The 2017 School Committee candidates assemble for the candidates forum at the Westfield Senior Center on Thursday evening. Seen left to right are, Jeff Gosselin, Cindy Sullivan, Tim O’Connor and Heather Sullivan. (Photo by Lynn Boscher)
There are four candidates vying for three seats on the School Committee. The candidates are incumbents Jeffrey Gosselin and Cindy Sullivan, and the challengers are former School Committee members Tim O’Connor and Heather Sullivan.
In his opening remarks Thursday, School Committee incumbent Jeffrey Gosselin read an excerpt from the children’s book, “If I had a dinosaur.” Gosselin said he ran four years ago, because he believed educators needed a voice on the School Committee. Gosselin, who is an autism assistant at JFK Middle School in Northampton, has also taught in the Springfield schools and as an adjunct professor at Westfield State University.
Incumbent Cindy Sullivan, director of the Southwick Senior Center, is running for her third term after serving eight years on the School Committee. Sullivan said she has lived in Westfield for 20 years, and has a daughter who is a senior at Westfield High School, and a son who is freshman at Westfield Technical Academy. A graduate of Springfield College, she said she was the first in her family to graduate from college. Sullivan said she sees the needs of seniors and helps them every day. She described herself as honest, and said she sometimes makes tough decisions to do what’s best for the children in Westfield.
Tim O’Connor, who previously served on the School Committee from 2000 to 2008, said he has a passion for education. A lifelong resident of Westfield, he graduated from Westfield High School in the Class of ’82, and went on to receive his master’s in business administration. Currently, O’Connor works for a risk management company in Springfield. His wife Terry Quinn O’Connor is also from Westfield and their two daughters went to Westfield public schools, and on to college. He thanked the sponsors of the forum for the opportunity, and the residents for attending.
Heather Sullivan also previously served on the School Committee for two terms, alongside O’Connor. Sullivan also thanked the sponsors of the forum, and said it is important to meet the candidates in person, to see how passionate they all are on education. Sullivan said she served under three superintendents during her term on the School Committee. After leaving, she worked for five years as a reading interventionist at Highland Elementary School. She said she left the school one year ago, with the intention to rejoin the School Committee.
Moderator Patrick Berry’s first two questions to all the candidates concerned the elementary school building project. He asked them given the contentions and litigious nature of the proposed school on Ashley and Cross streets, and the Supreme Judicial Court’s decision not to encroach on protected land, what is their position on building a school on that site.
Cindy Sullivan said the school building project was part of the reason that she wanted to run for the School Committee. She said the SJC’s decision was that the city could not build on 1.3 acres, but the district had already started to think about building a smaller school on the site. She added that Abner Gibbs is 102 years old, and Franklin Avenue needs to be closed, and perhaps renovated for Fort Meadow pre-school students. She said the Cross St. site was vetted for traffic and other considerations. “The children downtown need a 21st century school,” Sullivan said.
O’Connor agreed that Westfield needs a new school, it has to be in the downtown, and Franklin Avenue and Abner Gibbs have to close. He said in the new student census with five K-4 elementary schools, they will have about 400 each. “Right now, the decision to move forward with the school is not with the courts, but with the MSBA (Massachusetts School Building Association),” O’Connor said. He added that when the decision comes, the district has to move quickly.
Heather Sullivan said other schools are also outdated. She said when she did the reading during her first tenure on the School Committee of the plan for the 600 student school, in her opinion there was not enough land on the site. She said the state usually insists on 5 to 10 acres for that size school. She also said her children went to Paper Mill School, which did not have enough parking. “I’m open to looking at other places in the downtown,” Sullivan said, adding, “Make sure there’s enough land and parking, and when there’s an emergency, that it’s fully accessible.”
Gosselin said he first started going to the planning meetings in 2011. He said one of the main issues was zoning, and the Ashley St./Cross St. location was the only space for the school. He said Franklin Avenue wasn’t a big enough location. Gosselin said after all of the deliberation and time spent, he believes it is worth continuing the plan, adding that Westfield is at the top of the MSBA list.
As a follow up question, Berry asked whether the candidates think other suggested locations such as near South Middle, Franklin Avenue or Westfield High School should be considered for the new school.
O’Connor said those sites had been considered. He said he hasn’t personally been involved in the studies, but he’s open. “One thing is sure, as we sit here today, we’ve got to get going on that school,” O’Connor said, adding that it is holding up building improvements at Westfield High School, such as a new science wing. He also said he’s not opposed to looking at other sites.
Heather Sullivan said she thinks all sites should be considered and weighed. “A community school in the downtown is a very important piece, I agree with that,” she said. However, she said she wouldn’t want to rush into something just because a plan had started there. She again expressed concern about traffic at the Cross St. location. “I’m not going to say it’s absolutely out for me. I just want to have the opportunity to make things better,” she said.
Gosselin said the other sites could be looked at, repeating that when they previously looked at the downtown district zone Cross St. fit. “I believe the Mayor has a good plan. We’ve been fighting for a school for so long, why throw in the towel now,” Gosselin said, unless MSBA isn’t willing to go forward at the site, he added.
Cindy Sullivan said the site at Cross St. was looked at very closely, including a traffic study. She said South Middle School would lose its fields, and a new road would have to be built there. She also said when Westfield High School was located where it is now, residents were mad about that , and the same was true for Paper Mill and Munger Hill. As for Franklin Avenue, when it was looked at eight years ago, there was a problem about it being in a flood zone. “This school is for the downtown,” she said, adding that she is fine with looking at other places, but that a feasibility study costs $700,000.
Berry then asked individual questions of the candidates. To Heather Sullivan, he said since she last served on the School Committee, state requirements of school performance changed dramatically. He asked what she could bring to improve student performance in the changed environment.
Heather Sullivan said when she served on the School Committee the first time, they were presented with ideas and programs all with the same goal of making students successful. However, she said it was very different looking at programs twice a month, than being in the schools. She said teachers are under too much pressure to raise grades, and held to too many numbers they have to reach. “We have to be careful of how much testing we put on kids. Kids need to remember how fun education is,” Sullivan said.
To Gosselin, Berry said with Mr. Duval’s decision to not seek reelection, he becomes the only educator on the School Committee. He asked what unique perspective of his background does he bring to the School Committee. Gosselin responded that he would miss Dr. Duval. He said as an educator, he is with students in the class every day. He said he served as chair of the education and curriculum sub-committee, and has been able to bring programs from other districts through his connections.
As one of the longest-serving School Committee members, Berry asked Cindy Sullivan what challenges they faced today that are different from when she was first elected. Sullivan said she has served under three different superintendents, each bringing different challenges. She agreed that “testing has gotten completely out of control,” but that it is state mandated, adding that neither she nor her own kids like MCAS. “I think our schools have come a long way in the past eight years,” Sullivan said, giving the example of Tier 1, 2 and 3 interventions to help struggling students. “Teachers are working as hard as they can,” she added.
Addressing the next question to O’Connor, Berry noted that he is a proponent of keeping Westfield students competitive by having access to the best technology. He said the best technology is not cheap, asking O’Connor how he proposes executing that plan with such a strict school budget.
O’Connor said the needs of technology are ongoing and not inexpensive. He said in the early 2000’s on the School Committee, they established a technology line of credit. He also said he’s pleased that the district has added a technology line item to the budget, although he said it may not be enough. He believes the new Bring Your Own Device policy will help to integrate digital learning, but will also carry costs. “If we aren’t moving forward with technology, we’re moving backward,” O’Connor said, adding that the district has to ensure there is funding to keep technology moving.
Staying on finances, Berry asked all of the candidates, being that the school department is the largest in the city and perceived to have plenty of “fat,” what measures have they proposed or would they propose to improve the education of children while also cutting costs.
Gosselin said recent savings were made in approving a five-year transportation plan, instead of a three-year plan. He also said that sending students to Russell did not add additional spending when it came to mileage. He said another gain was in adding the Transition School on E. Mountain Road and an alternative school, which keeps kids in the district as opposed to out of district.
Cindy Sullivan said the budget is always a “hot topic, especially this time of year.” She said unfortunately the school department being the biggest takes the cut. Sullivan said in the eight years she has served, there are 100 less staff with no fewer students. She also said they cut special education supervisors this year, and have fewer administrators than surrounding districts. Sullivan said she has always asked superintendents to cut employees and programs farthest away from children. This year, she said the School Committee cut $2 million from the school budget before it went to the City Council.
O’Connor said that in the $60 million school budget, 80% is personnel and 20% expenses, so there’s not a lot of room to cut expenses, and cuts would have to be made in personnel. “The superintendent and administration have done a great job with the budget,” O’Connor said. He said maintaining smaller class sizes is paramount, which they have as a goal. He agreed that the goal would be the least impact to students, “thinking out of the box,” he said.
Heather Sullivan said when she and Tim served on the School Committee together, the cuts went to personnel. She cautioned that while you can put students in front of the computer, they need the personal interaction. She said people say para-professionals could be doing something else with their time, and they are also concerned about the cost of special education. She said students have to stay in the district. “I think in the past we were very top heavy in the administration. I am worried about special education, because the program my son was in got cut,” she added.
All the candidates were asked about Westfield’s Level 3 status, and how to improve the schools while maintaining costs. Cindy Sullivan said that Level 3 is determined by only one elementary or middle school or high school. “You are the level of your lowest schools,” she said. “Our kids are doing pretty well, getting advanced and proficient in many levels.” She said they are going to college, or graduating Westfield Technical Academy and getting $60,000 to $80,000 jobs. She said the schools are focusing on literacy and integrating new software. “Kids have to know how to read.” She said nation-wide the majority of kids in college have to take remedial English.
O’Connor said it’s a problem as long as the schools can’t rely on public funding. He also said it doesn’t take much for a Level 1 school to move to Level 3, which he said is more frustrating for parents and teachers. He said some of the causes are socio-economic, as well as the costs of special education. He agreed that early literacy is key. He said he was on one of the first school Committees to establish Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). At the time, he thought, why doesn’t everyone have an IEP? “We’re moving in that direction. We need to understand the individual needs of every student,” he said.
Heather Sullivan said having reading intervention specialists, like she was, is a good way to start. “Nothing is perfect. The money we’re spending on parts of this isn’t perfect,” she said. While she agrees the computers are part of the program, she said the kids would much rather be with a teacher in a small group. “I want kids to love to read. I don’t like the idea of one way fits all. We’re doing so many things right,” she said.
Gosselin said he believes the district must invest in professional development. He said he was the driving force on the curriculum committee’s focus on math, which he said the state is going to require for 4 years. He said it comes down to the staff. “Keep teaching, upgrade standards, keep moving forward,” he said.
Regarding the major redistricting Westfield Public Schools are facing, Berry asked all the candidates what positives or negatives they foresee in the plan. O’Connor congratulated the district on its plan for an intermediate and middle school. “The teams did a terrific job,” he said, adding that the next step will be to build the 5/6 and 7/8 schools’ needs and then determine the staffing for them. He also said that communication to fourth graders who were “going to be kings,” as well as to parents and teachers is important, and that the transition plan should be relayed well ahead of time.
“I’m excited about the plan. The new administration took the bull by the horns, and did things the way they should be done,” said Heather Sullivan, adding that there will always be some people who are disappointed. She said the way they started, and with the opportunity to fill out surveys, “everyone was heard. I have a ton of faith. This was rolled out beautifully,” she said.
Gosselin said the positives are the smaller K-4 elementary schools. He said the negative may be in the transportation piece with more busing. “I think it will work well. Many schools have K-4, 5/6 and 7/8 schools,” he said, adding that he works in a middle school. He said he’s hearing approval in the community.
“Here, I get to be very happy,” said Cindy Sullivan. She said she’s been fighting for equality in the schools for eight years. “Teachers are happy, although they’re nervous about where they’re going,” she added. She said people wanted to know where their kids would be attending, and the School Committee made the decision for 5/6 and 7/8 a couple of weeks ago. “Redistricting should have been done a long time ago,” she said, adding that she serves on one of the transition sub-committees.
In his closing statement, O’Connor thanked Dr. Duval for his service. “Education is a priority for me. I may sound old-fashioned, (but it’s) civic duty, and mine is easily education,” he said. O’Connor continued by saying a successful school system attracts young families and businesses and improves revenue streams. He said since he last served ten years ago, he’s better at budgeting and planning. “I believe in the students in Westfield,” he added, saying with his financial and business experience and years served on the School Committee, he could “hit the ground running Jan. 1.”
Heather Sullivan said she is “passionate about education.” She said she raised three children, served on the School Committee, and became a reading interventionist. “In a diverse community, I believe we’re doing a great job educating our students,” she said, talking about the English language learners from all over the world at Highland. “I’m proud of it,” she said. She agreed with O’Connor, saying, “My civic duty is easy – education.” Sullivan said while working in the school system, ‘she brought one home. Now I have a student living with me,” she said.
Gosselin said it would be his privilege to continue to represent residents on the School Committee. He said he has worked on the reform of unfunded mandates, and was a founding member of the board of Head Start and also of the Carson Center. He called himself an advocate for public schools. Besides his work on the School Committee, he said he was in the first mentoring program at Springfield College. “I would appreciate your support. Hold your head high; take on controversial issues, help when you can,” he said.
Cindy Sullivan said she is passionate, tells the truth, and is an advocate for people, students, and senior citizens. She said when people watch School Committee meetings, whether they are angry at her votes or not, they know why she votes the way she does, “because it’s the way I believe, the way our schools need to go,” she said. Sullivan said she has a daughter in the Honors program at WHS, and a freshmen son at Westfield Tech choosing a career direction. She said it’s amazing Westfield can do both. She also thanked Duval for his service, and said although she’s not an educator by degree, she is one in practice.
Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 7 Election Day.
