee service, and my professional and personal experience in mind, I am confident that I have the skills necessary to further School Committee efforts in helping Longmeadow Public Schools build upon our foundation of excellence.

Mitchell: The quality of Longmeadow schools is one of the primary reasons I chose to bring my fourth-grade student to Longmeadow. I, like everyone, want to see Longmeadow schools continue providing high-quality education for the children who live here. I have two children currently in university who have been students in three distinct school districts. My children have participated in language immersion curriculums, honors curriculums, and an International Baccalaureate program. Thus, I have seen high-quality education in many forms. I will use these positive examples to inform my decisions as I help the Longmeadow School Committee shape the progress of our schools. Furthermore, you can count on me to serve enthusiastically, cheerfully, and diligently. Thank you for your consideration.

Shea: I understand the importance of serving on the School Committee as a representative of all members of the Longmeadow community. I am committed to serving with integrity and honesty, doing the work required to be fully informed on the issues, and listening to various constituencies when difficult decisions are at hand. I will also strive to clearly understand the different responsibilities for school committee members versus our school administrators, and I will act to empower our teachers and administrators to continue to help our students achieve at the highest levels.

Wray: I have twice been called on to serve on the School Committee. In my first four years on the Committee I was part of a highly effective team that had a number of very significant accomplishments, including the building of our wonderful new high school. In my current term on the School Committee, I have helped to resolve one of the most contentious and difficult political conflicts that our district has faced and am presently working very well with the newly constituted School Committee. I love Longmeadow and want to continue to maintain the high standards of our school district.  I promise to continue listening to the voice of the community, respect the boundaries of the role and be a strong fiscal guardian of the taxpayers trust.  I humbly ask my fellow Longmeadow citizens to vote for me, Armand Wray, on Election Day.  


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Bell: I believe the residents should vote for me because I have dedicated my entire professional career to making our world a better place through helping all students achieve their dreams.  I have a wealth of knowledge, skill and expertise in the field of educational leadership, and experience as a superintendent that can certainly help this district meet its goals.  I enjoy working collaboratively with peers to achieve goals, and I am willing and enjoy the opportunity to represent the community in moving our district to the next level of excellence.  Our world is rapidly changing, and we need to make sure our schools are providing the education necessary for students to navigate that world effectively so that they can achieve their vision of success, while being engaged citizens and happy adults ready for the challenges of life.  I’ve led numerous levels of change in my 17 years of service as a public school educator, and I’m prepared to work for the next three years supporting the work and changes in progress in the Longmeadow Public Schools.

Hensch: Residents of Longmeadow should please vote for me because I am a uniquely qualified candidate in that I am able to provide a different perspective to the SC.  My experience in finance and intercollegiate athletics is valuable for understanding the budgetary, policy and procedural issues in the LPS  I will provide the town with a consistent voice and demonstrate a willingness to listen. One of my best attributes is my ability to synthesize information and take the requisite steps to make appropriate, informed decisions.  My focus will be on the best interests of the students with careful attention to the perspectives of administration and faculty.  I look forward to collaborating on best practices and forward thinking initiatives for the LPS.

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