Foxboro Candidate Profile: Richard Pearson for School Committee

FOXBOROUGH, MA — Foxborough's town election is May 3. Foxborough Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles over the coming weeks.

Richard Pearson is running to keep his seat on the School Committee. He faces two challengers in Salina Chowdhury and Sarah Lidonni.

Are you running for office in Foxborough? Contact Jimmy Bentley at jimmy.bentley@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate profile and submitting campaign announcements to Foxborough Patch.

Learn a little more about Pearson in the profile below:

Age (as of Election Day)

55

Family

Lisa Pearson, wife of 30 years; 2 daughters, Shannon (27) and Erin (26); all are educators

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Ed.D EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP, 2009-2012, Northeastern University,
(coursework) Boston, MA; initial coursework, accepted into Doctoral program
CAGS/Ed.D EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP, 2007-2009, Cambridge College, Cambridge, MA;
(coursework) 21 Credits completed, accepted into Doctoral program
M. Ed. EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP, 1998, Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, MA
B.M.E. MUSIC EDUCATION, 1989, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

Occupation

Associate Executive Director, MIAA/MSAA

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

School Committee, 2018-present

Campaign website

none

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am seeking reelection to continue my effort to give back to the Town of Foxborough. My thirty-two years involved in education in the Massachusetts will be the foundation for what I have to offer the community of Foxborough and the Foxborough Public Schools.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The past 12 months have caused a major shift in how we have lived our lives and educated our children. Transitioning out of the pandemic will be an important responsibility of the next school committee. I will continue to support careful analysis of how we deliver content so that we can maintain the high educational ideals that are a foundation of our community. I am confident that together with our school department leadership we will look at this past year to inform our progress into the future.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

In my professional role employed by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) and the Massachusetts School Administrators Association (MSAA) I am fortunate to have direct access to education policy within the Commonwealth. This allows me to remain abreast of the educational issues that impact our town and school. Further, I have been fortunate to have been a classroom teacher, a school administrator and current school committee member.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

The leaders for the Town of Foxborough have worked very hard to understand the incredibly changing landscape brought on by COVID-19. We have been very fortunate to have a strong collaboration with the Foxboro Fire Dept., our local BOH and in my role, the School Committee. Communication was constant and all town departments were kept in the loop for all impacted conditions.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Given the challenge of the current pandemic, I believe attention to the social and emotional challenges of our students is critical. We must work set goals for the school system that are forward thinking and recognize the diverse needs of the student body. Our schools must value all members of the school community and teach compassion, concern for others and the understanding of differences.

One major shift for our students has been the introduction of one-to-one technology. This positive result of the pandemic has and will change our schools into the future. I will be focused on this critical opportunity for our children. I have been proud to have led the Foxborough School Committee during the past ten months and am running again to help continue the intelligent conversation about what is best for the students of Foxborough.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Managing the pandemic as School Committee Chairperson seems to be first on my mind as evidence of capacity to serve on the school committee. As stated earlier, my 32 years in education, of which I have many more, are evidence of my unique positioning to understand education for the benefit of the students of Foxborough.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Speak in such a way that others love to listen. Listen in such a way that others like to speak to you.