Candidate Profile: Nicholas Parsons, Tewksbury School Committee

TEWKSBURY, MA — Tewksbury will have contested races for both School Committee and Board of Selectmen in the April 10 town election. Tewksbury Patch asked candidates in both races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles over the coming weeks.

Nicholas Parsons is running for election to the School Committee. There are four people running for two available seats. Parsons faces Jamey Cutelis, the sole incumbent, and Bridget Garabedian and Deb Wall.

Parsons is a high school chemistry teacher.

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

Previously on Patch: Tewksbury Candidate Forum Planned For March 18

Nicholas Parsons

Age (as of Election Day)

27

Position Sought

School Committee

Family

I will be marrying my high school sweetheart, Lauren Andella, in November 2021. She's the love of my life and I can't wait to build a family with her.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

I graduated Tewksbury Memorial High School in 2011, earned a bachelor's degree with a concentration in education policy in 2015 from the College of the Holy Cross, and earned a master's degree in science education and teaching from Harvard University's Graduate School of Education. I am currently working through a certificate program in school management and leadership from Harvard Business School (expected 2021).

Occupation

High School Chemistry Teacher - 5 Years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

N/A

Campaign website

parsonsforschools.nationbuilder.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I'm running because now, more than ever, our School Committee needs knowledgeable, empathetic, and effective members. The stakes are simply too high, and as a community we can not afford to elect the wrong people for the job.

The pandemic served as a test of how well our school system could handle a crisis. It also revealed the abilities and character of our elected officials and their appointed superintendent. They could have done much better.

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

Like every candidate, my first priority is to get our kids back to in-person learning in the fastest, safest way we can. The return to school is largely determined by Charlie Baker and Jeff Riley, Massachusetts Commissioner of Education, but it is up to the school committee and central administration to figure out how we do that. The situation is constantly changing, and school decision makers need to be nimble and tactful in their planning. As an active educator who has taught remotely, hybrid, and in-person pre-pandemic, I've seen what works, what is realistic, and what kids really need to succeed right now. I know I'd be a great asset to have on the team, and I feel obligated to step up and help my community transition out of this challenging time.

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

1) I do not have, or had, any children in the district. The reason for this is because I don't have kids yet! That said, I'm not concerned about the quality of education my non-existent children receive, I'm invested in the quality of education every young person in Tewksbury receives.

2) I am a fresh face. I have never held office, and for better or worse, I have no allies or staunch critics in town government. What you see and hear from me is what you'll get in office if I am elected.

3) The most important difference between myself and the other candidates is that I'm a teacher. I live education. It's my full time job, my passion, and something that is on my mind from when I wake to when I go to bed. I know when administrative policy or messaging is edu-jargon laden rhetoric or something to put a check in some box. I know how decisions at the top get played out at the bottom - in our classrooms.

What's really important in this election, and what voters should be paying attention to, is who is actually able to, and going to, do the work to make the changes that actually accomplish these goals. Whether I'm elected or not, I know I do this on a daily basis. I don't think the other candidates can say the same.

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

Throughout the course of this year, I've watched our school system's decision makers talk over, belittle, and even hang up on concerned parents asking important questions regarding their children's education. This response was alarming. Families are concerned, scared, and doing everything they can to advocate that their child gets as normal an education as they can. Instead of hearing their voices and considering their feedback in the planning around remote and hybrid learning, they were largely ignored.

When presented with a letter of non-confidence signed by 82% of the teachers working in the district, which clearly stated what educators needed from administration to restore trust in them, the school committee's response was to ignore their concerns and lay praise on the "great job" administration was doing and that "complaints will be looked at fairly and accurately" by the committee. I can't trust that sentiment, not when the incumbent candidate's wife is the secretary of the assistant superintendent.

Much more concerning, the superintendent and assistant superintendent's response was to publicly release a letter stating that they are "extremely disappointed, as the superintendent and assistant superintendent of Tewksbury Public Schools, have been put in a position to respond to the negativity put forward by the Tewksbury Teachers Association leadership to the Tewksbury community" and that it "served as a distractor from the most important work at hand: the education of our students" and that they "... feel that the parents and students of Tewksbury deserve better than this disruptive, unsettled atmosphere created from these false and unwarranted attempts to discredit our professional reputation" and that "...we will not be dissuaded by this negative attention-seeking behavior."

Personally, as a teacher, this was devastating to read. I spent the entire summer preparing for remote and hybrid learning, worked much longer than I was contractually obligated to, and did so despite my own covid-related anxieties everyone in the country was feeling. And I did so with a smile on my face and a positive attitude because what truly matters is that I was providing my students the best quality instruction and learning environment I possibly could. I am not unique - this is just what teachers do.

As a product of the Tewksbury Public School system, I'm confident that nearly every teacher employed by the town put in the same amount of work as I did. Delivering a letter of non compliance is the most severe action a teacher's union can take in standing up for themselves. Its the furthest thing from attention-seeking behavior, it's them taking drastic measures to be heard. What's remarkable is I'm sure every teacher went into work despite that letter and taught the best they could. The only people who seem to have experienced this "disruptive, unsettled atmosphere" was the administrators.

The school committee and administration are failing teachers and not working hard enough for our families. If you're a leader, you need to listen, not react. If problems are presented to you, you work to fix them. You don't put your personal feelings and attitudes above "the most important work at hand: the education of our students."

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

Poorly, as expressed in my comments above.

I would have called for emergency meeting sessions. One meeting a month over the summer and fall is not nearly enough to plan an effective strategy that takes into account the views and concerns of families, teachers, students, and other stakeholders in the Tewksbury School System. I would have listened to residents during meetings, not dismiss them, regardless of how they expressed their views. All communication is important feedback.

I would have listened to, worked with, represented our dedicated teachers. The quality of an education depends on what is happening in the classroom; everyone knows that. As people grow up, they don't remember a school schedule, a learning program, an aligned curriculum, but they remember the teachers who cared for them and made a difference in their lives. Teachers are the keystone in the quality of education our town delivers. If the trust, tools, and supportive culture isn't there for teachers, they can't be successful. And if they're not successful, they get the blame, not the administrators and school committee who determine their working environments.

Lastly, I would have been proactive, adaptable, and visible in the district's strategy for the school year. Every month the context students learned in was changing and demanded different approaches. I saw the district react to challenges as they arose, but I did not see them prepare for potential challenges. There was never any adjustment to the operations of our schools. Tewksbury Public Schools focused on surviving the pandemic; not overcoming it and providing students the quality of education they deserve.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

The pandemic will end, and when it does we can address the following issues to move our schools forward.

1) The plan to "return to normal": I don't want the school committee and administration to try to play "catch up" in compensating for the loss of instruction caused by the pandemic. Given the social emotional trauma students and staff are sure to bring to school with them next year, and the strained relationships between stakeholder groups and our school committee and administration, this is a recipe for disaster. I want the district to plan a measurable and purposeful strategy for the "return to normal" that is inclusive of the voices of the educators, students, and families that it will affect.

2) Town residents choosing elsewhere for their children's education: Looking at population data from American Census Surveys and the in-district enrollment data provided by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, it's clear that this is happening.

In 2010, the population of Tewksbury residents ages 5-19 was 5,100. By 2019, this population grew to 5,610. Yet, if you look at in-district enrollment over the span, you see that the number of students enrolled in-district decreased from 4,217 to 3,402.

We can tell from this data that from 2010-2019, for every additional 100 student-aged residents in town, in-district enrollment decreased by 163. This is a troubling statistic, and it is a clear indicator that there are a large number of town residents who do not trust TPS to provide their students an adequate education.

Compared to similarly-sized districts and those in the surrounding area, this is not happening in other towns to the degree it is happening in Tewksbury. In Wilmington, from 2010 to 2019, for every additional 100 people aged 5-19, there were 131 less students enrolled in-district. In Billerica, over the same time period, for every additional 100 people aged 5-19, there were 120 less students enrolled in-district. In Burlington, there were 23 more students enrolled in district for every 100 additional school-aged people that populated it. In Wakefield: 87 more students enrolled in-district for every 100 school-aged people added to the population.

3) The prevalence of, and excessive spending on out-of-district tuition and enrollment.
From 2008 to 2018, in Tewksbury, the yearly average per pupil expenditure (PPE) for in district students was $12,321.98. The PPE for out of district placements was $38,650.49.

While there are certainly scenarios where it is appropriate and necessary to pay out of district for a student’s education, these placements should be limited to students of the highest needs that TPS legitimately can not provide.

Due to privacy laws that protect student confidentiality, it’s hard to determine why students are sent out of the district. However, by looking at comparatively sized districts, we can make some inference as to whether we are sending an excessive amount of students out of the district.

From 2008 to 2018:

-Tewksbury had a yearly average of 161 out of district placements (4.05% of total students enrolled)
-Wilmington had a yearly average of 74 out of district placements (2.04% of total students enrolled)
-Wakefield had a yearly average of 117 out of district placements (3.32% of total students enrolled)
-Burlington had a yearly average of 102 out of district placements (2.76% of total students enrolled)

Tewksbury sends more students out of district than similarly sized communities, and unless these placements are absolutely necessary, taxpayer money that could be spent in district is being spent for out of district services. If this money were invested in the district, we could not only build the capacity to support students of higher needs but also free up money in the budget to spend elsewhere.

The potential savings are significant. If we could provide and retain even 20 of the students we pay to send out-of-district, we could retain $773,009.80 that could be used in district. If we retained 40 students, those savings would be $1,546,019.60. That's money that can make a difference.

4) Spending money for outside consulting, professional development speakers, and unnecessary learning tools and software: I’m a firm believer that the experts in educating Tewksbury students are those that are actually educating Tewksbury students. The most talented and capable teachers in Tewksbury need to be identified, enabled, and paid a reasonable stipend to provide professional development for their peers. If money is invested in learning tools and software, data needs to be collected around the impact that specific tool has on student achievement. If these services are not having a positive effect on student achievement or supporting teachers in educating the students in front of them, we need to stop paying for them. Looking at standardized test scores is not enough to justify these investments. We need to hear from the students, teachers, and families using them to determine if they are effective. If there is something that Tewksbury Public Schools is not providing students, then we need to investigate and determine what systemic changes or strategies need to happen to provide them. Looking for outside support should be the absolute last option for addressing gaps in the services and education we provide students and staff.

5) Higher expectations of our public schools and the amount of support/ opportunity they provide students: We need to hold all school committee members, educators, and students to higher expectations. These expectations should be realistic and informed by all stakeholders in TPS. Further, If expectations are raised, so must the supports provided to stakeholders. High expectations without adequate support will not lead to success.

Every student, regardless of the current academic ability, identity, background or need should be provided the opportunities to reach higher levels of achievement. Some examples of possible “high expectations” and strategies to achieve them are below:

-Students Who Are Academically High Achievers: Access to “gifted and talented” programs or pathways in the elementary and middle school grades. In the high school, provide access to Advanced Placement courses starting in students freshman year, while increasing the number of students enrolled in AP classes.

-Student Who Are Academically Proficient: Affordable summer programming that provides enrichment classes, not just credit recovery. In the high school, more access to dual-enrollment classes through Middlesex Community College. The more credits students can earn in high school, the less families and students will need to pay for tuition.

-Students Who Need Higher Levels of Academic Support: Summer programming that hires Tewksbury teachers to provide high quality credit recovery and enrichment opportunities to the students who need the support. Create academic support programs available to struggling students during school vacation weeks. In doing so, create stipend positions for Tewksbury teachers to earn more by leading these programs. Hire more in-school support staff to allow for targeted intervention and additional support for academically struggling students. We also need to ensure that support staff is distributed equitably across all schools.

-Students on IEP’s and 504’s & In Special Education Programs: Ensure that IEP and 504 goals for special education students are attainable and encourage realistic higher achievement by students. Learning goals need to be concrete, measurable, and educator informed. Systems and procedures need to be put in place to make sure that not only are student accommodations being met, but exceeded.In doing so, it is crucial that content educators are not solely responsible for providing these supports. Additional staff and systems need to be developed so that teachers are enabled to do their core duties well.

-English Language Learners: Adequately build language proficiency of ELL students so that they may access mainstream academics and be successful in them. Encourage ELL students to achieve beyond the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy, such as enrollment in Advanced Placement Courses in their first language.

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

1) Since my first year of teaching, I have sought out and held leadership positions.

From 2016-2018, I worked in Lawrence High School. I was the founding chemistry teacher at Abbott Lawrence Academy, Lawrence High School's pilot exam school. There, I developed a chemistry curriculum and laboratory program, which included the acquisition of donated lab equipment and maintenance of chemical supplies. I was a member of the Lead Learner Team, where I worked with fellow teachers, the principal and assistant principal, student government, and PAC to create policy and make decisions that would benefit students. I was the Curriculum and Instruction Co-Chair for Lawrence High School when they were applying for accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

Since 2018, I've worked in Cambridge Public Schools. I recently served as a member of the "Reimagine Cambridge Rindge and Latin School" committee. It is a teacher led advisory group that was tasked with creating data-informed recommendations, systems, and resources for the staff and administration during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, I authored an extensive handbook for teachers to use about best practices and students needs during remote and hybrid learning this year.

2) I have had, and continue to seek out, education, particularly around education.

I am a 2011 graduate of Tewksbury Memorial High School, a 2015 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross with a degree in chemistry and a concentration in education policy, and a 2016 graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Education where I earned my degree in Chemistry Instruction Gr. 7-12. I am currently in a certificate program in School Leadership and Management from Harvard Business School.

3) I was recently hired as the Boy's Head Track and Field Coach at Tewksbury Memorial High School.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

No one wants to fail. And as a leader you need to create the environment for your people to succeed. You need to push people out of their comfort zones enough to grow, but not so much so that you set them up to fail.

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

Everyone in education is well-intentioned, wants to improve student outcomes, and provide students the best experience possible. But saying that doesn't mean they'll be effective in trying to do so.

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