Why am I running for Longmeadow School Committee

This letter was submitted to LongmeadowBuzz by Michaela Fitzgerald- a candidate for the Longmeadow School Committee.

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My name is Michaela Fitzgerald, and I am a candidate for the Longmeadow School Committee. For the past 14 years I have worked as an educator in Massachusetts. For the most recent 7 years I have been a resident of Longmeadow with my husband Brendan and our two children, Declan and Maeve. Longmeadow is a special place to us. Over these past years we have watched our kids grow, make their first friends and reach exciting milestones. Each new class, sports team and activity has allowed me to befriend and learn from so many Longmeadow parents and caretakers. These families, and the concerns and challenges we face raising and educating our children together are the reasons I am running for the school committee.

I have been an active member of school communities both as a teacher and a parent. In my career as a public school teacher (3 years in Salem, MA and 10 years in Springfield, MA) I have had a successful track record of improving educational outcomes through my involvement in a variety of school-based teams. I have served on school improvement teams, instructional leadership teams, literacy teams, and have held elected roles on School Centered Decision-Making teams. In 2017—in perhaps my proudest achievement as an educator—my school was awarded a National Blue Ribbon for Closing the Achievement Gap. This was the result of outstanding school leadership, innovation, and the tireless teamwork of educators taking an active role in school improvement planning.

Since graduating from college, I have never left the classroom professionally and I have had the opportunity to hold a variety of roles within the classroom setting. I firmly believe my background in Special Education, teaching English as a Second Language, and a decade in Springfield Public Schools meeting the needs of a diverse group of learners will be an asset to the committee and to the district. Public Education is for everyone, and every single student deserves access to an outstanding education. This drives me as an educator, and I will work hard to make sure this happens in our district.

Currently, I am a preschool teacher at St. Mary’s Academy in Longmeadow, a parent member of the Blueberry Hill School Council, a youth soccer coach, and a PTO volunteer. 

I have concerns about the direction of school committees nationwide and the increasingly divisive tenor of conversation surrounding them. There is a growing lack of focus on what is conducive to building the best outcome for students and making schools places where teachers and children want to be and excel. I—and many other Longmeadow parents—moved to Longmeadow in large part due to the stellar reputation of its schools. And now with one child completing his first year and another beginning in September, I am happy to say that I have found that reputation well-deserved. I want it to remain so, but like many others I have come to realize that we can’t take the continued stability and excellence of our most important institutions for granted.

During my years as a teacher, I have seen staff changes, curriculum changes and societal changes. I know firsthand the massive impact decisions made by administrators and school leaders have on student achievement. Well-intentioned and carefully considered decisions can flop when they finally reach the classroom. The classroom is the heart of education: it should be a safe home and a hub of learning for our children. I want a seat at the table so that I can utilize my classroom experience to make sure the needs of all students are considered, to keep our district a place where the best teachers want to come and establish careers, and to keep the education provided by the district a point of pride for all Longmeadow residents.

On June 13th, please vote for Michaela Fitzgerald—an experienced and driven educator.  Here is a link to my Michaela Fitzgerald for the Longmeadow School Committee Facebook page.

Michaela Fitzgerald  

Why I am running as a Candidate for School Committee

This letter was submitted to LongmeadowBuzz by Kency Gilet- a candidate for the Longmeadow School Committee in the upcoming Annual Town Elections.

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My name is Kency Gilet and a candidate for the Longmeadow School Committee. I moved to Longmeadow with my three children, Alicia, Adam, and Abigail specifically because of the exceptional Longmeadow Public Schools. In a year of many changes for us, a community that welcomes diverse families was a comfort. Two of my kids attend Wolf Swamp Road Elementary and one attends Glenbrook Middle School.

As a full time, single father to three LPS students, my stake in the continued success of Longmeadow Schools is clear. I believe our students can overcome the most difficult circumstances life will throw at them. They are not the victim of their traumas, but the champion of their strengths and skills. The dire situation in our schools regarding the rates of depression and suicidal ideation is a concerning trend that requires a proactive response. I’m running to support our students in leveraging their strengths and community resources to create their own legacy of success and happiness.

Professionally, I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and National Certified Counselor with over a decade of experience treating kids, teens and families suffering from emotional, behavioral, and mental disturbances. My private clinical practice is in East Longmeadow, and I serve as Vice President of a nonprofit mental health organization treating children and families with mental illness in Easthampton. Additionally, I have been an adjunct professor of psychology at Pace University for over a decade. Maybe my favorite professional experience was serving as PTO President of Pottenger Elementary School in Springfield from 2015-2017.

I am deeply committed to promoting mental wellness, life readiness, and parental engagement in our schools.

If honored to join an already well-functioning committee, I will prioritize the following areas:

Mental Wellness: I believe that mental wellness is essential to student success. I’m motivated to work with the full committee to ensure that our schools provide the necessary resources and supports for students to maintain good mental health. This includes promoting self-care practices, implementing social-emotional learning programs, and providing access to mental health professionals when needed.

Life Readiness: Our schools prepare students for success beyond the classroom. I will support efforts to ensure that LPS provides a well-rounded education that includes essential life skills such as financial literacy, career readiness, and civic engagement. I will also advocate for experiential learning opportunities that allow students to apply their knowledge in real-world situations. There are many paths to success that should be presented to our students.

Parental Engagement: Caregivers play a critical role in education, and I believe that strong parental engagement is essential to student success. I will leverage my experience strengthening partnerships between schools and families to provide opportunities for parents to get involved and have a voice in their child's education. This includes creating a welcoming and inclusive school environment, promoting regular communication between parents and educators, and providing resources for parents to support learning at home.

I am ready to work collaboratively with school administrators, teachers, parents, and community members to ensure that our schools provide the highest caliber of education for our students. If elected, I will be a dedicated advocate for mental wellness, life readiness, and parental engagement in our schools.

I humbly ask that you vote Kency Gilet for Longmeadow School Committee on Tuesday June 13.

Respectfully,

Kency Gilet, LMHC, NCC

Why I am running for School Committee as a Write-in Candidate

This letter was submitted to LongmeadowBuzz by Adam Rosenblum- a write-in candidate for the Longmeadow School Committee. 

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My name is Adam Rosenblum, D.O. I am a write-in candidate this June 13th for the Longmeadow School Committee. I am excited to run for the post on behalf of my two children, who will soon enter the Longmeadow School District, with the goal of fostering an even stronger educational community in Longmeadow. I hope my voice on the committee will ensure our exceptional schools will continue to flourish as they support Longmeadow families. 

My community service with the Longmeadow COVID Vaccine Clinic and Little League has allowed me to meet so many neighbors, leaving me inspired. We have the overwhelming potential to furnish our children with the tools not only to thrive but to shape our society. While I am a physician by training, I began my career as a public school science teacher and afterward continued to teach at the college and graduate levels. 

My comprehensive experience in education will be an asset to solving issues facing Longmeadow Public Schools. I grew up in Western Michigan and was fortunate to gain my secondary education in schools of similar quality to Longmeadow. I have seen the dedication required by individuals to maintain and improve such outstanding schools. Support for the teachers and staff that make these incredible opportunities possible must be steadfast and frequently reinvigorated. I will stand by our teachers and staff, working tirelessly to realize the promise that education can fulfill in Longmeadow. 

When the voters cast their ballots on June 13th, they should have a choice of candidates. This is an opportunity to bring in a new voice with a positive attitude, the essential experience, and the community dedication to meet the responsibilities of this noble committee. I’m thrilled to see what we can accomplish working together for Longmeadow!

Check out my Adam Rosenblum for Longmeadow School Committee FB page for more information.

Adam Rosenblum, D.O.

Being An Effective Longmeadow Select Board Member

This post was originally written in 2023 to reflect important roles for Select Board members in anticipation of challenging times ahead for Longmeadow.

Longmeadow Annual Town Elections will be held on Tuesday, June 11.  There are three candidates vying for two open SB seats in this election:  Josh Levine, Dr. Andrew Lam and Leah Peterson.   

Because Dr. Lam and Ms. Peterson are newcomers to our local election politics, I felt that it would be helpful to ask Mark Gold- a current and the longest tenured member of the Select Board (since 2009) for an outline of the “homework” that is required for him in order to adequately prepare for SB meetings. 

Below is a summary of his responses which were recently reviewed and updated...

Jim Moran

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Contrary to what many people believe, being an effective Select Board member is more than committing time for the meetings- two nights a month.

Mark Gold
Select Board member since 2009

Mark attends an average of 8 meetings outside of the Select Board each month.

(As a minimum Select Board members should attend those meetings for which they are the SB liaison.)

Mark attends on a regular basis the following standing committees:

• Scantic Valley Regional Health Trust
  Meets 9:30 - 11 AM/ once/month
• Pioneer Valley Transit Authority
  Meets 12 – 2 PM/ once/month
• Pioneer Valley Planning Commission’s MPO (Traffic and Roadway) Meeting - PVTA
  Meets 10 AM – 12 PM/ once/month
• Longmeadow Permanent Building Committee
  Meets 3-5 PM/ once per month

In addition, Mark is also a member of the PVTA/ Paratransit subcommittee (Dial-a-Ride) because it is an important service in the Longmeadow community as well as the PVTA’s executive compensation committee. These two sub-committees meet about 4-6 times per year in addition to the board meetings (for about an hour at a time).

Mark’s participation on these committees provide critical contacts with leaders of other Western Mass communities as well as insight and information that supports actions by the Longmeadow Select Board.

Mark also tries to attend a couple of Longmeadow Finance Committee meetings during the year, at least one Community Preservation Committee and one Longmeadow Capital Planning Committee meeting as well.  These meeting are "seasonal" -generally during budget time. He also attends all of the town sponsored forums on the budget and related topics which typically occur 1-2 times/ year. 

Prior to serving on the Select Board, Mark served as the chairman of the Longmeadow Capital Planning Committee. For eight years on that panel Mark championed the maintenance and rehabilitation of Longmeadow's buildings as well as planned spending for DPW fleet purchases and Fire Engines.  Mark feels that this earlier experience on the Capital Planning Committee provided many benefits and insights for his current role on the Select Board.

Mark has no idea how much time other Select Board members spend outside the regular meetings.  He does know that the SB chair has to spend time before every meeting reviewing the agenda with the Town Manager Lyn Simmons.

A Select Board member with a full time job and family commitments could be hard pressed to participate in many of these types of board meetings that are regularly held during "normal business hours”. For many of these boards and committees, it's important that a representative from Longmeadow is present to represent the town’s interests and report back the committee actions.

Mark participates in as many Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) training webinars as possible. Last year he participated in 3 or 4 of them and usually skips the annual training on Open Meeting Law and Municipal Finances since he has completed them several times and they really don't change. There are two required training programs that all town employees (including Select Board members) must complete on Open Meeting Law and Conflict of Interest. These training programs are conducted on-line and take about 2 hours each to complete. Select Board members must complete a "test" at the end of the course and pass to be certified. Mark also attends the MMA annual meeting in Boston for two days every January.. Many initiatives that continue to benefit the town were first identified through participation at the MMA meeting such as street light purchases and the upcoming municipal electrical aggregation.

Prior to each Select Board meeting members receive a packet of information to review. The packet generally comes out on the Friday before the regular Monday meeting. It can take anywhere from 1 to 4 hours to review the information (depending if you read the many department monthly reports that are included). When there's a SB hearing (usually a liquor license or public utility), Mark will review the information more closely and if there are questions he tries to send them to the petitioner in advance of the meeting so they have the answers. Mark decided some time ago that "got-ya" questioning doesn't work well in town government.  He also believes it's a waste of time when they say "we'll have to get back to you on that" which just wastes everyone's time. “I can't tell you how many times I have found an error in the packet, but I suspect I may be the only one who reads it anyway.”

Around budget time, the time he spends on reviewing the budget can be as much as 6-8 hours in advance of the budget review meeting.  As good as our Town Manager is in the preparation, he believes that oversight is worthwhile and wants to understand the budget as well as the Town Manager and our new CFO Ian Cottington do.  This same preparation goes for development of water and sewer rates. With Paul Pasterczyk now retired and working part time as a consultant for the town, Mark probably understands what makes up those rates better than anyone in town, and takes the time each year to closely review the proposal. This secondary review is even more important now that Paul has retired.

Mark has not added up all the meetings and times, but his best estimate is that he spends 6-8 hours per week on town business, not including phone calls he gets at home and being present at meetings that he has with the Town Manager. 

Being an effective Select Board member is more than committing two nights a month for meetings.   

Mark has been a Select Board member since 2009 and has the longest continuous membership of anyone else since the mid-1980's having now spent 15 years as a Board member.  While this is a salaried elected position at $2000/ year,  Mark does it primarily as a give back to Longmeadow where he has lived with his wife Ellen for over 45 years.  His two sons Daniel and Eric attended Longmeadow Public Schools.

Mark has made many significant contributions to the financial health and well-being of our town by being adequately prepared for the regular biweekly Select Board meeting and getting involved with the business of our town.  His record of accomplishment sets a high standard for town residents seeking election  to the Select Board.  Here is a list of his Top 10 Accomplishments that he outlined when he ran for Select Board in 2022.

Thank you Mark for your commitment and many years of service to our town. 

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Longmeadow Annual Town Elections will be held on Tuesday, June 11.  There are three candidates vying for two open SB seats in this election:  Josh Levine, Andrew Lam and Leah Peterson.

Their election candidate profiles can be found on the LongmeadowBuzz blog.  Here are the links: Josh Levine, Andrew Lam and Leah Peterson.

Do your homework by reading these profiles to become an informed voter and then go to the Community House to vote for the best candidate. 
Polls are open from 7 am - 8 pm.

Written by Jim Moran