AMHERST — Seven residents, including four incumbents and three newcomers, are seeking five, two-year terms on the Amherst School Committee at the Nov. 5 town election.
Following are comments from the candidates, newcomers Lauren Mills, Katie Lazdowski and Benjamin Joseph Herrington, and incumbents Kerry A. Spitzer, Eric T. Nakajima, Allison Bleyler McDonald and Peter M. Demling. The five candidates who receive the most votes will be elected.
During his 2½-year tenure on the School Committee, Demling said the committee has successfully opposed local charter school expansions three years in a row, worked to stop a Gov. Charlie Baker proposal to cut charter school reimbursements and achieved consensus on a project to replace or rehabilitate Wildwood and Fort River schools.
“Make the compromise building solution that doesn’t leave Fort River or Wildwood behind a reality,” Demling said of the project. “It must be net-zero. It must minimize cost. And it must happen as soon as possible.”
Demling, 47, said in addition to the committee’s push to have the Town Council unanimously vote for a compromise proposal for a 600-student building to replace the two schools, he appreciates that he and his colleagues supported the beginning of a dual-language immersion program to address the achievement gap for Spanish-speaking English language learners.
He’s also pleased that the committee named Michael Morris as permanent superintendent and has focused on student wellness and support for students with trauma and anxieties. Demling said he will also be an advocate for making sure schools have enough resources.
“I will continue to work to ensure our spending is efficient and our state funding is as robust as possible,” Demling said.
As a father, a coach and a school employee, Herrington said he is deeply concerned about the education of all children.
“The decision to run for School Committee stemmed from the fact that I recognize that I have a unique perspective to offer the committee, combined with a desire to serve our students, teachers, support staff and our community,” Herrington said.
Herrington, 42, said he wants to create policies to continue Amherst’s educational excellence and to make the right budgetary decisions, adding that he would like to implement a facilities development policy and assist food services toward providing free lunch to all students. But he also acknowledges the most pressing issue is enhancing learning conditions for students at Fort River and Wildwood schools.
“My goal is to help us drastically improve those conditions through either new construction or significant remodeling,” Herrington said.
Lazdowski said she brings more than 18 years of experience in education in both the U.S. and international settings, and an ability to analyze and weigh information before decisions are made on behalf of students.
“I will ensure that the numerous standpoints on issues are represented, and use them to strengthen our schools, and the vision we have for our students,” Lazdowski said.
A nine-year Amherst resident, Lazdowski, 39, for the past six years has served as a member of the School Equity Task Force, and anticipates leading constituents through decision-making processes that respond to already identified issues — such as the need for a new elementary school to replace Wildwood and Fort River schools — so that an appropriate school is provided to students and staff.
“I will ensure the success and expansion of programs that reduce the opportunity gap and increase access, such as the restorative justice program and the dual-language program, Caminantes,” Lazdowski said.
On the School Committee since March 2018, McDonald said in that time she has spearheaded the effort to get buy-in on a building project to replace Wildwood and Fort River schools.
“Our committee has made many significant accomplishments during my 18 months as a member, including building community consensus around our application for state funding to build a new elementary school, a process that I helped lead,” McDonald said.
This project to give an environment that supports and enhances learning are among the goals for McDonald, 53, who also cites the new dual-language program with an aim to reduce achievement gaps for English language learners and disadvantaged students, and pursuing a revised math curriculum that can improve math achievement for all students. One other important goal, McDonald said, is the expansion of restorative justice in both the middle school and the high school.
“We need to continue to track the accomplishments of the program, plan for deeper implementation, and support this powerful approach to transforming all students’ experiences in our secondary schools,” McDonald said.
Mills said she is seeking a seat on the School Committee to ensure all children’s needs and perspectives are valued, and the choices committee members make about education, such as Fort River and Wildwood schools, are inclusive.
“Education should be a bridge to life-long opportunities,” Mills said. “However, many families feel like education is a hardship. Because their children have fallen behind, they’re left in the dark about how to equip their children to be their best.”
Mills, 42, has three school-age children, two of whom are in Amherst’s public schools.
She believes the best way to help children have a good educational foundation is to get involved. She also wants to work toward closing achievement gaps in reading and math, which will enhance future opportunities for students.
“My goals for the next two years would be to make sure that the district’s plans for a new elementary school is not just a mega-shiny new school, but that teaching and technology are incorporated in the structure of the building and actual learning, that makes learning accessible to all students,” Mills said.
Nakajima joined the School Committee in 2016 at a time when dysfunction and leadership changes were preventing officials from good planning.
“I am proud of the fact that we’ve been able to create a stable and supportive environment for our school district’s teachers, staff and leadership,” Nakajima said. “That’s allowed them to plan and launch things, like our dual-language immersion Caminantes program at Fort River, new math curriculum that responded to community concerns, a restorative justice program at our secondary schools and a focus on recruiting and retaining staff and teachers of color.”
Nakajma, 52, also cited accomplishments of adopting a progressive, anti-food shaming policy, improving capital planning to invest in schools and launching a program of outreach and engagement to build consensus for a new building to replace Wildwood and Fort River schools, which he said is one of his major goals.
“Over the next two years I hope we can begin planning and construction for a new elementary school, and sustain implementation of efforts to improve our curriculum and instruction, support wellness and close achievement gaps, meeting our goals for racial and social justice,” Nakajima said.
The dual-language program at Fort River School for Spitzer is among the most important initiatives begun during her 1½-year tenure because of the impact it can have on improving education for all students.
“I hope the dual-language program will address the achievement gap in the district. It’s one of the most promising things,” Spitzer said.
Spitzer, 38, said the current committee is working well with Superintendent Michael Morris and has been proactive in planning for the direction of the district, joining other local elected officials in advocating for funding and confronting declining enrollment, while making sure students and teachers at Fort River and Wildwood schools get an improved building.
“I’ve got to be optimistic that we’ll get funding from the Massachusetts School Building Authority to renovate or build new to improve the physical environment for our kids,” Spitzer said. “Our schools are not up to standards and I’m interested in shepherding the district through the process with MSBA money, or what we’re going to do in the absence of that.”
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
