Candidates for uncontested Northampton School Committee seats share visions

Oct. 13, 2021 | Dennis Hackett
dhackett@thereminder.com

NORTHAMPTON – Ahead of the election on Nov. 2, Reminder Publishing reached out to candidates in the race for the Northampton School Committee to ask questions about their goals and motivations for running for the committee.

In the race for seats on the School Committee, two wards will not field contested races. Ward 1 candidate Meg Robbins and Ward 4 candidate Michael Stein spoke on their candidacy and visions.

Reminder Publishing (RP): What made you want to run for School Committee?   

Robbins: When I knocked on doors, I heard this question a lot. Why would anyone in their right mind want to be on a mid-pandemic School Committee in an era of great need where schools juggle so much more than academic learning, budgets are tight and we are having a mayoral election? I had to really think about my answer, especially as it changed depending on how serious the asker was. Several kind people blessed me. Some just laughed. Many thanked me. Some said the kinds of things people say when you know they wish you well, and are grateful someone is stepping up, as long as it is not them.

Fundamentally my response was that I have always been passionate about teaching and learning and in working toward creating a school culture that best grows thoughtful, smart, kind and capable human beings. Plus, no one else was jumping in to fill our ward representative gap and my friends were being very pushy about me being the one to do so. I have never been shy about trying.

My years as a teacher in a project-based collaborative team setting taught me a lot about student as learner, teacher as coach. Over the past two decades I have been fortunate in having worked with many schools and districts as a school change coach and consultant. I have witnessed powerful examples of what schools can be both at their best, and at their worst. It is an amazing experience to be in schools where the whole community feels ownership. It is devastating when few do.

My own children went through Northampton public schools, and now some of theirs do. I have been on school councils since their inception and hope to be a strong voice in strengthening their role in our schools. I know that we have a talented teaching faculty in this city, and I plan to be an active voice in exploring how we can best support them in furthering the vibrant, kind and caring culture of equitably high expectations we want for all learners in all schools. What would our schools look like if we had that shared vision? How would we get there? How would we know we have gotten there? How do we keep that vision paramount? I want to be part of that exploration.

Stein: Like many parents during COVID, I was paying a lot of attention to the debates, policies, and activities of the district and the School Committee. Through that engagement I learned a lot about the role of the School Committee and many of the issues facing the district. When I learned that our ward representative was not seeking reelection I decided to run.

RP: Is there a particular issue you are hoping to tackle this term?

Robbins: Having knocked on all those doors, I heard clearly that COVD-19 safety is paramount for caregivers and staff. Everyone wants to get back to learning without fear. That we are still sifting through what seems like daily changes in the science of the pandemic in its newest iteration, makes our educational work together complex. In the midst of this is the start of the district’s ambitious three-year Improvement Plan (DIP) focusing on equity.

How we take our first steps in implementing year one of that DIP, seems critical to its ongoing success. Tied to that is the state legislative opportunity to finally say no to an MCAS that has served only as a measure of inequities, and to explore far richer ways to know our children are learning.

Stein: There are a few issues I hope to impact during this term. With all the educational disruptions from COVID-19 I want the district to provide adequate resources for students to address deficits in educational and social and emotional development, especially among marginalized members of our community. I would also like to be an advocate for students and families who require additional services and support, an important issue if we are to live up to our values of inclusivity. In a related vein I am interested in helping with the implementation of the NPS District Improvement Plan.

RP: What are you most looking forward to in this year’s term as a new member of the committee?

Robbins: I have a lot to learn, and am very grateful to the sharing, help and support I have already had from current and retiring School Committee members as well as the majority incomers who, like me, are new. I am excited to be learning together as we get our feet wet with ways and means. I know it will be a bit messy but that is what learning looks like. We are going to be an innovative team of thinkers and doers. I know that we will build on the solid work of our predecessors, and make a meaningfully positive difference for our children, and the world that is theirs every single day of school.

Stein: As a new member I am excited to represent my constituents, get to know and work with my colleagues, and advocate for NPS students.

Share this: