Wakefield Election Profiles: Gregory Liakos, School Committee

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The following candidate profile is from Gregory Liakos, who is running for School Committee.

Your name: Gregory Liakos

Age, as of April. 1, 2021: 53

Town of residence: Wakefield, MA

Position sought: Wakefield School Committee (one-year term)

Party affiliation: Democrat

Family: Married, two (adult) children.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government, including the Town of Wakefield or Wakefield Public Schools?: My son David Liakos is a professor of philosophy at Houston (TX) Community College, and my daughter Madeline Liakos is a school social worker in the Wellesley (MA) Public Schools.

Education: Peabody (MA) Public Schools; Bridgton (ME) Academy (postgraduate); BA, Politics/English, Assumption College, Worcester, MA; MA, History, Tufts University, Medford, MA

Occupation: Interim Executive Director, MW Productions/SPOKE, a nonprofit arts and cultural organization in Boston, MA

Previous or current elected or appointed office: Elected Member, Wakefield School Committee, 2013-2019; Director of Communications, Massachusetts Cultural Council, 2004-2019; Secretary, Wakefield Democratic Town Committee, 2019-2020; Chair, Wakefield Democratic Town Committee, 2020-2021

Campaign website: https://www.facebook.com/GregLiakos4SC (Facebook page)

You are running because:

I hope to bring my experience, knowledge, and passion for learning to the School Committee and its vital work to advance the mission of the Wakefield Public Schools.

What is the single most pressing issue facing the school committee, and what do you intend to do about it:

This school year has been unlike anything our students, educators, and staff have ever experienced. The Covid-19 pandemic has upended our lives, stressed our families, and put enormous pressure on our students and their teachers. Thankfully the Wakefield community has rallied, supporting its schools with additional resources and personnel. All elementary school students will return to classrooms on April 5, and we expect middle and high school students to be back full-time by the beginning of May.

The next few months are critical. We must bring students back into classrooms that are clean, safely distanced, and well-ventilated. We need to assure teachers and support staff that they will have all the materials and guidance they need to do their jobs. And we must provide resources to support the mental health, social and emotional needs of our students and faculty. I will prioritize these goals as the School Committee sets the education budget for the coming year.

What are key differences between you and your opponents in this race:

1. Experience

• Voted to establish tuition-free full-day Kindergarten, early childhood center
• Championed restored funding for special education
• Oversaw major improvements to curriculum, teacher training

2. Commitment

• Dedicated Career to expanding arts & humanities education
• Served six years on School Committee; elected Chair & Vice Chair
• Volunteered to fill unexpected Committee vacancy during Covid-19 Pandemic

3. Vision

• Help students & teachers recover from pandemic
• Improve special education and mental health services for students
• Rally community support for a new Wakefield High School

What other issues make up your campaign platform:

The hard work of improving our public schools will not end with the waning of the pandemic. We must improve the delivery of services for students with disabilities, first by hiring a new Director of Special Education (SPED), then creating a comprehensive, long-term SPED plan for the district. We have to strengthen early literacy and elementary-level science education. And we must build a new Wakefield Memorial High School that meets the needs of our next generation of students. I am committed to achieving these goals.

What accomplishments and experiences would you cite as evidence you can handle this job:

I served two terms on the School Committee from 2013-2019, including one term as Chair and another as Vice Chair. I led subcommittee work on school policies and budgeting. I was fortunate to help the Wakefield Public Schools make significant advances in early education, curriculum, and services to students with disabilities. Last year I was honored to be selected by the School Committee and Town Council to return to the Committee to fill an unexpected vacancy.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and the position:

A. Wakefield is a wonderful community, filled with dedicated, civically minded residents, businesses, and nonprofit leaders. This community values and supports public education. We need a redoubling of that commitment to navigate our way out of the pandemic and back to normal life. I ask Wakefield voters to elect me to a one-year term on the School Committee to help lead that effort on behalf of our students, teachers, and families.