At the election coming up on May 1, Harvard voters will choose from among three candidates for the two openings on the School Committee. With issues ranging from a new superintendent and the Devens contract to a possible union with neighboring Boxborough, the newly constituted committee’s actions next year could have an immense impact on Harvard’s schools.
Incumbent Piali De has decided not to run again, leaving open the seat she has held for three years. Incumbent Patricia Wenger, who has served on the committee for four years, will run for another term.
Wenger sees schools “in a good spot”
“It was not an easy decision,” Wenger said of her decision to run again for School Committee, given the substantial time commitment that the position requires. But she added that she has “mostly” enjoyed the past year and wants to follow through on the projects that the current board has begun.
As one example of the issues she hopes to continue working on, Wenger cited the study on changing the current administrative model.
She said, “The town has been asking for years why we need a full-time superintendent.” She sees the current situation—with both Harvard and Boxborough simultaneously ready to choose new superintendents—as a chance to take a fresh look at the issue.
“What an opportunity!” she said.
Wenger called the most recent school budget “a pleasant surprise.” She explained that it was a pleasure to be able to add things back into the budget after several years of searching for items that could be taken out.
Wenger has been the School Committee’s liaison to the Harvard Energy Advisory Committee. While pleased with the improvements to the schools’ energy usage, Wenger acknowledged that some people were hoping to see greater savings. She pointed out that Harvard’s energy consumption was already fairly low compared to many other schools, which limited the scope for dramatic improvements. Moreover, new technology such as SmartBoards led to greater demands on electricity, even while other areas of the school were becoming more energy efficient.
Asked about upcoming challenges, Wenger said that the teachers’ contract will be up for renegotiation in the next year or two. She also noted that “the whole Devens thing” was likely to remain a challenge, but was an overall positive for the district.
“We are in such a good spot because of Devens,” Wenger said, referring to the income from the contract with MassDevelopment for educating students who live in Devens.
Cronin seeks “community of trust”
Sharon Cronin submitted a written statement for this article, because two family medical emergencies made it difficult to schedule an interview. Cronin, who moved to Harvard about four years ago, has two children at the Bromfield School. She expressed appreciation for the friendship and support that her family has received since arriving in town.
“Serving on School Committee would be an honor and a privilege and a way to give back to this wonderful community,” Cronin wrote.
Cronin has been involved with the schools as an elementary school room parent, field trip volunteer, and as a ninth-grade parent representative. She has also been a member of the Bromfield Curriculum Enrichment Committee of the PTO for four years. She notes that she attends School Council meetings regularly and co-chaired the seventh-grade Wellness Day.
Cronin writes of her background, “Before I had children, I practiced as a labor and employment attorney, which gave me plenty of experience working with different groups to reach collaborative results. In this role, I participated in the negotiation and drafting of collective bargaining agreements for various municipal entities.”
Before moving to Harvard, Cronin was treasurer of the Parent Teacher Organization and a member of the elementary school council in her previous community.
“With my passion for children and education,” Cronin continues, “I want to work toward enhancing the excellence of our school system, ensuring that all students have a powerful, enriching and engaging experience. We need to continue to attract, support and retain remarkable educators, those who are committed to helping our children become effective communicators, critical thinkers, impassioned innovators and compassionate citizens of the world. I want to see that our schools are provided with the resources, tools and skills necessary to keep it strong and competitive in a changing world with rapidly developing technologies, global competition and economic uncertainty. I want to ensure that we provide the best educational opportunities to all students; maximize opportunities for students across the full spectrum of learning styles, strengths and interests; and ensure that students have powerful, enriching, engaging experiences. It’s important that children have enough educational opportunities to help identify their passions.”
Speaking of the relationship between the School Committee and the community as a whole, Cronin wrote, “I would bring to School Committee an open mind, a collaborative spirit, and the ability to recognize that there is always more than one side to every issue. I want to know what the public thinks and to build a community of trust. An informed public is the School Committee’s best partner.”
Sullebarger offers “a different viewpoint”
Robert Sullebarger says that his candidacy for School Committee was motivated by a desire to maintain the excellence of Harvard’s schools. He also wants to do his part to support the community’s system of volunteer government.
Sullebarger has previously served on the Congregational Church’s building committee, stewardship committee, and board of deacons. He has also volunteered with the Boy Scouts and with the Harvard Athletic Association as an assistant baseball coach.
The reputation of Harvard’s schools is what drew the Sullebarger family here in 1994, he said. He has two sons who are currently enrolled at Bromfield.
“My two kids have benefited greatly from the high quality of education here,” he said.
Sullebarger cites his background in mechanical engineering, marketing, and international business, saying he could bring “a different viewpoint” to the School Committee. After working for some time in technology sales, Sullebarger earned an MBA from the Cass Business School in London. He currently works in enterprise analysis.
Sullebarger sees “navigating through the enrollment situation” as the most challenging issue currently facing the school system. Recent studies suggest that school enrollments may decline over the next decade.
The enrollment situation is closely connected to the Devens contract, Sullebarger says. He notes that parents in Devens strongly want their children to continue to be educated in the Harvard schools, while demographics show that Harvard needs those students to maintain the schools’ capacity.
“We should strongly defend our position,” he said of negotiating a long-term contract with MassDevelopment for the education of students from Devens.
Of the possibility of a union with Boxborough, Sullebarger said he needed to look at the proposal in more detail but added, “I would prefer complete local control, but there are cost pressures.”
