Sarah Page, Russell candidate for Gateway School Committee, with her sons Max and Theo.
Sarah Page is running as a Russell representative for the Gateway Regional School Committee. She has lived in Russell since 2005. “It seriously surprised me how much I have learned to appreciate and love where I live, especially the school system my boys go to, it’s really a hidden gem,” she said this week, adding, “It’s time to give back to my community.”
Page has been a teacher for 20 years, the past eleven as a first grade teacher at Abner Gibbs Elementary School in Westfield. “Teaching is the only job I’ve ever had,” she said this week. She also believes that the Gateway model is a good one, and one that she can get behind.
Page is running in a contested race for the School Committee seat against former School Committee member Ruth Kennedy. The election is on Monday, June 4. Below is her candidate’s statement:
As an educator, a parent of two Littleville boys, and a resident of Russell for over a decade, I believe I have the qualifications that our town would like to see in a candidate for School Committee. This town, this school, and this community have become the village I didn’t even know I needed to raise our boys.
Graduating from Mount Holyoke College with a degree in Psychology and Education, obtaining a Masters of Teaching, and teaching for 20 years have given me the knowledge of the needs of both the students and a school system. Raising two children in this town, in the Gateway School district, has given me the passion to be involved and become a part of the continued progress our schools are making. Living in Russell has given me the neighbors and friends and the perspectives I couldn’t have gotten anywhere else.
I would like the chance to make a difference in our town. I would like the chance to help move our school forward, while hearing, considering and understanding the needs and worries of our small town community. While the budget continues to be a hot-button issue, instead of shying away, I look forward to finding and creating answers.
I believe I have a lot to offer in this position as member of the Gateway School Committee. Beyond my educational experience, I am a team player, an advocate of compromise, a strong critical thinker, and a hard worker. Let’s move forward on June 4th!
