HAMPDEN/WILBRAHAM – This election season, Wilbraham voters will fill two seats on the Hampden Wilbraham Regional School Committee. While committee member Michelle Emirzian has decided not to seek reelection, William Bontempi is running to retain his place at the table for a third term. Residents Joseph Lawless, Dagmar Mechem and Lisa Murray have also thrown their hats into the ring. Reminder Publishing reached out to the four candidates and asked them to introduce or reintroduce themselves to voters. The following are their introductions in their own words.

William J. Bontempi

Hometown: Greenfield, MA
Education: AB, Bowdoin College, 1990; DMD, Tufts University, 1994; MD, University of Connecticut, 1997; Certificate in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Connecticut, 1999
Resident of Wilbraham since 2007
Wife: Krisinda
Children: Marissa 13 (WMS), Angelina 12 (WMS) and Dante 9 (Stony Hill)
Number of Years on School Committee:6
Chair of Finance and Operations: 5 years
And as the 2020-2021 school year draws to a close, I have decided to run for reelection to the HWRSD School Committee. It seems hard to believe but I have already served on the School Committee for six years and in that time, the district has undergone a multitude of changes; starting with the recruitment and hiring of a new superintendent and culminating with a nationwide pandemic necessitating the complete shutdown of in-person education and the birth of hybrid learning. And there was certainly a lot that went on in between those two events.

I currently have three children who attend school in the HWRSD. Their education is extremely important to my wife and I and it is the principal reason why I first decided to run for School Committee and why I remain committed to educational excellence.

As many of you may know, for the past three years, the HWRSD has been embroiled in a lawsuit with the town of Hampden. This lawsuit has consumed thousands of hours of administrative/school committee time as well as over $150,000 in legal expenses. This is time and money that could have been spent dedicated to improving student achievement and it needs to end. As the School Committee liaison for the lawsuit, I have been working with the Select Board members from Hampden to try and reach a settlement and the process is showing promise.

Ending the lawsuit is also critical for the HWRSD as we have started formulating our updated district wide strategic plan. This process gives the members our community a chance to visualize and shape the education of our students in the years ahead. It is an extremely intensive and time-consuming task but it is also the cornerstone of defining how our district views education and how that education is delivered. For my next term, I want to dedicate myself to this process as it embodies my overarching philosophy regarding school committees; community engagement.

As I have stated numerous times in past School Committee meetings, the school district belongs to the residents of our two towns, not the teachers, not the administrators and certainly not the members of the School Committee. Our role is to serve our constituents, not rule them and we should always be looking for ways to invite input from members of our community.

I appreciate the support I have enjoyed from you in my previous two elections and ask for your vote to continue my work as a member of the HWRSD. Thank you!

Dagmar Mechem

My name is Dagmar (Dasha) Mechem and I am running for a seat on the Hampden Wilbraham Regional School District School Committee. I have two children in the district, one entering fifth grade, and the other soon to attend Minnechaug. We moved to Wilbraham, almost 16 years ago, because we wanted land for our dogs, hiking trails, and a community for our future family. We also knew that a quality education was a top priority. I look forward to taking an active role on the committee to ensure all students experience equity and a sense of belonging. I feel my experience as an educator, instructional leader, and parent will be a valuable contribution to the committee.

Fresh out of college, with a B.S. in Biology and with zero teaching experience, I started teaching science in Springfield. I taught at the same school for 10 years, simultaneously earning my teaching credentials and completing my M.Ed. in Biology. After 10 years I decided to pursue a leadership position and moved to a new school as their instructional leadership specialist in science. This is the position that I have been in for the past seven years. During this time, I have also completed the Massachusetts Performance Assessment for Leaders, earning my certification to be an assistant principal/ principal for grades five-12.

As an instructional leadership specialist, I coach and support both new and veteran teachers. I also continue to teach my own classes and participate in professional development geared towards supporting me, as I support the teachers I work with. This year’s focus has been on supporting teachers as they teach remotely, and now supporting teachers as they prepare to meet the challenge of teaching both in-person and remotely, concurrently (something HWRSD teachers know quite well). I have also been fortunate enough to participate in professional development for having a culturally competent school and am very passionate about the current learning we are doing as science leaders to learn how to be anti-racist, and how to bring that to the teachers in our buildings. I believe that our growth as educators, parents, and community members is never complete. There is always a lot to learn, and I am committed to continuing to learn to do better and be better.

Providing an environment where students feel heard, accepted, and supported, while receiving a standards-based education, has been my goal as an educator, and now my goal as a teacher coach. This would also be my goal as a School Committee member. I will work to advocate for an environment that is supportive of educators, and where students feel welcomed and supported, as well. As a School Committee member, the voice of the parents, teachers, and students, will guide me.

I am committed to working for all the students in the Hampden Wilbraham Regional School District, to advocate for those who need a voice, and to always make decisions that are evidence-based and centered on what is best for the students.

Lisa Murray

My name is Lisa Murray and I am running for a seat on the HWRSD School Committee.  As a resident of Wilbraham, a parent of two children that attend town schools, and as a career educator, I will provide a meaningful contribution to this community that has always helped and supported my family.  My hope is to be a voice not only for students and their families, but also be a voice for the educators and staff that make our district so exceptional.

My background in education started when I obtained a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Westfield State and a Master’s Degree from Western New England University.  I acquired multiple teaching licenses which has led me to have a diverse and rewarding career starting with Springfield Public Schools.  In Springfield, I served as a grade three-five-5 special education teacher, a sheltered English Immersion classroom teacher for grades one, two and five, and a K-2 English as a Second Language teacher.  I was also a member of the school’s service team, crisis team, student/teacher assistance team, school centered decision-making team, and was a professional development instructor.

My career journey then led me to Stony Hill School in Wilbraham as a second and third grade teacher.  During my time at Stony Hill, I was a part of the safety team, data and progress monitoring team, and school climate team. I was able to have the unique experience of seeing firsthand the education that my own children would be receiving, as well as being a part of the system that educated the children in our community.  This allowed me to see the many strengths of the district as well as the areas that could be improved.  I would come to the School Committee with the unique position of understanding the inner workings of the district.

Currently I am a K-4 English as a Second Language teacher for Agawam Public Schools. For several years I served on the instructional leadership team, as well as the Elementary Health and Safety Committee and the Redistricting Committee. My position as an ESL teacher requires that I work closely with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and I have acquired extensive knowledge of current state standards, mandates, and requirements.  It has also given me the opportunity to work cooperatively with other local districts and educators.  Most importantly, it has allowed me to build meaningful relationships with students and families from different countries and cultures.  Watching the awe-inspiring language development and English acquisition of students that speak different languages will always be the highlight of my career.

My experience as a professional educator, my commitment to improving school culture, my extensive knowledge of state educational requirements, and as a parent of school aged children demonstrate the experience that I would bring to the School Committee. I hope to be given a chance to prove my dedication to the academic and social emotional wellbeing of every student that attends Hampden Wilbraham Regional School District.

Joseph Lawless

My name is Joe Lawless and I am running for the School Committee in the HWRSD.  I am the father of two beautiful daughters who attend school in the district; Chloe is in third grade at Stony Hill and Macayla is in first grade at Mile Tree. My lovely wife Catherine is a recess monitor at Stony Hill and I've coached second grade basketball.