On The Issues: Tewksbury School Committee Candidates

TEWKSBURY, MA — Tewksbury's annual town election is fast approaching. Voters will go to the polls April 10 to elect two Board of Selectmen members and two School Committee members.

For the School Committee, incumbent Jamey Cutelis faces Bridget Garabedian, Nicholas Parsons and Deb Wall.

All four School Committee candidates responded to Patch's questionnaire about their platforms and experience. We've collected some of their responses below so you can compare their answers in one place.

Full candidate profiles:

• Bridget Garabedian
• Nicholas Parsons
• Deb Wall
• Jamey Cutelis

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

Jamey Cutelis:

Pandemic and getting kids back in class and making sure school budget fully funded next couple of years.

Clearly, the pandemic is first. We need to get the kids back in the classroom safely. This appears to be on the horizon and that is a good thing.

We need to address looming budgetary issues as the pandemic has caused a marked reduction in state and local revenues.

Third, we need to open the new elementary school on time and on budget.

Fourth we need to continue to keep our curriculum robust and continue to add course offerings at the high school. Developing full day pre-K is also critical.

Deb Wall:

The single most pressing issue facing Tewksbury is the pursuit of a toxic culture between administration, teachers and parents. We have mastered the art of talking at each other rather than constructively listening to each other. We are all on the same team. We are all working towards the same goal, we want to create an educational system that prepares our children for the outside world now and for years to come.

In Tewksbury we spend a tremendous amount of time speaking about what the other stakeholder is or is not doing. We need to stop, step back and reevaluate what we are doing. We need to repair relationships and take steps to create an environment that draw people to Tewksbury rather than push them away. If we do not stop this agenda and take the necessary steps to reverse the damage that has been done to date it will affect all of the stakeholders.

Nicholas Parsons:

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.

Bridget Garabedian:

The most significant challenge facing our district today is continuing the tactical work of transitioning our school community back to in-person learning while thinking strategically about the challenges — educational, emotional, and financial — that the COVID crisis has brought to our door. This requires executing a multistep plan.

First, I will advocate to ensure that we have the right social and emotional support systems in place for our students and staff as they transition back to the classroom full-time, while continuing to meet the needs for those choosing to remain fully remote. We can do both.
Next, we need to meet students where they are in their learning. I will advocate to support staff as they assess educational progress and provide the services needed for students and families to be successful.

As a community, we need to be aware that families coped with the unprecedented situation of the past year in different ways. I intend to remain engaged in the reentry process; encourage our district to seek input from families, staff, and stakeholders; and advocate for formal social and emotional support across the district.

Most importantly, I will ask that our families receive communication. Information about both the educational opportunities and the social and emotional supports available to students.

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

Jamey Cutelis:

We did the best we could, but getting kids in class sooner would have been preferable.

Deb Wall:

I applaud all of the hard work that local officials did regarding Coronavirus. I would not have necessarily taken the same steps, but I believe that there was no easy path through this. There were/are no right answers when it comes to a pandemic. I am thrilled that we are working to get our children back in school and appreciate all of the hard work that is going into making this happen.

Nicholas Parsons:

Poorly.

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.

Bridget Garabedian:

At the start of the Covid crisis, I was moved to apply to volunteer on the District Reopening Task Force, a multidisciplinary committee of community stakeholders working together toward one goal: a safe return to school. I believed that my experience as a nurse working with adult and pediatric populations, active with the medical response and treatment of Covid-19, coupled with my time in our schools, made me well-qualified to advocate for our students and families and help our district manage the response to Covid-19. I was selected to sit on this task force, and it's given me great insight into our response.

Overall, I am proud of the school district's performance, given the unprecedented challenges we faced. Remember, no one knew the path forward. Across the Commonwealth, every district was learning as they went.

We now have the opportunity to reflect on the mitigation strategies that were instituted. In my opinion, overall, our district has been successful in accomplishing the most important priority: keeping the school community safe

We are debriefing in the hospitals and in my Emergency Department regarding how we responded to the Covid crisis; it is necessary for our school community to do the same. There is always room for improvement. I am hopeful that our district, with input from all stakeholders, will formally look back on our response in hopes of harnessing the lessons we learned to respond more efficiently in the future.

This past year has been challenging for all. At the start of this school year, it was stressful and frustrating for families and for staff to not have a school reentry plan in place. I would have appreciated our district sharing a plan proactively, earlier than when it was put forward. It would have helped for families to have had more open forums and informational opportunities in the weeks leading up to the start of school. That's why better communication is a core pillar of my platform.

Why are you seeking elective office?

Jamey Cutelis:

I want to make Tewksbury public schools the best they can be.

I have been a member of the Tewksbury Public Schools School Committee for the past nine years. Prior to that I was very active as a parent on a number of committees starting in 1994 with my participation as a member of the Long Range School Planning Committee which led to the construction of the John Ryan Elementary School in 1999. I then served as Chairman of the Wynn School Building Committee (completed in 2002) and the Tewksbury Memorial High School Building Committee (completed in 2012). I am now the Vice-Chairman of the New Elementary School Building Committee.

During that time I also served as a member of the Tewksbury Finance Committee and the Tewksbury Financial Planning Committee. I also was a founding member of U25, a grassroots parent group created to address significant underfunding of the Tewksbury Public Schools and to reduce class size. I also served on numerous School Councils during that time.

I got involved as a parent School Council member in 1994 when my daughter was in kindergarten at the Dewing School. Her teachers at that time told me the state of the Tewksbury Public Schools was less than stellar and needed a serious upgrade. Dr. Christine McGrath approached me about serving on the Long Range Planning Committee for the Ryan School and I felt that was a good opportunity to try and make a difference and improve the quality of education in our town.

My firm belief in that the school system is the most important component of any community, the first thing people ask when moving to a new town is "How are the schools?" A strong vibrant public school system is the foundation upon which a town's quality of life rests. Everyone ultimately depends on it, parents, children, seniors, property owners, businesses, and employers. The quality of life of everyone involved depends on your school system, look at any city or town anywhere and you will always see at the center of an outstanding town is an outstanding school system.

That understanding along with an understanding that education is critical to improve not just your local community but the larger world around you motivated me to get involved and it still does to this date. My sole objective as a school committee member was is and always will be to improve student achievement and make our schools the best they can be for the benefit of all.

Deb Wall:

I am seeking office to make a positive impact in the lives of all stakeholders. We need leaders who are transparent, forward thinking, follow basic organizational practices and are committed to communicating with all stakeholders in a way that is transparent and timely.

Nicholas Parsons:

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.

Bridget Garabedian:

Because I believe that every child in Tewksbury deserves a quality education. Because I am invested in our schools, having held dozens of leadership volunteer roles and seats on school and community boards and committees. Because I believe that our district can be a regional leader.

And because I have the experience to be an effective and collaborative member of the Tewksbury School Committee on Day 1.

Given the high-stakes fiscal, social, and health challenges facing our school community, I believe that we need members with working knowledge of our district. I have proven my dedication to our schools, and in return, I have earned deep insights into the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges facing our district. I want to apply all that I have learned to serve our community.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Deb Wall:

There are four cornerstone pieces of my campaign - transparency, communication, basic business practices and accountability. I think the District lacks in each one of these areas. Obtaining information from the District is difficult at best. Basic business practices and accountability go hand in hand. How are we achieving transparency if we make it so difficult for parents to get timely information from the District?

Additionally, through a series of Public Records Requests I discovered that there are some basic business practices that need to be addressed. The District has process manuals that are outdated or in a constant state of "updating". There are job descriptions that were approved more than 20 years ago. Privacy breaches continue to happen. There appears to be no proactive decision making.

The District seems to always be reacting rather than looking ahead and creating a plan to address areas that will be a concern. As a taxpayer and a concerned parent I need to know that our District is running appropriately.

Nicholas Parsons:

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.

Bridget Garabedian:

Communication.

Social-emotional and educational supports for our students as we re-enter school full time and for those remaining remote.

Outcomes of individual learners. There is no one-size-fits-all. We need to honor and respect individuals and focus on outcomes — not achievements, outcomes.

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