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I have been meaning to post something about my background, why I am running and my goals for school committee.  Of course, I just realized that I still haven't done that.  I am still writing the piece about parent involvement - but, for this moment, I take another break for some more campaign chat.
About me:
I am married (13 years ago, in Salem) and have three kids.  My oldest, Michael, is six and going into first grade.  My second child, Peter, is four and going into his second year of preschool.  Elizabeth is 2.5 and "hangs out" with me.  We have been living in Salem since 2006.  I was raised in Merrillville, Indiana (near Chicago).  I studied biology at Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame for two years before transferring to the University of Oklahoma to get my Bachelor's degree in Zoology.  Afterwards I went to the University of California at San Francisco to study dental hygiene.  My ultimate career goal was to become a dental hygiene educator.  As a clinical dental hygienist, I have worked in private practice and research.  I did reach my ultimate career goal and served as the first-year clinic coordinator at the Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists.  Since having my children, most of my dental-related work has been coordinating outreach and education for children in Salem, including the Halloween Candy Buy Back Program.  I am a board member of Parents United of Salem and an active classroom parent and PTO member.
Why I am running:
Although I am a new face on the political scene, I feel that the school committee can benefit from my fresh perspective.  This is a crucial time period for the future of our schools and I am sincerely concerned.  I am not running to begin a career in politics and I have no agenda, other than improving the education for all children at all levels.
I have been a parent within the Salem school system for three years and attended nearly all school committee meetings over the past 18 months.  Over this time I have been out talking to teachers and parents and have developed a good working relationship with the superintendent.  I have done research related to various topics and respectfully offered my thoughts and ideas.  I am prepared to serve our community as a member of the school committee and will look at all issues thoughtfully and objectively as they relate to specific concerns and the "big picture".
I feel that school committee members have a responsibility to the people of Salem, especially children.  They need to be able to explain why our schools are succeeding or failing.  I don't expect it to be an easy job - but it is one that I will take very seriously.
Goals:
- Promote an academic culture that provides high quality education for all students at all levels of learning throughout the district while preserving school choice.
- Maintain focus on district-wide goals and ensure each school knows its role in the success of all students.
- Foster strong leadership at all levels, improved collaboration and clear communication between administrators, teachers, parents and taxpayers.
- Make "smart investments" in our school system by assuring that program or initiative decisions meet our goals, have proven success in similar districts, are sustainable and can provide results that are measurable.

Geeky School Mom takes on political business

For those of you who understand the difference between “planning a wedding” and “getting married”, you will appreciate what I mean when I say there is a similar difference between “organizing a political campaign” and “running for office”.  Right now, life is a hectic blur of campaigning, moving back into our bedrooms (after moving out to finish improvement projects and swap bedrooms for more efficient living), preparing for school, and (still) toilet training my 2 ½ year old daughter.  I do not mean to sound like I am complaining – I feel very fortunate in my life.  But, of course, all of these exciting things would happen at the same time.  I am really trying my best to "do it all" - there is no doubt that I will need a big nap on September 18th and again on November 6th (assuming I make it through the primary).

I am in the process of writing my next blog post about parent involvement, which will hopefully be ready to post over the weekend.  I have another post (or two) in the works about Superintendent Russell’s evaluation and the DESE’s Quarterly Progress Report, both of which were on the agenda at the last school committee meeting. 

I am happy to report that my campaign signs and bumper magnets are in the process of being printed.  As an exercise to expand my blogging expertise, I will try to post an image of my logo below (fingers crossed with that one). Please let me know if you are interested in getting a sign or bumper magnet. (Magnets will be oval, signs will be rectangular.) 

In the meantime, I am looking forward to returning to some semblance of the “normal” routine – and getting back to what I enjoy doing in my spare time, which is talking to people about our schools.  Maybe that makes me a geeky school mom...or just passionate about the cause?  I am interested in coming to your neighborhood and talking to your friends and neighbors to get their feedback and thoughts.  If you are interested in hosting tea/coffee (just a few friends or neighbors, not an all-out party – I will even bring the refreshments), please let me know.  Thanks!

And so it begins...

I am wrapping up a two week "tour" with the kids to visit their grandparents in Tennessee and North Carolina.  The trip was educational for all of us in all sorts of non-traditional ways - for the kids, they experienced a different sort of suburban life and spent quality time with their extended family and, for me, it was my first time traveling solo on a plane (five total flights) with three kids.  No one suffered any major injuries and they all behaved pretty well (at least no worse than normal).  I am pretty confident that I've earned some sort of mommy merit badge.  But, as fun and nice as it was to get away, we all miss home and daddy.
Of course, there will be no rest for us travel weary.  Returning to Salem will bring a whirlwind of outings to prepare for school and hitting the campaign trail.  And, that certainly does not mean that I haven't been "working" while I have been away.  My to-do list during "vacation" included the less fun, yet necessary, tasks of designing a campaign logo for signs and stickers and reading rules about campaign finance.  Once those things were done, I set out to start this blog as another way to reach the community (and voters).  While I hesitate to say that I am going into politics and prefer to think of myself as just another involved parent, I realize that I need to get elected to make the biggest impact on change within our schools.
Picking colors, fonts, and layouts may be part of the process but the most important (and fun) part is connecting with people and doing research.  Two months ago I made the final decision to run for school committee.  It was a decision that I did not take lightly, especially considering that my husband and I have three young children.  Although I have attended all but two regular school committee meetings over the past 18 months, taking on this challenge means a lot more to me than going to meetings.  It means understanding the real issues and concerns facing families and teachers in educating all the children in our district, at all schools.  It is a commitment to figuring out the best way to approach the challenges we face - not just to improve our status within the state, but to help prepare our children to successfully compete in the global market as adults.  It involves approaching decisions thoughtfully and sensitively - and communicating with the community the purpose, goals and potential impact these decisions have.
I have received a lot of positive feedback about my candidacy.  I have had some wonderful discussions with people about our schools.  Underneath all the concerns and worries is a strong sense of optimism.  There is so much potential for greatness in our school system.  Furthermore, I am hopeful that this fall's election will insure that we continue on the right path.  There are no guarantees in politics, especially with 8 candidates for 3 positions.  Before I start asking for your support and votes,  I feel that it is important to say that, regardless of the outcome, I will continue to be present and involved.  Whether or not I am a member of the committee, I am committed to this cause and will remain a resource for our community. 
With that said, I am still in this to win so that my voice, our voices, can be heard and have a vote at that table.  There are many ways to help from just getting my name out there (talk to your people you know, putting a sticker on your car or a sign in your yard, hosting a tea/coffee for me to meet a few of your friends/neighbors) or just offering your insight and thoughts about our school system.  This is where it begins...