Jason White, Amherst School Board Candidate

Jason White

Age (as of Election Day)

41

Position Sought

Amherst School Board Member

Party Affiliation

Family

Our family consists of Leigh, my wife; our soon-to-be six year old daughter; and Henry, our aging golden retriever. You can often find us enjoying the many great trails and outdoors paces in town.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Bachelor of Arts in English from Fairfield University, Master of Arts in Teaching from Sacred Heart University, Master of Arts in English from Fitchburg State University, and a Master of Education in Leadership and Management from Fitchburg State University

Occupation

I have been a middle school teacher since 2003. As a middle school educator, I have held multiple roles over multiple grads while also serving on a variety of committees from school advisory council to mentor committee. Additionally, I served in the United States Marine Corps Reserves from 2006-2013 and completed two combat tours, one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

I have never held elective office in government. I am a vice president of my teachers' union, chairperson of the education committee in the district in which I work, and a delegate to the American Federation of Teachers at both the state level and the national level.

Campaign website

https://jasonforamherstsch.wixsite.com/j4asb

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am seeking to be a member of Amherst School Board because I believe in selfless service. Serving on the Amherst School Board is where I can best serve the community given my professional experience and expertise in education. Also, I am running because I believe education is critical to the American Experiment. An educated citizenry is crucial to a functioning society. I feel my background is the best fit on Amherst School Board to deliver results for our community.

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

There are a number of issues facing Amherst Schools at the moment. However, most pressing at this time, is working toward getting the necessary facilities to deliver the best education for our students. I have worked in multiple communities that have built new school facilities. I know the hard work it takes. I understand the importance of communicating with the community at large to get such facilities built. As an Amherst School Board member, I would collaborate with those already working toward communicating the importance of these facilities. Additionally, as an educator, I understand the research demonstrating how the new facilities benefit students as well as the larger community. I saw first hand how communities communicated the larger benefits to the community as a whole. I consider myself a collaborator. I am interested in creating partnerships with other community organizations to see how new school facilities can become the heart of community activity.

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

The main difference between my opponent and me is the type of experiences we have. I am an educator. I have been an educator for my entire professional life. Every day, I am engaged with educational research and evaluate teaching practices to make improvements to student outcomes. I know what works and does not work for students. I am able to communicate those ideas. More importantly, I am a problem solver and a collaborator. I will not point to areas in need of improvement and not be willing to offer possible solutions. I will always engage in the conversation; I will always try to come up with solutions; I will always listen to those who both agree and disagree with my ideas in an effort to reach a reasonable, best solution.

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

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

Are you a candidate running for office in Amherst town? Fill out this Patch Candidate Profile Form, and email a photo to tony.schinella@patch.com, and we'll let voters know about your candidacy.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

1. Do what is best for students. Each decision I make will have students at the heart of it. Another example, besides working toward new school facilities, would be, as Amherst goes through a curriculum study, ensuring curriculum coordinators are embedding opportunities for enrichment and remediation within each content unit.
2. Communicate honestly with the community about what is taking place in our schools. I propose creating a climate survey where students, parents/guardians of students, and graduates would answer questions articulating their experiences with our schools. Such information would be published to the public. The information is helpful for Amherst School Board to see where efforts and funds should be focused. Standardized tests are currently the number one way the community evaluates our schools. Unfortunately, standardized tests are not predictive of real world results. Surveying those who have gone through our schools to track where they are later in life is far more important than a standardized test.
3. Think creatively about the school budget and ways to create new revenue streams. I would like to initiate an alliance with local businesses and community members to find mutually beneficial ways to raise funds. In other communities, including Bedford, such alliances create substantial funds in the tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars to be accessed by educators to provide innovative programs for students.
4. Support teachers and continue to take steps to attract the very best educators around. One way to get the best to come to Amherst is to work with local colleges and universities. There are programs where college and university students are assigned to work in a specific school for a school year. This partnership allows for a cost effective way to get more people to help students or provide students with enrichment opportunities. The partnership benefits everyone because the district gets a whole year to evaluate an educator to see if he or she is the right fit instead of a much shorter interview process.
5. Create a stronger voice from Amherst School Board in Concord. Other districts engage with and support or oppose the legislation being discussed and proposed at the state level. It is important for our local community to understand how state level legislation and mandates can impact our local school budget. Therefore, I would also suggest that as part of Amherst School Board's communication to residents, a segment be dedicated to at least acknowledging and explaining how education-related legislation could or would impact us locally.

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

I am an awarding winning teacher. In my very first year as a teacher, I was recognized by the state of Massachusetts for delivering an environmentally-conscious curriculum. I have an educational background in education leadership. I have worked on school budgets; I am the chairperson of the education committee in the district of my employ where I work on researching and implementing policies and initiatives to meet the needs of students. Also, I am able to bring people together. In my work with our teachers' union, I have been nominated and earned the most votes in every office for which I have run. As a union officer, I have been able to get people with very different opinions to come together and reach reasonable resolutions.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

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

First, public education is a necessary good. Public education must be protected. Public education benefits everyone. Public education is the cornerstone of society. As an Amherst School Board Member, I will work to do what is best for Amherst students. I also appreciate and understand the need to be fiscally responsible. I believe I have the right experience, knowledge, and perspectives to deliver for Amherst. I am an educator; I am an educational leader; I am a parent of a school-aged child; I am a taxpayer. Soon, I hope to say I am an Amherst School Board Member. If you have any questions or would like to have a conversation, please contact me at jasonforamherstschools@gmail.com.