Sudbury 2021 Election Profile: Tyler Steffey For School Committee

SUDBURY, MA — The Sudbury spring 2021 election is less than a week away, and Patch has asked candidates running in the Select Board and School Committee races to answer candidate questionnaires so voters can get to know them.

Tyler Steffey is running for the first time for a seat on the Sudbury School Committee. He is running for one of two seats up for election this spring, while Silvia Nerssessian is running to keep her seat and Mandy Sim is running as a challenger. Meanwhile, Lisa Kouchakdjian has decided to make a run for Select Board.

Here's how Steffey answered our candidate questionnaire:

Tyler Steffey

Age (as of Election Day): 39
Family: Kindergartener & 2nd-Grader in Sudbury Public Schools, Taco Dog and our cats, Caliente and Cebolla.
Education: BA from Bowdoin College, M. Ed School Leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education
Occupation: Middle-School Assistant Principal, 20 years of experience as a teacher, student advocate, and school administrator
Campaign website: www.steffeyforsudbury.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for a seat on the Sudbury School Committee because I feel a personal connection to and responsibility for our schools. I chose education as a career because I love watching children grow and I believe that few things are more important in a child’s early life than a positive school experience. Positive school support is my life's work and there is no more important way to support my own children, and all Sudbury children, than to serve on the Sudbury School Committee.

For 15 years I served in economically disadvantaged communities of color where issues of race and privilege were central to my own experience and growth. These years represent the foundation upon which my educational philosophy of equity and empowerment was built. A foundation from which I draw inspiration in seeking a seat on the Sudbury School Committee.

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

The number one issue facing Sudbury Schools and the Sudbury School Committee is the safe return of our children to their beloved schools.

As a Sudbury resident who spends between 45-50 hours per week in school, I am uniquely aware of the role and efficacy of current mitigating factors that make our schools safe. As a Sudbury School Committee member, I intend to use my institutional knowledge to continue to support our teachers, staff, school leaders, and Superintendent in evaluating these measures to ensure the safest learning environment possible.

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

I am the Sudbury School Committee candidate with first-hand experience in school district budgeting, implementing equity education, advocating for students with disabilities within school, and collaborating with teachers, across differences, to meet the needs of all learners.
I am uniquely qualified of the Sudbury School Committee because I am a career educator. I have spent over 20 years in schools working through differences, opinions, and interests to always land on what is best for children.

At work, my leadership team and I are responsible for creating and managing an annual building budget that is the determining factor in how well the needs of our 125 staff members and 750 students are met. Similar to district budgeting, our work is fluid and requires constant review and close knowledge of every budget item on every budget line. I understand, through years of first-hand experience, how enrollment projections, class-size guidelines, and staffing levels may impact the $32 million SPS budget. My experience in this area will directly correlate to the budget review and approval for which the Sudbury School Committee is responsible.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

Our current Sudbury School Committee has led with a calm and steady presence in the most turbulent of times. I applaud their team effort and feel they have always led with the best interests of our children at heart.

Moving forward, I hope that the Sudbury School Committee will continue to be open and transparent in how they are supporting the professional growth of the Superintendent and how they are using data to inform this support.

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

Our Board of Health has done an outstanding job in leading Sudbury during the pandemic. Their efforts, leadership, and collaboration are ongoing, and we are well positioned in large part due to their steadfast commitment to the safety of all Sudbury residents.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I want my Kindergartener and 2nd-grader to grow in schools that celebrate diversity, represent equity, and exemplify inclusion.

I have studied and lead trainings on the impacts of stereotype-threat and unconscious bias in school communities. I have participated in workshops focused on anti-racism, and spent a year in graduate school studying equity imbalance at the district level. As someone whose practices reflect their beliefs, I am acutely aware that the majority experience is not the only experience, and I will always strive to understand how my own upbringing impacts my understanding of those around me.

As a Sudbury resident, I have participated in Sudbury-lead efforts focused on dismantling privilege, more deeply understanding the METCO student experience, and how to engage children in racial discourse. I will continue to demonstrate this platform-defining issue by acting on these beliefs until students of all colors, creeds, abilities, and identities feel welcomed, represented and empowered in our school communities.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

I remember years ago, following a service-learning project on MLK day, I was sweeping the cafeteria at a Boston Public School. My mentor walked in, grabbed an extra broom, and said under his breath, "if a job is worth doing, it's worth doing right." Something about the simplicity of the task paired with the saliency of the message never left my heart.

Today, it guides me in always putting forth my best effort and, whether I'm building a garden, cycling up a hill, coaching Sudbury soccer, or performing at work, I know that if the job is worth doing in the first place, it is worth doing right.

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

As a parent, as a neighbor, and as a school leader, I believe that "joy begets joy." Our children in Sudbury Public Schools will always draw joy from their teachers. It is the role of the Sudbury School Committee to ensure that our wonderful teachers, staff, building leaders, and Superintendent have the resources they need and feel welcomed in their work community so that they may feel joy in their work every day.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misidentified Mandy Sim as an incumbent.