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Date: 5/5/2021
WILBRAHAM – Wilbraham’s candidates for the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Committee answered voter questions at a virtual forum hosted by the Wilbraham Public Library and moderated by Library Director Karen Demers. During the two-hour forum, the four candidates who are vying for two open seats – William Bontempi, Joseph Lawless, Dagmar Mechem and Lisa Murray – answered pre-submitted questions from voters.
The candidates began by giving brief introductions of themselves. Bontempi, the only incumbent of the four, told voters that he was a product of public schools and a practicing oral surgeon who has lived in Wilbraham since 2007. He said that he was committed to resolving the lawsuit between the school district and the Town of Hampden, working toward a more sustainable budget and the creation of a strategic plan to map out the district’s future.
Lawless described himself as a dedicated business person with a strong work ethic. He said that the strategic plan and equity audit could be done in-house and the money being spent on them could be spent directly on students instead.
Mechem, a 16-year resident, said that she is passionate about equity in education and building strong relationships. The educational specialist said it is important to be transparent and advocate for students and schools.
Murray said that she is running to be a role model and show volunteerism. Murray said that as an educator in the Agawam Public Schools, she has experience working on committees and teams.
The first question for the candidates involved the recent disclosure by Superintendent Albert Ganem that he had hired his daughter during the 2019-2020 school year and that his wife works for a limited number of weekly hours this year. The voter asked for the candidates’ opinions on nepotism.
Bontempi chose not to answer the question as it is actively under investigation by a committee of which he is a member.
Lawless responded that he would never support a policy violation and that he would factor it into Ganem’s contract renewal. That said, he added that Ganem “put our children first” by “utilizing his family to get our kids back,” to school.
Mechem said that she would have to look over the specifics of the situation and that it is a topic for the Ethics Committee.
Murray also stated that she would want to gain a better understanding of the circumstances and make sure that the right process for employment had been followed. She said that it requires investigation while “assuming good intentions” on Ganem’s part.
The second question was about how to bring back a sense of normalcy to students.
“We get our kids back through the after-school activities, the sports,” Lawless said. He added that the safety guidelines have to be observed. “Keep people safe but get kids back to what they love.” He noted that it requires supporting faculty and teachers.
Mechem said she supports Ganem in out-of-the-box thinking as long as people stay safe. While many people push back against the amount of screen time learning has required this year, Mechem said that the district can use technology wisely to increase equity for students.
Murray praised the social-emotional learning that has been woven into the learning day. She said that some students will need interventions to close the academic gap, but noted other children have thrived in remote and hybrid learning models. Moving forward, she said, educators should combine best practices with “what worked well” during this school year.
Bontempi recognized that getting back to in-person learning and activities is “paramount” to parents. He said he has “the utmost confidence” that teachers and administrative faculty can provide students with what they need. Supporting teachers and faculty is the role of the School Committee, Bontempi said. “We’re policy. We’re 35,000 feet,” he said of the School Committee’s purview. Like Murray, he emphasized keeping the advantages of technology “to leverage better education.”
All of the candidates answered yes to the question of whether they could support a School Committee decision that they didn’t agree with. Mechem said that to be a leader the committee has to present a united front. Each member of the committee is there to support the students, whatever their personal feelings.
Murray agreed and said that working together as a committee is working for the betterment of the district.
Bontempi called it “the essence of committee work.” He added that being bound by the decision of the whole provides a “glimpse” into democracy.
Lawless opined that leadership is respecting the thoughts of all group members. “Through argument we make progress,” he said.
The last question asked of the candidates was about how to address equity gaps and bias in learning.
Murray stated that Massachusetts law sets diverse racial groups as a goal for all districts and said that a representative staff is important. The equity audit is a good starting point, she said, and countered Lawless’s earlier assertion that the money should be spent elsewhere. Instead, she said it would benefit the community as a whole.
Bontempi said equity and inclusion are one of the pillars of the district’s strategic plan. He promoted the equity audit and argued that it should look at gender, LGBT students and political ideologies, rather than just race. He added that “isms” – such as racism and sexism – aren’t the problem as much as it is tolerance of everyone.
Lawless said that in his professional life he has diversified his workforce through hiring practices. He also said he fully supports the equity audit but that he believes it can be done in-house without spending money on an outside firm.
Mechem disagreed with Lawless and said “we need to find people who aren’t in this community. You can’t audit yourself.” She said that the first step is understanding systemic racism and how biases are everywhere. She said hiring a diverse staff was also important.
The Wilbraham town election is on May 15.