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Date: 10/18/2023
WESTFIELD — In advance of the city election, Reminder Publishing sent questionnaires to candidates on the Nov. 7 ballot.
All six candidates for School Committee were given the same list of five questions. Two answers are being printed in today’s newspaper, and the remaining three will be printed in The Westfield News on Oct. 28, Oct. 31 and Nov. 4, alternating with answers from mayor and City Council candidates. Topics addressed by the candidates in the other questions include how they would ensure safety in schools, their opinions on the school budget, and the schools’ biggest infrastructure needs. Candidates were given a limit of 75 words; responses that exceeded that limit were cut off at the 75th word.
Candidates in other contested races were also sent questions. Mayor and Ward 1 councilor and Ward 2 councilor candidate responses were printed in the Oct. 12 edition of The Pennysaver, and City Council at-large candidate responses will be printed in the Oct. 26 edition. More responses for all of those races will also be printed in The Westfield News during the two weeks before Election Day.
Three four-year terms on the School Committee are available on the Nov. 7 ballot. Bo Sullivan and Michael Tirrell are running as incumbents; the rest are challengers. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order.
Unique attributes
What background, belief or skill would you bring to the School Committee that nobody else in this race does?
Jeffrey Gosselin: I have been involved with advocating for more equitable funding for Westfield schools at both local and state levels of government. My interest in serving is to improve student achievement for all our youth. I have served on the Historical Commission, a former School Committee member, and the commission for citizens with disabilities, for which I presently serve as secretary. I have long ties to the education community. I was an educator in Springfield schools. … (75 words)
Jeffrey Gunther: As a former teacher, a parent of a WPS student, and an education finance professional, I would bring a unique combination of skills and perspectives to our School Committee. I have taught in public schools, worked in school finance and operations, and currently lead the budgeting and management of my organization’s $300 million annual budget. I bring both school finance skills and the perspective of a parent and teacher in applying those skills.
Pamela Kotarski: For the past 30 years my work as transportation director/business support has provided me numerous opportunities to work with administrators, school principals, parents and the Boys & Girls Club. I also was in direct communication with the Police Department in coordinating weather, traffic and construction issues that may impact student safety.
Gabriella Michaliszyn: I have over 20 years of experience having foster students in high school, many in the Westfield school system, with a variety of educational needs. I have done the work of teaching, guiding, and preparing them for life after high school. I know high school education is often the end of formal education, so it’s important they have the skills they need for life. I believe I can troubleshoot and bring solutions to those needs.
Bo Sullivan: Growing up in a house with a public school educator gave me great advantages. My dad retired as a superintendent. Seeing the hard work and making sure our kids receive the education they deserve. People working together to make sure students have all the advantages possible. My greatest strength — bring people together for solutions to a common goal. I do it every day at the Boys & Girls Club and on the School Committee.
Michael Tirrell: I bring to the School Committee prior experience and a collaborative approach to solving problems. As a technology professional for over 25 years, I have dealt with the planning, implementation and financial aspects of business and technology. I also have previous experience in local government, both with the School Committee and other city commissions. I have familiarity with other areas of city operations and believe I can help to fund creative solutions to our challenges.
Student success
What is the greatest impediment to student success in the city’s public schools, and how can the School Committee help overcome it?
Jeffrey Gosselin: Our students are faced with many challenges today, more than 50% live in low- to moderate-income families, which translates to lack of education, opportunities, and career options. I will work hard to reach out and create community partnerships with area businesses and build on the progress that we are making with early college programs, internships, and job opportunities. As a former college student at Springfield College, I helped create the first “Mentor Program” in Springfield. … (75 words)
Jeffrey Gunther: The lack of a clear vision for what we want to be true for WPS students is the biggest impediment to student success. Achieving excellent outcomes requires a clear goal and a commitment from our schools to achieve it. We need this clarity to focus our resources on what students most need to be successful. This includes robust STEM and arts curricula that prioritize authentic, problem-based learning experiences with complimentary staffing, technology, and facility supports.
Pamela Kotarski: One of the most challenging impediments to student success in public schools is the need to continually have money appropriated for upgrading the ever-evolving technology. During budget time it is imperative that the School Committee’s job is to ensure that the money is allocated to provide adequate funding for technology.
Gabriella Michaliszyn: I believe that disruptions to classes are the greatest impediment to student success. This is often caused by a lack of interest in learning, which can be caused by a lack of excitement and creativity in teaching. The second is the tendency for the lecture-memorize-test style of learning, which doesn’t invite understanding. For both, I would love to see teacher training focused on creativity and student engagement to encourage a love of learning.
Bo Sullivan: There are many impediments — finding enough staff, hiring the mental health professionals we need, infrastructure needs. The biggest, though, is the budget itself. We work with a razor-thin budget as is, and the city has not given any more money to the last two budgets than they did three years ago. We need to keep pushing our city councilors for more and make the public aware so they can help.
Michael Tirrell: The biggest impediments to student success, in my opinion, are lack of organization and time management skills, combined with multiple distractions. To help combat this, we need to work with students to help foster these skills and engage families to ensure they are being reinforced at home. We also need a firm, fair and consistent cellphone use policy across the district to ensure in-class time is spent learning and distractions are minimized.