Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 4/12/2018
EAST LONGMEADOW – School Committee candidate Sarah Truoiolo chose to move to East Longmeadow with her husband, Tony, in 2009 as they saw the town as a fantastic environment to raise a family. After all, Tony grew up in East Longmeadow, and the two knew they would be surrounded by family. Truoiolo thought that the town was “the right fit,” and it’s her hope that the community will think she’s “the right fit” for this years open School Committee seat.
Following her graduation from Cathedral High School, Truoiolo attended Smith College and majored in Education and Child Study. She graduated Cum Laude, and went on to attend the University of Pennsylvania where she received her Masters in Education.
In the fall of 2005, a few short months after her graduation from the University of Pennsylvania, Truoiolo began to work for the Springfield Public School system. She began as a second grade teacher at Frederick Harris School and seven years later transitioned to becoming a Math Instructional Leadership Specialist at Balliet Elementary School. In 2014, she started her current position as the Supervisor of Mathematics for the Springfield Public School system. Presently, she oversees 60 Springfield schools by supervising curriculums, instruction, assessment and professional development.
“I’ve dedicated nearly 20 years to education, it’s been my passion. Public education for me is one of the most vital components of our society. Since I began in 2005 it’s changed dramatically. We’re charged with preparing students for jobs that don’t exist yet, and that can be daunting. We have to make sure as a school and community that our students are poised to be prepared,” Truoiolo shared.
In addition over the years Truoiolo has acquired and maintains multiple licenses including Elementary Education, Director/Supervisor and Assistant Principal/Principal. She’s a member of the Massachusetts Teachers Association and the Springfield Administrators Association.
“I do this at work day in and day out, I live and breathe education in Springfield and I appreciate the opportunity to bring my experience to East Longmeadow,” she said. “Now that I live in East Longmeadow and that’s my home and that’s where we’re raising our two children, it’s a nice way to bring my knowledge and experience to the community that has really welcomed me.”
Truoiolo has two children who will both be going through the East Longmeadow school system. David is a first-grader at Meadow Brook Elementary School, and Grace attends a home daycare in town and will begin preschool next year. Truoiolo said that it’s important to her to bring her expertise and passion for public education to the town that she resides in and the schools that her children will be attending.
“The small-town sense you get from living in East Longmeadow is amazing. Seeing how important education is in this town, the fact that there are three [School Committee] candidates for one open seat speaks volumes about how the citizens of East Longmeadow believe in education, it’s really powerful,” she said.
When asked what she believed important concerns are in town regarding education, Truoiolo was focused on the experience of the student. She mentioned keeping up with technology and resources as well as educating the whole child beyond academics but also social and emotional learning. In addition, she also stated the importance of being responsible fiscally and making sure all of the towns’ stakeholders are accounted for.
“Something I’ve been talking to voters and community members about is equipping our students with resources they need to provide opportunities for a high-level of achievement for students,” she said. “The schools have changed over time, it’s not just the pencil and notebook that a lot of us may have experienced, we need to shift to have access to technology across the grade levels.”
To keep up with the 21st Century learner, Truoiolo stated that this doesn’t just mean updating technology, but updating the physical school structure, too.
“We need to ensure that they have a strong enough infrastructure to support the technology our students need access to, that students have access to have flexible spaces within the buildings that allow for collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking, and that the buildings continue to be designed with student and staff safety at the forefront,“ she explained. “The School Committee has been actively pursuing funding from the MSBA [Massachusetts School Building Authority] to support with the construction of new high school and these items (along with others) would need to be considered if that funding is granted. However, these are also items that we need to consider across all of the school buildings in town.”
Truoiolo then explained why she felt passionately about fiscal responsibility, “As a taxpayer, we want to make sure that as a taxpayer were accountable, doing it in fiscally responsible fashion. We have to be careful and that takes creativity and ingenuity. I work with budgets at my job, and it’s a balance. We need to be careful about what is a priority and when it’s a priority. We need to meet the needs of students while being responsible to the taxpayers,”she said.
While she believes there is a strong foundation in town with the work the School Committee and the community has laid, she looks forward to the future and keeping East Longmeadow Schools ahead of the curve.
“I think the knowledge and experience I’ve gained in 20 years really has given me a skill set that makes me well equipped to take on working with the School Committee in East Longmeadow. I think there’s a great partnership that could be formed there in terms of being able to bring that knowledge and experience and really bringing it home to my community,” she said. “I just want to support and make sure we’re ahead of the curve, much of what I’ve described is on the radar but making sure we are meeting needs of all students in a really meaningful and passionate fashion.”
On April 5, Truoiolo hosted a campaign kick-off at Mario’s Café Ambiance and shared that there was a great turnout, and she appreciated all of the support.
“I was really, truly, humbled by that large demonstration of support and I’m really excited about the momentum we established that night and sharing my name and knowledge. I want to thank everyone who came, I’m so incredibly humbled and taken aback. I’m eager to collaborate with members of our community,” she said.
On May 1 the town of East Longmeadow will have their preliminary election. The two individuals with the most votes out of the preliminaries will then move on to the annual general election on June 5.