Candidate Profile: Joe Hicks For North Andover School Committee

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — North Andover will have two contested races in the March 30 town election: School Committee and Board of Selectmen. North Andover Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles over the coming weeks.

Joe Hicks is running for election to the School Committee. There are five people running for two available seats. Hicks faces Rebecca Stronck, Pamela Pietrowski, David Brown and incumbent Andrew McDevitt.

Hicks is an educator.

Are you running for office in North Andover? Contact Christopher Huffaker at chris.huffaker@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate profile and submitting campaign announcements to North Andover Patch.

Previously on Patch: North Andover Election Guide: Who's Running

Joe Hicks

Age (as of Election Day)

42

Position Sought

School Committee

Family

Stuart - Husband; William - Son, 9; Eleanor - daughter, 9

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Education

BA from Holy Cross in History; MAT from Quinnipiac University in Social Studies Education

Occupation

Educator since 2003

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

Campaign website

www.joehicksforNAPS.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I want to build a better future.

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

The most important issue facing our district is how we return to school. Part of that answer includes when we return, and like many people in North Andover, I want that to happen as quickly and safely as possible. I’m really excited to return to school. I miss my students. I miss my colleagues. I miss talking with people face to face.

But the return to school isn’t only about when it happens. It is also about how and the plans that we make to re-acclimate our learners. It is about uncovering the unfinished learning, and acknowledging the unfinished teaching. It is about giving teachers the support they need to meet across grade levels to realign curriculum maps, to develop formative assessments, and to create and implement targeted support plans. It is making sure that we have strong SEL supports in the classroom.

When we return to school, I do not want to return to normal. I want to return to something better. Our return is an opportunity to transform our district. To do that will take careful diligent planning. It will require that we take a hard look at our policies and practices and make the necessary adjustments.

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

My professional career has allowed me to learn about the multi-faceted needs of a school system. I’ve been a teacher, an assistant program director, a team leader, and an instructional coach. I understand what it means to be a part of a school community. I have the knowledge base in education that is required to ask the right questions and to develop better policies. I have the experience creating and leading teams through examining data, developing solutions, and implementing action plans. I know the impact of what each choice means for the School Committee - I’ve experienced it as a teacher and as a parent. This work is not new to me - it has been my passion for almost 2 decades.

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

The pandemic has not created new problems, but has exposed some areas of weakness that we need to address. Before the pandemic, North Andover was not a 1:1 technology district. This prevented us from pivoting quickly to online and remote learning last spring. District level communication this past year has been problematic. For too long, the community did not know the plan for returning our students to school. Our capacity issues at the Middle School are not new, and we must seriously address the needs of that building. We have chronically underfunded our schools for years.

It is also important to note what we have learned over the past year. We have learned to utilize technology effectively in the classroom. We have embraced learner-centered instruction, a key lever to improving student engagement. We have learned new ways to give targeted support to students and how to have students collaborate with each other. We have learned how amazingly independent our learners can be at a young age and we have given our learners authentic opportunities to solve problems and manage their own time.

I would have been provided the town with a clear action plan that included more specific metrics for moving towards full in-person learning.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I believe in open, honest, transparent two-way communication. I will work to ensure that our community knows how to talk with me so that I can listen to their concerns. I believe we have an obligation to seek out new ways to be more equitable, inclusive, and just. I believe that we must examine our policies and procedures and dismantle barriers that inadvertently limit student choice and voice.

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

In my younger days I was a swimmer. I started swimming in 4th grade and continued to swim competitively for the next 13 years and was an NCAA Division 1 athlete. I know what it means to be dedicated, to work as a team, to face adversity and injuries, and to persevere. After college I spent a year volunteering with AmeriCorps National Civilian Conservation Corps. My team was based in Sacramento. We completed service projects all over the West Coast including running a homeless shelter in Salt Lake City, building trails in Alaska, protecting endangered cactus in Arizona, and providing disaster relief alongside the Red Cross in Guam. I know what it means to work together in pursuit of a common goal.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I want to build a better future. That is why I’m running.

Our job is to prepare students to be active participants in a democratic society. Students who are ready to take on challenges and solve problems that we don’t know exist or can even imagine. Students who have the skills, knowledge, and voice to participate in our diverse world with confidence, empathy, and dignity. And most importantly, students who can not only dream of a future for themselves, but are equipped to achieve those dreams.

So, how will I work to build a better future?

I promise to always be open, transparent, and accessible. I will hold regularly scheduled office hours so that the community knows how and when to talk with me so that I can always listen. I pledge to always support and fight for funding for our music, art, drama, STEM, and athletic programs. I promise to carefully examine our data and ask questions of our leaders about actions being taken to improve student achievement. And I will always advocate for policies that build stronger, more diverse, equitable, inclusive schools. I will continue to push for culturally sustaining pedagogy. I will advocate for robust SEL programming. I will be a fierce advocate for LGBTQ+ students. Our students can only learn if they are safe, embraced, and celebrated for who they are.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.