On Tuesday, November 7, 2017, Somerville voters will cast their ballots in a City Election for the offices of Mayor of Somerville, various Board of Aldermen members, and School Committee Members in Wards 1 and 2. This week, the Somerville Times asked each of the qualified candidates for the School Committee to describe why they would be the best choice for the office they are running for and what specific policies they would advocate or implement in that position, along with a bio if they choose to include one. Their responses are presented here in alphabetical order based on their last names, beginning with the Ward 1 candidates, followed by the Ward 2 candidates.

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For the Office of Ward 1 School Committee member:
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Emily Ackman

My name is Emily Ackman and I am running for School Committee in Ward One. I have built my career as an educator involved at all levels of education and school policy, and am eager to use my skills and experience to serve the students and families of Ward One, and all of Somerville.

I started in education by teaching preschool, which is where my belief in strong public pre-k programs is rooted. But most of my teaching career was spent as an elementary school teacher in the first and second grade. After that, I ran an afterschool program, where I had to provide education support classes for kids from kindergarten to eighth grade. The whole time I was doing this, I was also in graduate school, learning about better ways to support my students, and serving as a university lecturer, training a new generation of teachers.

As a teacher, I experienced how policies that were created without any input from educators had negative impacts on life in the classroom. This experience prompted me to get a PhD in Education Policy and get into state level education policy work, where I thought I could have more of a positive impact on schools. While I built many strong relationships working at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, I knew that my single contribution did not have the positive impact I was hoping for. After that, I went on to be the Title I and Grants Director for Framingham Public Schools, and then worked with district and school leaders on implementing high quality summer reading programs through the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Through these professional experiences I learned that my skills and expertise could actually have a positive impact, serving students and families at the district level.

Somerville Public Schools have improved over the past decade, but there is a lot that still needs to be done to make sure we are meeting the needs of all of our students. All kids need a strong start, which is why I would like to see free all-day pre-k made available to all families in Somerville. We also need to be preparing our students for an ever-changing economy, which is why I support teaching 21st Century skills, like coding, to all students, as well as teaching financial literacy starting in elementary school. Since I started my campaign, many parents have reached out to me to discuss communication issues with Somerville’s policy around kindergarten placement, as well as other issues. I will advocate for greater transparency between Somerville Public and the families they serve, from pre-k through graduation.

I love Somerville, and especially my neighborhood of East Somerville. Knowing that I can put my experience and skill set in education policy to work to serve this community is why I am running for school committee. I am invested in our Ward and our city. I have volunteered with the Next Wave/Full Circle School, and I am currently on the Board of Directors of East Somerville Main Streets. My husband and I own our home here, where we are raising our two young children who we plan to send to East Somerville Community School. I am asking for your vote in the general election on November 7. If you want more information about me and my campaign, please check out my campaign website, emilyackman.com.

Kenneth Salvato

Hello,

My name is Kenneth Salvato. Most of you know I am a lifelong resident of East Somerville. I have attended the Somerville public schools and I have been active in the past elections. Over the years, it became obvious to me what I was truly seeking, what our community needed. It wasn’t something that I thought about overnight. It has been a desire, a willingness that I think about daily. My decision to become a candidate for Ward 1 School Committee is now instilled within me. I am ready and looking forward to sharing it with you, our community. I care about our schools and our children. I am a familiar face, a reckoned voice and a friend. I will continue this journey and I am inviting you and your children to join me. I have created a 5 Point Plan. I am continuously working on and committed to follow. I have created a new path, new goals and a stronger desire but my commitment to my 5 Point plan reminds the same:

My 5 Point plan consists of: # 1: Homework clubs: Homework clubs which will help to reinforce academic skills, by teaching the students the value of a good education and provide them with the support and tools to succeed in academics. # 2: For students who are experiencing learning barriers due to the fact that English is not their primary language. I would research successful programs in other school districts and implement a Model State of the Art program in our schools to address the unique challenges of these students. # 3: Teen workshops: I have been developing these workshops since the 2015 elections. I begin working closely with many of our surrounding retail stores by creating a partnership with these businesses to help students secure a part-time work experience exposing them to possible career paths. # 4: Anti-tobacco and Drug meetings: By creating a committee to establish the best practices in the profession to address this need and to locally build a program that will effectively focus on these issues and curb the epidemic of the drug and alcohol use in our community. I would provide transportation for our children with help by their parents and bring them to safety where they can obtain professional help. # 5: Bullying: It is a serious problem, not only in our schools and playgrounds but also in our community. I am committed to develop an anti-bully program, “BE a BUDDY NOT a BULLY”. I have talked to many parents and there was much concern surrounding this topic. I will work very closely with the families involved and help develop this program using knowledge and compassion.

I am the only candidate that plans to take a $ 5000.00 pay cut to help fund and establish my 5 Point plan. I’ve challenged other incumbents to join me, but I still stand alone. I am running a campaign based on commitment and dedication. I am not backed by other politicians. I am solely funded.

The School Committee of Ward 1 needs a candidate who has been there, a candidate with strong roots from our city. I am so grateful for your support. It is because of you, I will be advancing to the general election on Nov 7. Please continue this journey with me. We together can make a difference. I am very open to ideas and look forward to working with the families of Ward 1. My name is Kenneth Salvato and I am a candidate for Ward 1 School Committee. Thank you and God Bless

For the Office of Ward 2 School Committee member:
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Dan Futrell

I’m running for a third term to the Somerville School Committee to continue supporting the values that make Somerville strong, and because the work that I came here to do isn’t finished yet.

Every day seems to bring bad news, when national leadership is advocating for discriminatory policies that spread fear in our community. From the assault on DACA to immigration bans to the paltry assistance for Puerto Rico, Somerville feels the impact of this changing world deeply. Additionally, we have an education secretary who’s working to dismantle public education so that her friends can further line their pockets at the expense of our families.

These issues are so impactful here in Somerville, and the best way I know how to impact our world is by fighting for the values we believe in right here at home. Last Fall, I knocked on doors and helped organize against Question 2, which would’ve made Somerville Public Schools vulnerable to a dramatic loss of resources. As chair of the Finance Subcommittee responsible for producing a budget for our district, I worked to quantify and communicate that impact broadly.

But what drives me most is the need to elevate the role of social & emotional learning in Somerville. In an educational landscape driven by standardized testing focused so intensely on math and English, we’ve built a system that naturally leads to less recess, less open time for play and experimentation, and less of a focus on interpersonal relationships and working through failure.

In the last four years, I’ve consistently pushed to ensure that our commitment to whole child education was reflected in our everyday decisions as well as our goals and mission statement. This has included things like facilitating a partnership between Somerville schools and Head Start, run by the Community Action Agency of Somerville where I serve as President of the Board. Today, among a School Committee aligned with this vision, our commitment to whole child education drives all that we do. There are two specific initiatives that I want to help shape over the next two years.

Recognizing a need, we built a Student Insights tool from scratch, a data tool that pulls together quiz grades, MCAS scores, and other assessments with indicators that say more about the context each student brings to the classroom – things like tardiness, participation in after school programming, input from coaches and the Somerville Family Learning Collaborative – so that every adult who supports a child sees the full picture of that student, and is empowered to offer the right supports at the right time.

We’ve also invested a lot of time and leadership in the MCIEA (Massachusetts Consortium for Innovative Education Assessment), a collaboration of districts across the state gathered to rethink evaluation of things like character and school environment. This consortium grew out of work I’ve pushed and supported for the last 3 years that started as a pilot with a Holy Cross Professor and Kennedy School parent. I’m proud of Somerville’s leadership here and am eager to achieve even more progress.

I ask for your vote to continue this work. It is the best way I know how to turn our values into real action when those values are under attack. After five years’ service in the Army, my work in Somerville’s schools truly drives me because I see the impact every day, from closing the achievement gap for minority students, reducing the number of out-of-district placements, to creating policies that support social & emotional learning. I hope to continue representing Ward 2 in support of our shared values.

Susan McDonald-Nionakis

My name is Susan McDonald-Nionakis and I am a candidate for School Committee in Ward 2. I proudly embark on this venture as someone who has spent her life involved with, and invested in, the educational process.

My Dad, Francis, was a 35-year Somerville teacher and my two siblings both teach within the Massachusetts system. Education, and its instrumental value within one’s life, was instilled in me at a very young age. My first personal indoctrination into Somerville’s educational system began in 1982 when I was an undergrad at Boston University.

I used my days off to work as a substitute teacher and, thus, my 35-year commitment to the City of Somerville, and its schools, was born. I went on the receive my Master of Education degree, also from Boston University, and have been instilled within the Somerville and Cambridge School systems since.

I worked a 15-year stint with the Boston University Men’s Ice Hockey team, from 1991-2004, but left my lucrative position there to focus on raising my own family. My son, Michael, is currently a 5th grader at the Albert F. Argenziano school and I have spent the last 6 years as a paraprofessional in Somerville, from 2011-2014, and currently serve as a day-to-day substitute in Cambridge. I am not only invested in public academia through my own career but also as a parent of a Somerville schools student.

I am in the trenches day-to-day and experience the educational process from every possible angle. I am invested, and truly vested, in this process. I have made the commitment as a candidate to take all of my experience, which has lasted the better part of my life, to help today’s students successfully navigate their academic careers with the basis that all students be given equal and unparalleled access to a great education.

If elected, I will focus on all populations that make up our tremendous diversified system and ensure that each and every scholar is afforded all the resources necessary to achieve success. I believe that public, private and charter schools can find an equitable co-existence and that the state high expenditure per student can yield higher test scores for our scholars.

I believe that bullying, nutrition and childhood obesity can be addressed successfully and yield positive, cohesive outcomes as well. I am prepared, and willing, to do whatever it takes for my scholar, and yours, be productive, achieving members of our educational process. My record of educational involvement proves this and I am prepared to continue in this vein going forward.

To be successful, we all must be willing to put in the legwork and time necessary to achieve all of our goals because when our children benefit, so does the future of our society. I appreciate your consideration on November 7th. Thank you!