Wayland 2021 Candidate Profile: Ellen Grieco, School Committee

WAYLAND, MA — Three people are running for Wayland School Committee in 2021, including two incumbents and one newcomer hoping to grab a seat.

In 2021, Ellen Grieco is seeking her fourth term on the committee. Kathie Steinberg is also running to keep her seat, and former teacher Jessica Polizzotti running in her first race.

Patch sent all three candidates in the Wayland School Committee race a candidate questionnaire. Here's how Grieco answered.

Ellen Grieco

Age (as of Election Day): 62
Position Sought: Wayland School Committee
Family: Married to Bill Grieco with two children, Matt who is a sophomore at Holy Cross and Emily who is a sophomore at Wayland High School
Education: JD from Boston College Law School, BA from Barnard College, Phillips Exeter Academy
Occupation: Attorney
Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: Wayland School Committee 2011 - present
Campaign website: grieco4schoolcommittee.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I believe in the power of an outstanding public school education and specifically, of a Wayland education. I have chosen to run for reelection this year because our schools are in transition and I want to help the new superintendent achieve a smooth transition to his new administration and away from the restrictions and adverse impacts of the pandemic. Also, I want to continue working to realize the dynamic and creative education and community that Wayland students, staff and families are entitled to expect from our schools.

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

Wayland needs a strong and effective leader and communicator as the new superintendent of schools. Together with the other Committee members, I have worked for the past year to hire a leader who will bring out the best in our students, staff, families and community, who will listen and make and implement thoughtful, consensus driven choices that put our students first, and who will take the time to fairly explain the choices that are made on behalf of our schools. I believe that in Dr. Easy, we have found such a leader and communicator. Review of his qualifications, his interviews with the School Committee and his Day in Wayland, all demonstrate his flexibility, decisiveness and his engaged commitment to children. He is a caring listener and a thoughtful communicator, who has practical experience working with municipal government and finance. He is a charismatic and inspiring participant in discussion and debate, but he is not afraid to make hard choices and communicate his decisions clearly and thoughtfully. I am running for reelection to the School Committee this year because I want to lend my experience, knowledge and insight to support Dr. Easy to become one of the most effective and inspiring superintendents Wayland has had.

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

I have extensive experience working on the School Committee, with students, families, administrators and staff, which I believe will be important as we move away from the pandemic, welcome a new superintendent and manage the financial challenges our families and taxpayers have suffered over the past year. I am also a Wayland parent, which adds depth to both my understanding of the issues and my commitment to our families, students and schools.

In my decision making on the School Committee, I think independently, work collaboratively and speak with my own voice. Going forward, for example, I will support developing a district funded Full Day Kindergarten program, which most of our peer districts have already funded. I support fulsome programming during the Summer and Fall to help students who have struggled during remote/hybrid learning, and designated resources to help our high school students navigate the more challenging post pandemic college admissions process. And I support careful management of the facilities budget to ensure the best return on investment while continuing to ground our school buildings and technology in the 21st century.

I consistently put student achievement and wellbeing first, but I also respect and support financial restraint and creative compromise, recognizing that the sustainability of school funding is critical to the wellbeing of our whole community. Balancing these priorities in a thoughtful and effective way is what serving on the School Committee is all about.

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

The pandemic is unprecedented, and during this time, Wayland’s senior district leadership has been in transition. During the past year, people in our community have been frustrated and often frightened by unpredictable events and by fluid and seemingly inscrutable decision making and communication that impacted their children and families and their workplace. I have experienced this frustration and fear as a parent and as a member of the School Committee. I believe that everyone connected with the Wayland schools (staff, families and students) worked extremely hard this year and dedicated themselves to help manage the impact on our children. And there is work to do going forward, to help our students, families and staff address the continuing impact of this crisis on their lives, well being and learning.

Because of the crisis and the responsibility of their leadership role, the members of the School Committee also stepped up and dedicated themselves to helping manage the adverse impact of the pandemic on students, families and staff. I and my colleagues worked harder than usual this year and we did our best to make the choices needed to keep the district functioning as well as possible in the circumstances. Now, it is time for the Committee to return to its traditional role: hiring and supervising the Superintendent, developing and advocating for the annual School Budget, negotiating with the WTA and making policy that impacts the district. And it is time for the new superintendent to set our students and our staff on a path to emotional well being, academic success and community strength that has always been the core of a Wayland education.

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

I have years of experience: working with the school administration, the School Committee and the town to develop and present the annual school budget for approval by Town Meeting, and on behalf of the Committee, negotiating Collective Bargaining Agreements with the Wayland Teachers’ Association. Some highlights of my recent work with the Committee are: supporting a district wide commitment to racial and gender equity and prioritizing diversity and equity education for the district; supporting the Wayland High School Athletic Facilities Improvement Project, the Loker kitchen and Loker and Middle School roof projects; hiring a new Superintendent of Schools in 2021; supporting the parent community and its relationship with the student services administration through SEPAC; actively supporting the return to full in person learning for grades K-12 including development of a school based pooled testing program; negotiating with the WTA regarding the impact of the pandemic on teaching conditions; and supporting accurate data collection on student performance during remote and hybrid learning, to allow for a fair assessment of how to close the gap in our childrens’ education going forward.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Martin Luther King put it most succinctly: “Life’s most urgent question is what are you doing for others?”

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

I am the mother of two Wayland Public Schools students, a current sophomore at Wayland High School and a 2019 graduate. My perspective as a Wayland parent adds depth to my thinking and decision-making on every issue that arises before the Committee. For example, my early and consistent support this year for a prompt and safe return to in person learning, for school based pooled testing and staff vaccination, and for acknowledging and gathering accurate data about learning loss during the pandemic, is rooted in my understanding of these issues as a parent, as well as a public servant. I think my perspective as a parent combined with my long experience of the work and the leadership role of the Committee, will serve our schools, our students and families, and our staff well over the next three years. I am truly excited about the appointment of Dr. Easy as our new superintendent, and I would like the opportunity to support him in leading our schools into the future.