Find the responses from Somerville School Committee Ward 3 candidates here, or directly below Ward 2.
The Daily is interviewing candidates for the Somerville School Committee before the municipal election on Nov. 4. All interviews are edited for length and clarity.
WARD 2
Tufts Daily (TD): What do you think sets you apart from the other candidate in this race, and why should Somerville voters choose you?
Liz Eldridge (LE): You can’t manufacture the lived experience that I bring to the table. I have two children at home that are amazing, but they have struggled to learn to read and write through our time in Somerville public schools. They’ve been diagnosed with dyslexia, which is the most common learning disability in the city, state and country. About one out of five students has dyslexia and these students are brilliant, but they need to be taught how to read and write differently. We fought very hard to get our children’s needs met and it’s been an uphill battle. What led me to [the Special Education Parent Advisory Council] and becoming chair is that there are so many families struggling to get their student needs met and it was heartbreaking. We needed a community to come together and to work towards changing that.
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Because we struggled navigating the public school system, we really know where the pain points are and the areas that need improvement … When you’re talking about Somerville, we all are pretty aligned when it comes to a lot of other issues. We’re all Democrats across the board and I think we’re all pretty progressive in our thoughts so there’s not a big differentiation there, but the reality is, the lived experience of what it’s like to struggle through our school system — you can’t manufacture it. You can’t begin to understand unless you’ve raised children that have been struggling.
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We shouldn’t have to fight to learn to read. Education is a civil right and every child is entitled to it. There shouldn’t be an uphill battle and until you’ve had to climb that hill, I really don't think you can understand the disservice we’re doing to students here.”
Ilana Krepchin (IK) — incumbent: Experience, I think, is the main thing. I’ve been doing this job now for six years, and in that time, I’ve learned a lot in terms of how we do our budget, in terms of how we manage the supervising of the superintendent, in terms of how we pass policies.
TD: How do you plan to prioritize making the school environment more inclusive in terms of support for minority, LGBTQ+ and special education students?
LE: We need a more proactive and preventative model. Right now, we’re waiting far too long for children to be identified as struggling and to provide services. We have a new dyslexia initiative that came out this past March and in [it], I was really concerned to read that we’re not stepping in to offer help until children need intensive support. There’s a big difference between just falling behind and needing a bit of help, and needing intensive support. Intensive support is months, if not years, of struggle … When you get to that point, there tends to be dysregulation in the classroom. It affects the entire climate of the classroom, it affects the teacher’s experience teaching.
When you have children dysregulated in the classroom, it’s usually because their needs aren’t met. It’s really hard for any of your classmates to learn when there’s dysregulated students in the class. It’s interesting because special education, in particular, is this hyper intersection of all those areas. Children that are in special education come from all different backgrounds and they have all different needs — their socioeconomic status, their race and their gender identity. All these things intersect when it comes to special education. It’s this one area where we could do a lot of real good for different students and student groups.
I realize that there are changes coming down from the federal level, but if we prioritize ensuring all of our kids have foundational skills to read, write and do math as a community, I think that regardless of what changes are made on the federal level, as long as we’re committed to doing that, then we will get it done. We might have to be creative, we might have to come up with different solutions, but we wouldn’t be the first district that’s had to do that. There are other districts that have had wild success with peer mentorship models and other ways to support our struggling learners. I might have the background of startup mentality here. I spent many years working in different startups and you really have to be creative. The end goal doesn’t change. We need to service all these students, legally. An [Individualized Education Program], in particular, is a legal agreement between the district and a parent, it’s a contract, so that has to be upheld and it’s not happening right now
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This is Somerville. We are a progressive city here. We are trailblazers. There’s absolutely no reason why more than half of Somerville students struggling should be where we’re at. It blows my mind here. This is a place that values diversity and inclusion, differences and all backgrounds.
IK: I think the bottom line is supporting teachers in doing this work, since they are the ones who are actually in the schools doing the work. That means working directly with our teachers’ union to have professional development, so that teachers are supported in this work and know that it is what is expected of them from the School Committee and the district. It comes down to resources and getting the teachers those kinds of professional development experiences so that they can do that. It means working with the union to find out what else we can be doing to support teachers in that endeavor.
The School Committee has passed numerous resolutions talking about our commitment to our LGBTQ+ community. That also means working with the superintendent and his staff to make sure that these ideals that come from the top are actually what is happening on the ground in our schools. I think it also means hearing from students, especially at the high school level, but even younger students, about what else we could be doing to support them, since they are the ones who are actually experiencing this on the ground. We have a number of mechanisms. We have student representatives on the School Committee, but I’m always happy to entertain other ideas and ways we could be engaging with students to make sure we’re hearing their feedback.
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We have increased our special education budget year over year. We still have a relatively new special education director, so I’m working with him to figure out how we improve things on the ground, but we did in our most recent teacher contract — which we ratified at the end of last year — talk about how to have a truly inclusive special education model in Somerville and what that would look like.
TD: What are your goals and priorities for student learning, including project-based and hands-on learning, the balance between structure and teacher creativity and access to after-school programming?
LE: I strongly believe, with my whole heart and whole being, that when we support our most vulnerable students, we support every child. When our most vulnerable students are doing well at school, every child is inherently doing better, because … that means the system is up and running and working well. And our [general education] students can also benefit from that. We need to see a stronger, multi-tier system of support.
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We need people that understand this system well and [know] how to support our students, especially when [the federal administration is] targeting some of our most vulnerable students, like special education students. People with autism are being targeted right now. We need to be cognizant of that and we need to lift up the voices of our most vulnerable students and their allies and put them at the front of the table so that we can make choices that work best for [them] and then, ultimately, support all students.
IK: Out-of-school time is a tough nut to crack, for sure. We have certainly expanded it in my time on the School Committee. I would love to expand it more, but that’s going to require more resources from the city in order to do that. Certainly, it is a priority of mine to continue to advocate with the city.
I am a huge fan of project-based learning, and look forward to working with our teachers’ union to figure out how the School Committee can support them in having more project-based learning in the classroom. I know overall it can be difficult because there is so much that is regulated by [the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System] and state requirements that it can be hard for teachers to be creative with those kinds of things, but anywhere and anytime that teachers can be, I would love to support them in doing. It’s definitely a personal priority that we have more project-based learning in schools because I think kids learn better when it’s hands-on.
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I also have dreams of having more foreign language options at a younger age, which, again, can be difficult because of resources and also [finding] the time in the day, because there are so many state requirements, but it is definitely a priority of mine and something I often hear from constituents.
WARD 3
Tufts Daily (TD): What do you think sets you apart from the other candidate in this race, and why should Somerville voters choose you?
Jessie Ratey (JR): I have worked in education spaces for a long time, and in social justice as well. My work has been mostly in education philanthropy, with a focus on both early education, closing K-12 opportunity gaps and also, to some degree, adult education as well. The work that the School Committee does really parallels my professional work. Over many years I’ve worked to convene boards of directors around their mission and funding priorities, identifying programs relevant to their mission and then working on implementation [and] evaluation. … Because I’m working with groups of people around decision-making, part of the challenge is in really thinking through building consensus and support for making these decisions and aligning goals. I feel like this is all experience that is going to be so relevant to what the School Committee has to do — and what I would bring to this role. I am such a strong believer in public schools as a pillar of our society.
Michele Lippens (ML): I’ve been a public school teacher for 20 years, which means I’m also a union member and a Somerville public school parent. I have three kids: an elementary [schooler, a] middle [schooler] and a freshman at the high school. So I’m running for School Committee because I care deeply about public education, and I want to make sure that all students — especially those who learn differently — are seen, supported and set up to succeed. Two of my own kids are actually neurodiverse, so I know firsthand the joys and challenges that come with parenting children who do need that extra support, and the persistence it takes to navigate a complex school system. Professionally, I spent 15 years as a special education teacher before stepping into my current role as an instructional math leader.
What’s also different about me is I have always believed that educators’ voices belong at the decision-making table, and if elected, I would be the only current public school teacher [who] has taught in Massachusetts on a committee of seven. … I’m just ready to bring that knowledge, empathy and leadership to the School Committee. I’m also probably one of the most passionate people you’ll ever meet when it comes to public education. I’m here to help.
TD: How do you plan to prioritize making the school environment more inclusive — in terms of support for minority, LGBTQ+ and special education students?
JR: I think these are incredibly important groups of students to be supporting and thinking about right now, especially in this difficult political environment where some of our most vulnerable populations feel under threat daily. I will work really diligently on the School Committee to make sure that we have the policies and structures in place in our schools to provide support for these students. So it’s about both the policymaking, [and] ensuring that educators as well feel like they have the support they need to create welcoming learning environments.
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As far as special education needs within our district, there have been some real gaps brought to light in kids not being connected with the services they need and … the special educators who are [best able] to help them succeed, and that will be something I definitely prioritize.
ML: I feel really strongly that we should be creating schools where every student — regardless of their gender identity, sexual orientation, neurodiversity, disability or ability — should feel seen. … I’m committed to learning more through direct engagement. Our district has partnered with the Somerville Recreation Department to offer spaces for youth, including their teen center. I’m really a firm believer in the Gender-Sexuality Alliance clubs, and I would love to bring [these] down to our younger grades, if possible. I’ve talked to many parents [who are] looking to the school to partner with them, because oftentimes … navigating it alone can be really isolating.
In terms of special education, I’m a longtime special educator. I’ve done inclusion, and I know when it’s done well. The Somerville Educators Union is actually piloting an inclusion program in the schools that need it the most. As someone who’s [worked in] inclusion, [this program] really has the ability to close achievement gaps and make a difference for our most vulnerable youth. … I [also] know the importance of a strong Multi-Tiered System of Support, [which is] a way of responding to students’ needs before they are referred to special education.
The bottom line is, we need to fully fund our schools, because if we want inclusion to work, we need more special educators, [more] wraparound supports, [more] counselors — we need to make sure we’re supporting our kids’ social-emotional needs as well. This is critically important because if kids are showing up and they’re not in a place to learn, even the best curriculum can’t address that need.
TD: What are your goals and priorities for student learning — including project-based and hands-on learning, the balance between structure and teacher creativity and access to after-school programming?
JR: My priorities for student learning are actually a key part of my platform, which is really thinking through the blend of challenge and support that kids experience in classrooms. So, knowing that some students need additional supports to feel like they are ready for the material, [while others may] need more advanced or faster-paced learning. … In terms of project-based experiential learning, I feel like this is an essential piece of the educational experience. I know that whether it’s in school or out of school time, finding ways to connect kids to real applied learning is super important to bring it alive for them. I will look for ways to increase those opportunities for all kids at all ages.
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I heard some parents ask a lot about before-school programming, after-school [and] summer programming, things like that. I think there’s a lot of need to provide additional learning opportunities outside of school for kids.
ML: I believe that building positive school cultures [and] nurturing social-emotional learning are really essential to achieving equity. So this, for me, means fostering inclusive learning environments, addressing implicit bias and making sure that every student feels safe, connected and valued at school. I want to advocate for policies that support restorative justice practices and promote collective well-being. … I want to prioritize student mental health and really push for increased staffing of special education teachers, social workers and counselors to meet the needs of every school community. In terms of inclusion and access for all, every student comes to school with their own experiences, strengths and needs. So I want to make sure that educators have the academic freedom to meet those needs.
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Building clear pathways to meaningful careers after graduation is something I think the high school is excelling at, and I want to definitely support the work that is already happening in Somerville in terms of project-based learning. I do feel there’s so much emphasis on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System [for] accountability, but this just tells us what we already know — that there’s disparities that exist — and we need to address them. … I love the idea of project-based learning. I’ve done some of that work myself, and I’m looking to learn more and really engage the Somerville Educators Union in that work.
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My third priority is about family engagement and community partnerships. … It’s not just our families [who] care deeply about our community — there are so many members who want to help, and I want to capture that. Educators need support to build the skills and mindset on how to partner effectively with families. Strong relationships help students feel loved and connected, so I want to advocate for more equitable after-school activities and also work to build a school culture that values and empowers what our families bring to the table. We have amazing families who have the time and resources to volunteer at our schools, [but] we also have some deep inequities in our schools that prevent some families from engaging with our public schools … I want to make sure I push for policies that strengthen those out-of-school-time programs that promote equity, inclusion and belonging.
