LONGMEADOW – Seven candidates are up for positions on the Longmeadow School Committee, and residents of Longmeadow will have the opportunity to vote for who they would like to serve on the Committee at the June 11 town election.

Four candidates are running for three, one-year terms on the School Committee: Gianna Allentuck, William Timothy Mitchell, Kevin Shea, and Armand Wray. Currently, Gianna Allentuck, Armand Wray, and Kevin 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. He explained that with the other two candidates for three year terms, Bell and Hensch, “already being nominated by the current School Committee and Select Board,” he did not want to “disrupt what has been put into place.”

Bearing this in mind, the following is an interview with the six candidates. All six candidates were asked the same questions, however there will be a “***” between the candidates who are running for one year terms, and the candidates running for three year terms, respectively, to signify to readers who they must vote between. There were several lengthy discussions with the candidates on their platforms. Bearing this in mind, the interview will be broken into two segments, with the rest of the interview in next weeks June 6 edition.

Reminder Publishing: Please share your background and experience and how it relates to a position on the School Committee.

Allentuck: For 12 years, I have lived in Longmeadow with my husband Lee and two school-age children Sontino and Cecelia.  I am a parent and coach in Longmeadow; a leader and adjustment counselor for a Springfield public school; an active education advocate and community volunteer; and president of a local non-profit providing programs and activities for youth in Springfield.  I also am a volunteer in the Springfield community; and a member of the Hampden County Honorary Deputy Sheriff program.  I also facilitate and collaborate on during and after-school programs for Springfield youth: The Officials Club Boxing program, PEACE Poetry Hip Hop program, BLAST enrichment program, and the newly developing Be Legendary Springfield Lacrosse program.

As a School Committee Member, I am the Williams Middle School representative, the Special Education Alliance of Longmeadow (SEAL) representative, and a member of the Policy Subcommittee.  In all my roles, I am positive, collaborative, and dedicated to the advocacy of education and the service of others.

I also am a contributing writer on the topics of education and hope for the African American Point of View newspaper; and the author of a book titled “Welcome to My Heart,” that chronicles the journey of my battle with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.  I am the Founder and President of Sonelia, Inc. a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to supporting and connecting organizations and individuals with community services and programs, including my daughter’s Be Legendary community service initiative that is a series of Community Service projects honoring my brother, John, who passed away in June 2017. A passionate advocate of education, I am the author of another book, “Education: Our Foundation – A Portrait in Words and Beauty” that celebrates educators in any capacity and raises awareness for education as the foundation for life.  As a highly respected achievement-earning educator, I also am the author of an education reform proposal titled “The Why Effect: Education Reform through Purpose and Culture.”

As the daughter of two outstanding veteran educators – Jack (1938 - 2013) and Natalie Pedace – I attribute my successful relationships and collaborations in all my roles to the inspirations and blessings of wisdom and guidance bestowed upon me by my own family and friends; my principal; my colleagues at school; and my partners, leaders, and mentors from across the community.  Every day I feel honored and rewarded by – and appreciative of – the opportunity to serve the children and families of Springfield and surrounding communities as an educator and advocate.

Mitchell: I currently serve as Associate Department Chair, Accounting at the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. I am a Certified Public Accountant with 15 years of experience in the private sector and an additional 16 years of experience in higher education. In the private sector, one of my primary responsibilities was planning the use of financial resources. In academe, my knowledge regarding how to measure and motivate employee performance plays a significant role in both my teaching and my research. This experience directly aligns with the roles and responsibilities of the school committee.

Shea: I am presently a Professor of Chemistry at Smith College where I have been a faculty member since 2000. I am deeply committed to the three components of faculty life at Smith: teaching, research, and service. This focus will serve me well in a role on the School Committee. I am passionate about teaching and was awarded Smith’s Sherrerd Teaching Award in 2006. I have pursued research with more than 60 undergraduate co-workers and have published in several scientific journals. I have also conducted scholarship on teaching and learning resulting in publications in the Journal of Chemical Education. My service commitments at Smith have spanned a variety of faculty committees at both the department and college levels.

I have sought out leadership roles across the college including chairing my department, the East Asian Studies Program, the Sherrerd Center for Teaching and Learning, and my present role as faculty director of the Science Center. I believe in leading as a partner which involves listening carefully to everyone I work with: faculty, staff, and students. I lead by example and work toward consensus. When consensus isn’t possible and hard decisions must be made, I focus on relevant data and aim to be student-centered in my thinking.

My service to the town has centered on my involvement in the Longmeadow Softball Association as a coach, a board member, and currently as president. Coaching my daughter from 2nd through 8th grades was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and I was honored to receive Longmeadow’s Zundell Award in 2016 for recognition of my dedication to the softball program. Spending time teaching and motivating my players with other amazing parent volunteers was always a highlight of many spring days at Glenbrook, Turner, and Russell Fields.

My engagement in the Longmeadow Schools has been mainly through my children who both attended Center and Williams, and are now at the high school. Especially during their elementary and middle school years, I led class demonstrations to highlight the amazing, fun, and educational world of chemistry. I also have very fond memories of volunteering for several Center School Field Days. During the end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019, I became actively involved in School Committee meetings and the community discussions surrounding the status of Superintendent O’Shea’s contract. I am currently one of the appointed members of the School Committee and attending School Committee meetings has helped me learn more about the role and responsibilities of committee members. I spoke on several occasions about my support for Dr. O’Shea, and, if elected, I look forward to working with him to continue to improve the student experience in our district.

Wray: This is my second time on the School Committee.  I was appointed to a one year remaining term in 2008 and was elected in 2009 to a three year term.  I believe that my experience during that time, where we accomplished many things, allows me to have a unique perspective at this time.  Having served as the Chair of the Finance Subcommittee and the Chair of the School Committee gives me insight into the budgetary and policy issues of the district.  During my first term on the School Committee, I worked with some great people across the district to fund string music, restore the health curriculum at the high school level, and to build the new High School.  I have shown that I can work collaboratively to get results for the district.

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Bell: I served as a professional educator for the Windsor Locks Public Schools for 17 years – from 2001-2018.  I served as a school counselor, director of guidance, high school principal, middle school assistant principal, assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and assessment, and superintendent of schools (2014-2018).  In 2018, I left the district to join the staff of the Mastery Transcript Consortium, an international non-profit organization serving 275 schools that seeks to reinvent how schools prepare students for college, career, and life, by developing a transcript that demonstrates the unique achievements and profile of every single graduate. I have a great deal of knowledge related to the leadership and operations of a school district, and believe that my experience can serve the school committee and, most importantly, the students of Longmeadow.

Hensch: Presently, I serve on the Longmeadow School Committee (SC) as one of the Select Board appointed members. In June, I am running for a three-year seat as I want to get and stay involved in the local government and more specifically the school system. I’ve been a part of not-for-profit as well as corporate board administration and look forward to the opportunity to be a part of a municipal board. I have been a resident of Longmeadow since 2003. My wife Lynn Pantuosco-Hensch and I have four children, three of whom are old enough to be in the Longmeadow Public Schools (LPS). Our family is very grateful for the experiences we have had with the LPS. I would like the opportunity to continue to serve on the SC. In my first few months I have enjoyed working with the administration and SC colleagues. Professionally, I am a financial advisor with Ameriprise Financial. Previously, I was a vice president at C&S Wholesale Grocers. There, I was responsible for billion-dollar budgets and managed a department of more than 100 employees. I am comfortable working in leadership roles to allow for effective production and collaboration between constituents.

Reminder Publishing: Why did you decide to run for the School Committee? Why did you select this term length?

Allentuck: As a newly appointed member of the School Committee, I am motivated by serving our students, schools, and community with positive and purposeful leadership; and am grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from insightful and impassioned students, families, educators, administrators, and citizens – along with knowledgeable and dedicated Committee colleagues – in considering and resolving issues, and in recognizing and celebrating successes.  I want to continue serving because I feel like I am already making a difference for our students, schools, and town.

Also in my current role as a School Committee member, I am focused on fostering positivity, connectivity and productivity; supporting collaboration, communication and evidence-based decision-making; and engaging with residents regarding how the work of the Committee supports our town – and especially our children.  I feel Longmeadow residents deserve a School Committee that considers and responds to the voice of the people by deliberating and making fact-based decisions in the best interest of the community.  As an active school leader, respected team member, and experienced school counselor, I strive for this balance daily in dealing with complex issues and situations – often involving differing perspectives and a need for compromise in effecting resolution.

I chose the one-year term because I wanted to be sure that I can offer valuable productive service to the town before committing to a longer term.  Also, when I saw who was running in which race, I thought my running for one-year would be the best way to keep our sitting Committee together, as our sitting Committee is extremely high functioning.

Mitchell: Shortly after relocating my family to Longmeadow, the need arose for qualified people to step up and volunteer their service as School Committee members. Feeling that my experience was well suited for the position and willing to serve the community, I interviewed for the temporary position and entered into the election to fill a one-year term. Given my short residency in Longmeadow, the one-year term allows the voters of Longmeadow the chance to see if I can deliver the type of leadership they deserve from school committee members.  

Shea: I have been inspired over the past few months to seek this opportunity by the dedication to excellence and commitment to high quality education by all members of our community: students, teachers, staff, administrative leaders, parents, and community members. As a member of the school committee I hope to support all of the great work currently underway in the district and will look for ways to promote continued improvement in student learning.

I was honored to be selected to serve until the June elections, and I have learned much in my short time on the committee.  It has been wonderful working with the other dedicated members of the committee along with our talented administrative team led by Dr. O’Shea.

I chose to seek a one-year term as a way to determine if I can balance the demands of my job and family life along with committee work. I am optimistic that I can fulfill all of these responsibilities and am committed to providing my service to the School Committee at a high level. I hope that next year at this time I am back seeking re-election for a 3-year term.

Wray: I decided to run for the School Committee because I feel the board as constituted has done great work to restoring the trust between the community, the School Committee and the school administration.  We work well together but are diverse in our backgrounds which gives us a unique perspective and creates a great debate on how to approach our role. I did not feel strongly about running for a 1 vs 3-year term and both Susie and Jamie are great candidates for the 3 year term. If I feel I can still contribute to the school district in a positive way I can run again next year to lengthen my service on the committee.

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Bell: My decision to run came from a desire to help turn a difficult situation into a positive one so that the district could focus on the work of student learning.  With four resignations happening simultaneously, the school committee needed someone to step in with plenty of experience – and in February I was selected by the joint Select Board and School Committee to serve in an interim capacity until four new members could be appointed.  During that period, I worked with the three remaining members to review and get the committee back up and running, including approving the FY 2020 district budget request.  After this interim appointment, I then applied for one of four temporary appointments to the School Committee in March, and I am currently serving in that appointed capacity through June, 2019.

I chose to run for three years to provide a level of consistency that hasn’t existed on the school committee in recent years.  It is my hope that by providing a stable presence for the next three years, I can support the district in building a shared vision in order to meet our community’s collective goals for the students of the Longmeadow Public Schools.

Hensch: Longmeadow is a wonderful community and has a well deserved reputation for an excellent school system. I would like to contribute to the continued growth and progress of the school system.  I feel as though I am well qualified to work with administration and the superintendent.  I also hold the faculty and student body in high esteem.  My experience in managerial and analytical roles will be helpful for the SC.

I choose to run for the three year term because I am committed to this role for a longer time span than a single year.  I did not want to run for re-election again next year.  Three years is commiserate with my commitment level.

Reminder Publishing: What do you feel are the most important issues facing the school district at this time?

Allentuck: Social Emotional Behavioral Learning (SEBL):  The need for continued growth toward understanding by children, parents/guardians, educators, families, and community members of social emotional behavioral needs and how to address them.  For me, emotion management is a lifeskill that allows youth (and adults) the ability to manage in certain situations so that their mind, body, and spirit are able to access the other critical skills and curriculum in core subjects and competencies. I am proud that the District already recognizes SEL learning as integral to success and has made SEL one of the District’s priorities.

Middle Schools:  The condition of the two Middle School buildings, and the need for significant repairs and upgrades; reconstruction or new construction; and the need to hear from residents and the community regarding what they feel is best for our children, schools, and town regarding the middle schools.   

Hands-on Learning:  The need for more experiential and hands-on learning.  My husband Lee Allentuck is the founder and coach of the Longmeadow High School Robotics team called LongMetal.  Though going into only their third season, the students individually and as a team have collaborated and developed pretty incredible projects, including the award-winning robot.  Also, the maker space space at Glenbrook is an amazing example of the importance of the hands-on method of learning.  We need more rigorous, fun, exciting, and engaging learning experiences like these to accommodate the diverse personalities, learning styles, goals, dreams, and skills of our children.

Mitchell: It is clear that the tax ceiling imposed by Proposition 2 1/2 provides a significant threat to the sustainability of the high-quality education provided by Longmeadow schools. While planning a course of action should that restriction limit the funds available in Longmeadow, the school committee must also set a course for continuous improvement of our students’ academic preparation. As a university professor, I clearly understand that employers expect increasingly higher levels of readiness from students entering into their professional careers. Universities cannot deliver the expected increased levels of readiness without simultaneous increases in the preparation provided by Longmeadow schools.

Shea: I feel the three most important issues currently facing Longmeadow are helping prepare all of our students for success upon graduation from LHS, attracting and retaining talented teachers and administrators, and plans for the future of Glenbrook and Williams Middle Schools.

Wray: The most important issues facing the school district at this time are the looming tax ceiling in Longmeadow, state funding and the governance of the School Committee. Longmeadow is approaching the state-mandated tax-rate ceiling of $25 per $1,000 assessed home value. As Longmeadow is a community without much industry, our ability fund the town relies on residential property tax.  When we reach the tax ceiling and are unable to raise taxes further, then cuts may be inevitable. Avoiding or postponing this situation for as long as possible are important goals we must achieve, and will likely require some tough decisions in the years to come.

The state is taking a once-in-a-generation look at how school foundation budgets are funded.  We have to address the inequity of the current formulas which are dependent upon home values as part of the formula. Housing prices have not appreciated in this part of the state like they have in Eastern Mass and that hurts how the district is funded.  

Governance is extremely important to a high-functioning School Committee. Our mandate from the state is very specific. The role of the School Committee is restricted to policy, budget and evaluating (hiring/firing) the superintendent.  Understanding the specific role of the committee and the boundaries of our role is of vital importance.

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Bell: The school district is facing a number of issues that, while not entirely unique to Longmeadow, if unaddressed, could potentially undermine the great work already happening by our talented educators.  Of primary concern is ensuring that our students have the most necessary skills needed to navigate a complex world. Skills such as innovation, collaboration, the ability to be agile and thoughtful in considering multiple avenues to solving problems, among other key interdisciplinary schools, must be at the forefront of learning and assessment in our schools.  LHS is on a path to setting those skills in motion as they approach the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, and it’s certainly my hope that we focus on these key skills across all grade levels – ensuring that students engage in authentic, real world learning experiences. Supporting the district in developing multiple pathways to learning and graduation is a measure the school district can take both in the development of school governance goals and in passing a mission-based budget.

Equally as important is focusing on our students’ physical and mental health with the same attention we pay to their academic success.  This is a priority of the school district, but this point cannot be understated, in so many schools across the country, the incidences of anxiety and stress are considerable; and it’s our responsibility to look inward in terms of our practices to understand how we can create learning environments that support students in being holistically successful, which includes feeling physically and emotionally well.

We must also address the condition of our middle schools – a matter recently addressed by the School Committee with its submission of another statement of interest to the MSBA.  While Longmeadow has not met with success yet in its mission to seek support and state funding from the state of Massachusetts, we must continue to investigate any opportunities for improving the middle school educational environments.

We as a community are facing considerable fiscal challenges that will need to be addressed as we approach the tax ceiling.  The members of the School Committee and the Select Board must work together with other town committees to find solutions that reduce costs but at the same time ensure that our students, in particular, experience optimal levels of learning to ensure their future success.  

Hensch: As the questions here suggest, it will be important for the SC to build trust and communication pathways with all constituents.  A key issue is for students today is social-emotional wellbeing, including the new health curriculum initiatives (e.g. lifeskills and civics).  An issue that’s always important to me is safety.  The new “See something, say something” initiative is a positive step. Continued efforts to improve building safety and personal safety are on our radar.  Given my background, I am also a proponent of fiscal responsibility.  My early work on the Finance Committee will allow for a short learning curve going into the next fiscal year.

Reminder Publishing: Should you be elected, how do you plan to work to address the aforementioned issues over the course of your term?

Allentuck: SEBL:  I will use the District goals and objectives around SEBL to guide me in my efforts to support the continued planning and implementation of SEBL practices.  I will collaborate with District administrators and educators regarding data and evidence for progress or gaps; and will use my counselor skills and knowledge to ask questions and have positive productive dialogue regarding how best I can support the strengths and resolve the gaps. As a counselor, I am a strong advocate and will continue to offer my insight regarding best ways to address and infuse SEBL.  I will ask for parent/guardian, student, and families feedback.

Middle Schools:  I will support the encouragement of the people to share individual and collective voices regarding their vision for the middle schools. I will ask for and review data of cost analyses, land and grading surveys, population projections, facilities and maintenance reports, etc. to make my own informed evidenced-based opinion.

Hands-On Learning:  In my own school and in my community service, one of my strengths is making connections with people and establishing long-term relationships that support the mission of my school and students.  Many of these relationships have yielded different hands-on learning experiences, such as:  boxing, poetry hip hop, lacrosse, career day, and mindfulness/yoga. These programs offer students a different interesting exciting way to learn, and from that they thrive.  I will collaborate with school officials and students to learn where the majority of interest lies and then work with same to identify possible partners/activities to support those interests.

Mitchell: It is doubtful that any individual is going to solve these issues alone. It requires a cohesive school committee working with the select board and school leadership. I vow to listen, ask questions, and listen again. I further commit to carefully directing all of my actions to activities that move the Longmeadow schools in a positive direction.

Shea: Helping prepare all of our students for success upon graduation from LHS: I will bring my perspective as a college educator to all of my interactions on the School Committee. I will stress the importance of preparing our students to succeed in a diverse global economy. I will promote student learning through inquiry and collaboration while addressing challenging problems. I will encourage parents to partner with the district to foster the growth of their children.

Attracting and retaining talented teachers and administrators: I will work consistently to support all of our professional educators. I want to help maintain Longmeadow’s reputation for outstanding public education so that we continue to attract families with young children as well as talented teachers and administrators. I plan to accomplish this by working collaboratively with our administrative team to set ambitious goals and then provide the support needed to meet these objectives.

Plans for the future of Glenbrook and Williams Middle Schools: I look forward to joining the ongoing process looking at the future of our middle school buildings. I hope that our application to obtain planning funds from the state is accepted and we can begin a community-wide conversation about the future of middle school education in Longmeadow.

Wray: As a current member of the Committee, I have been active in all of these issues and would hope to continue to do so if the voters elect me.  Recently, I participated in a discussion with Senators Lesser and Lewis and other local School Committee Chairs and Superintendents.  We raised issues that were general to all districts as well as those that were more specific to this part of the state. I look forward to more engagements like this to advocate for our children and community.  Additionally, Select Board member, Marie Angelides, has been spearheading conversations around the tax ceiling with multiple stakeholders and we continue to discuss potential solutions to that issue. Last, we as a board have been very careful to be mindful of the role of the School Committee in regards to governance.  Our new legal counsel offers training on School Committee governance and we will be having them come in sometime in June to present.

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Bell: The current school committee has established a good working relationship – a factor critical to effectively addressing both policy and budget concerns.  In our capacity as the supervisory board that oversees the superintendent, working collaboratively with him to develop goals, systems, and policies that will position us to solve these issues. Engaging with the community to hear their voices as part of long-range planning regarding these issues and, where necessary, developing policies that support these goals is key to the success of any initiative. Specifically, if we are fortunate enough to receive a favorable response from MSBA regarding the need to conduct a feasibility study around the physical status of our middle schools, a key component of that study will include engaging with the community to determine their long-term ideas and interests around the planning for our middle schools.  Having engaged in this type of feasibility study in my own experience as a superintendent, I place a high value on community engagement in the process.  

Hensch: I plan to be present, visible and engaged in the LPS.  I will be approachable and open minded.  We are fortunate to have a strong administrative team in Longmeadow.  I look forward to supporting their efforts.  Similarly, our faculty are talented and innovative in their classrooms.  I hope to be a sounding board and advocate for administration and faculty.