Just two weeks ago, only one candidate had stepped forward to run for School Committee in May’s Town Election. Yet two seats are slated to become vacant in June. By this week, however, four more candidates had jumped into the race, making this the first competitive election for School Committee since 2012. The five contenders are listed below in alphabetical order.
Abby Besse
First to file nomination papers was incumbent Abby Besse, the current chair of the School Committee, who is running for her second term. Besse told the Press in an email that her work on School Committee is not done: “I have invested a significant amount of time and energy over the last three years in the work of the School Committee, and I want to see it through. … I have the experience, background, knowledge, relationships, time, and passion that it takes to serve on the School Committee, and I am looking forward to doing so.”
Besse grew up in Harvard and attended the Bromfield School until 10th grade, when she transferred to Acton-Boxborough under what was then a new program, School Choice. For 15 years, Besse taught middle school social studies elsewhere in Massachusetts; for 13 of those years, she was a mentor teacher.
When Besse moved back to Harvard seven years ago, she volunteered on the school councils of both Hildreth Elementary School and the Bromfield School. She also served on the board of directors for the Village Nursery School. Since being elected to the School Committee in 2020, she has served on its policy and budget subcommittees, as well as being liaison to other town committees including Parks and Recreation and the two School Councils. She has four children now in the Harvard schools.
Cameron Caroom
Cameron Caroom told the Press his family moved to Harvard in 2017 “primarily because of the quality and uniqueness of the school system.” Caroom, who is currently an airline pilot, previously had a career in the Air Force. The family moved frequently, so his wife Molly home-schooled their three children until they enrolled in the Bromfield School. Two of their children have since graduated from Bromfield, and one is a junior.
Asked why he decided to run for School Committee, Caroom wrote in an email, “I decided that since I have more time available as a function of my kids getting older, I’d do my part to preserve/improve the school system that brought us to Harvard in the first place.”
Among his interests, Caroom said, is “ensuring the quality of education/classroom environment is consistent amongst all levels of classes” at Bromfield—that is, honors, Advanced Placement, and college preparatory.
Caroom expressed some concern that the long negotiations over a new contract “have not had a positive influence on the relationship between the teachers and the district. And though I hope there will be a new contract in place by the time my term would start, if I were to be elected, I’d like to help ensure that we maintain the sense of community with the school district.”
Andy Hu
Candidate Andy Hu said in a phone interview that he has long taken an interest in the School Committee, having lived in town for a decade and listened to a number of meetings. He said he enjoys volunteering one day a week in the library at the Hildreth Elementary School, which his child attends. He has also volunteered at special events such as field day and teacher appreciation night.
A former pediatrician, Hu now works for a biotech company. He sees serving on the School Committee as “a good way to give back to the community.” His current job, he says, also allows him “to bring a business perspective” to the committee.
“We’ve had excellent leadership on the School Committee,” Hu said. He said he expected to take some time to learn about the committee’s operations and also wanted to get input from other town residents. “I want to hear what is on people’s radar” with regard to the schools, he said. His work experience, he said, has given him a lot of experience in bringing together people of differing viewpoints.
Noyan Kinayman
Noyan Kinayman describes himself as having “a data-driven personality,” based on his education and career in electronic engineering. He came to the United States from Turkey in 1997. He and his family have lived in Harvard since 2014.
“I wanted to run for School Committee because I think helping kids’ education is an important duty in an advancing society,” Kinayman wrote in an email to the Press. “As a father of two boys who graduated from Hildreth Elementary, and now are attending the Bromfield School, I have a firsthand experience on many functions of the Harvard schools. But it’s also important to talk with other parents and try to learn about their experiences, too.”
Kinayman noted that Harvard schools rank at or near the top in the state but added, “There are a few areas where I believe we can do even better. First, I think balancing technology in the classroom with healthy screen habits is important. We need to find the right balance to promote efficient learning, yet minimize unnecessary screen time. I put an extreme value in hands-on experience such as labs, workshops, etc.” He also emphasized supporting all students in their individual learning needs and equipping students at all grade levels with computational thinking skills, perhaps by spreading coding classes throughout the grades. He noted the need for more upkeep at the Bromfield School as something he has also heard expressed by other parents. “Every neglected repair has the potential of creating bigger problems down the road,” he wrote.
Amy Morton
Amy Morton is an educational consultant who has been a special education teacher, worked for educational media and technology companies, and directed marketing communications for Worcester Polytechnic Institute. She has two children in the Harvard schools. For the past year she has served on the town’s Finance Committee.
In an email, Morton wrote, “My entire career has been spent in the education field, and if elected, I would bring a balanced perspective to the School Committee. I have a deep appreciation for—and understanding of—what it takes to run a school and of the importance the schools hold for our town, coupled with a business sense and commitment to using our resources wisely.”
Both Morton’s parents were educators, as are other members of her family, she said in a phone interview. “When you grow up in that atmosphere, it’s your life’s blood.” From 2018 to 2021, she was Harvard’s representative on the Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School Committee.
Morton had high praise for the current School Committee, especially the members’ efforts in putting together this year’s school budget. “That’s a great, high-performance team of people,” she said.
