Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 3/29/2021
SOUTH HADLEY – South Hadley residents are vying for a spot on their town government during the April 13 election.
The election features races for seats on both the School Committee and Selectboard. The School Committee, which consists of five members has two seats open. Among the candidates are residents Danielle Cooke, Jennifer Matos, Brian Morris and Roxanne Sprague.
Reminder Publishing reached out to each candidate and asked each of them to outline their experience, why they’re hoping to be elected to the School Committee and any other information they may want voters to know about them. Their responses are listed below in alphabetical order.
Danielle Cooke
I’m Danielle Cooke, and I’m running for School Committee. I’m a hometown candidate! I grew up here in town and went through the South Hadley school system. I am a single parent of a 3rd grade boy at Mosier Elementary, and I enjoy volunteering and being an active member of the community – especially when it involves being with children. My volunteerism started in college by coaching youth sports, and now I’ve coached my son’s soccer, basketball and baseball teams here in South Hadley for the past three years.
I received my bachelors degree in Psychology and my Masters Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) from Westfield State University. My career as a licensed behavior analyst allows me to serve our developmentally-disabled populations. I currently work for a therapy practice here in town as the ABA program coordinator, and this position lets me work directly with kids both in the classroom and in their homes. I also get to serve our community as a behavior consultant to many local schools and Special Education departments.
It is my passion to collaborate with teachers, administration, and families so we can provide more accessible and inclusive opportunities for all of our students.This last year has been so hard, but I want to be part of the energy our new superintendent and elected officials can bring to our community! I would be personally fulfilled to continue my volunteerism and advocacy for children by offering my very-relevant experience to the South Hadley School Committee.
Jennifer Matos
My name is Dr. Jen Matos and I am a candidate for the South Hadley School Committee. A common thread in my career is my work in education. I earned a Massachusetts teaching license in English Language Arts for grades 5-12, and a doctorate in education from UMASS Amherst with a concentration in social justice education. As a high school teacher, I communicated and collaborated with parents, a skill set that I would bring to the School Committee. As a faculty member at Mount Holyoke College, I teach courses on social justice and prepare teacher candidates for a career in education, some of whom teach in SHPS.
I am the author of “La Familia: And Other Secret Ingredients to Latinx Student Success,” a book that details the strengths and contributions students and families bring to educational spaces. Currently, I serve alongside educators, administrators, community members, students, and School Committee members on the SHPS Racial Justice Task Force. My time on the task force inspired me to run for School Committee and deepen my service to the school community.
As a social justice educator, I am invested in ensuring that our teachers have the tools needed to model civil discourse. I have a reputation for bringing diverse groups together to speak about traditionally contentious subjects. Teaching our students how to have respectful dialogues builds bridges across difference and prepares students to live and work in our increasingly diverse world. I would appreciate your vote on April 13.
Brian Morris
My name is Brian Morris, and I am running for South Hadley School Committee. I am a lifelong resident of South Hadley, and currently my wife and I are raising our two children in the very town I grew up in! I was educated within the school district and after graduation I attended Westfield State College. After earning a degree in Business Management with a concentration in accounting, I attended the Paramedic Program at Greenfield Community College where I completed my two-year program to be certified as a Massachusetts State Paramedic. For the last 16 years I have been working as a public servant in the Fire/EMS field.
My decision to run for School Committee came out of the pandemic and the district’s response to a variety of challenges that they were presented with. After watching countless meetings, as a resident with two children I felt underrepresented at times and felt that a member who would listen was needed on the committee.
If elected to the committee, I will represent the residents and families of South Hadley with particular attention to the following: a robust education within the constraints of a budget, fair wages and benefits to the dedicated teachers, collaboration with town agencies to enhance the safety of the facilities, a special focus on high needs students getting the education they require and striving to increase communication and transparency of the committee, which is greatly needed. I would greatly appreciate your support and vote for South Hadley School Committee.
Roxanne Sprague
I am Roxanne Sprague, and I am running for School Committee. I would bring a unique perspective being a higher education teacher who has been teaching in-person during this pandemic, a medical provider who is trained in making objective data driven decisions, and as a mother of four young South Hadley students. If elected I would advocate for all of our town’s children having equal access to the high-quality education that they deserve, and for teachers being empowered and supported with the resources they need.
While the worst of the pandemic is behind us, there are going to be lasting effects on our school district and our town. We have lost a significant percentage of student enrollment and school choice students, which means less federal funding for our town in the coming years. I look forward to collaborating with the committee members, and the new superintendent to explore ways to regain and retain enrollment, and also to begin exploring ways to help mitigate the district's anticipated financial losses to ensure our school district is financially sustainable.
Thank you for taking the time to read this! It would be a privilege to serve this great community, and advocate for our amazing children and families. Please, feel free to reach out to me via email, rrbvtvt@gmail.com, and visit my facebook page: Roxanne Sprague for School Committee