Current SC Chair supports exchange program, a town-wide Long Range School Space Planning Committee.
Bridget Garabedian is currently the Chair of the Tewksbury School Committee. She is running for reelection. There are two seats and three candidates. You can hear from Bridget and the other two candidates on Wednesday night at the Crier & Carnation Candidates Forum.
Tewksbury Carnation: Why do you want to be reelected to the School Committee?
Bridget Garabedian: I would like to continue in my role on the School Committee because I am passionate about the work that we are doing. I love our schools in Tewksbury. I am committed to supporting improvements that will provide the best education for students in town.
TC: Give us a brief bio: Where you grew up, family, interests.
BG: I grew up in Tewksbury, attended our schools and graduated from TMHS. My husband, Mike, and I have three girls; two are at the high school and one is at the Wynn. I have always been passionate about giving back to the community. My entire family is involved in various groups in the town, and I am proud that as a family we all give time to the programs that mean so much to us. I enjoy quilting and attending my girls’ activities.
TC: What is your education?
- I received my Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Husson University in Bangor, Maine
- As an RN I have worked in Emergency Nursing for over 25 years, and through that time I have taken and maintained several additional certifications.
- As a school committee member, I have attended several conferences to better my knowledge of my role. I annually attend the MASC’s (Massachusetts Association of School Committee) conference. I have been the Secretary for our MASC division (1) for two years and was recently elected the Chair. I am now an active member on their Board of Directors.
- I regularly seek out opportunities to expand my practice and learning to do better in my role on the School Committee.
TC: What is your “day job,” and how do your past or current professional experiences prepare you for service on the School Committee?
- I work in a Level 1 trauma Center in Boston, at the same hospital over 20 years.
- I am tasked in the ED with interpersonal challenges that you can not always anticipate. I cannot do my job without collaborating with others, relying on teammates and pivoting when necessary.
- My practice is guided by data driven results.
- I worked for several years as a substitute nurse in the Tewksbury Schools. I often reflect on that experience in my role on the School Committee as it was a good experience to be in the schools, know the staff, and understand the processes.
TC: What do you see as your key accomplishments in your first term?
- I work collaboratively with committee members and stakeholders to advance the committee’s ability to be more effective.
- I have been elected Chair of the Committee for the past two years and Secretary for one.
- In my first year as Chair, I encouraged the initiation of a quarterly financial report to be reviewed in open session, to assure transparency in spending and allocation of resources.
- Completed a successful superintendent search and hired our current Superintendent. I supported her hire of several administrative level staff members, including an Assistant Superintendent and a Director of Literacy to address the need for a more focused attention to literacy programing.
- Successfully participated in collective bargaining with 3 union groups in 2021.
- Championed the Committee to define annual best practice goals and re-evaluate them. We have clearly defined, adopted, and documented ethics and responsibilities for committee members.
- I supported the request of the Committee for the district to bring in a third party outside auditor to assess and advise on information security. I am proud of the review, as it identified both practices that are sound as well as those that needed improvement. Per their review I believe the district is in a better place today than it was three years ago.
- I was active in better understanding the data and information regarding the need for improvements in ELA (reading/writing) curriculum. I voted to approve a robust curriculum for grades K-4 and for the first time to initiate a coordinated pre-K curriculum.
- I supported all of the successful work to open the Center Elementary School, the move of staff and students from 4 schools into one, the closing of two elementary schools and the Committee votes to relinquish the buildings back to the Select Board for oversight.
TC: If reelected, what do you hope to accomplish in the next three years? (feel free to include a link to your website or Facebook page)
- Continue the work of policy review. The Committee should remain diligent in this work, it should be ongoing.
- I personally commit to focusing on the data and evidence that identifies gaps in outcomes for special education students. I am thrilled that our district leadership is looking at an audit of current practices and I will participate in any way to support changes necessary to improve outcomes in this capacity.
- I am eager to support the growing interest in biotech, engineering, dual enrollment, and career-based learning programs at TMHS. I will continue in my support of these programs that are currently in place and continue to support the funding and staffing. I will advocate for the application for grants, and encourage a robust curriculum.
- I’ve asked and supported the district in exploring options for foreign exchange and hosting opportunities for students, this is not yet online.
- I will support district needs as they identify rapid growth of EL students in the district and explore the growing interest in foreign languages at TMHS and at the Wynn Middle School.
- Continue to follow with close attention to enrollment and the administration’s allocation of resources to meet the needs of students, teachers, and staff, including my support of a town-wide Long Range School Space Planning Committee.
My website: www.garabedian4tewksbury.org
Facebook page: bridget garabedian 4 tewksbury school committee
TC: How do you define your budget priorities if tough decisions have to be made?
- I currently ask how all of our budget allocations benefit students.
- If funding can not fully support the budget I will always prioritize district goals, student achievement and social and emotional supports.
- Continue to prioritize the funding of capital improvement projects and not reduce these budgets in that it may have adverse impact long term. Assuring ongoing maintenance and repairs will secure long term use of the school buildings.
TC: Describe an activity, group or committee you’ve been involved with in town and what you accomplished as part of that team.
BG: I successfully co-coordinated a significant fundraising and community engagement effort for the Friends of the Tewksbury Public Library in 2020 to support programming offered at the library. Although our goal to raise money was important, I was most proud of our effort to bring the community together to raise awareness of all the initiatives available to residents. We engaged with stakeholders at all levels. We coordinated the collaborative investment of businesses, community organizations, individuals, and library staff. I believe I earned the trust of longstanding members of the FOTPL who had been leading this committee for several years.
TC: What are your thoughts on how contract negotiations have played out in Tewksbury? Are you in favor of making future negotiations open from the outset, or do you prefer a confidential process?
BG: The Tewksbury School Committee engages in collective bargaining with 7 different employee groups. All of the contracts have the same expiration date. I was a part of the successful agreements in 2021.
My past participation was during a unique time, as the school day was in hybrid. While the district was pivoting as necessary to respond to the changes in state mandates and requirements, we were simultaneously planning for a return to full-time in-person learning.
I’m currently participating on both the Teachers and Aide’s (ESP’s) contract negotiating teams. I am proud of the committed work that the TTA, the district, and the School Committee have all put into making the open negotiations work. It has been a positive experience.
Once the contract is settled, I will advocate for both the TTA and TSC to debrief and reflect on the process, as it has not been a format for past negotiations in Tewksbury. Whenever there is a significant impact to the community, I believe the residents should be informed and have all of the information. In terms of negotiations, there are enough people invested and interested in Tewksbury that holding our negotiations in open session makes sense.
As Chair I supported the meetings being available on TV and on YouTubeTV through Tewksbury Telemedia.
TC: We will need to hire a new assistant superintendent. What expertise would you prioritize?
- Passion for teaching and learning.
- A leader who seeks input from and listens to staff, is responsive to families and shares updates in a consistent and clear way.
- A collaborative team member who looks to bring people together and participate in the work at all levels. To engage regularly with the Special Education leadership on specific needs of all students.
- Someone with a strong ability to utilize data collection, apply analysis, and translate findings into actionable steps, while being mindful of staff impacts.
- Progressive in thinking of how to expand programs currently in practice now.
TC: What are your priorities for our superintendent?
- Maintain a level funded, sustainable budget. We have an ethic to spend carefully and allocate funds to resources that benefit the learning and wellbeing of students. We must carefully anticipate changes in funding sources and prioritize grant opportunities.
- Support and encourage a school culture where ALL have a sense of belonging.
- Lead and inspire her administrative team and all school staff. Create a supportive environment where our professionals can take risks to innovate and improvise to improve student outcomes.
- Communicate with staff and families consistently with information that they want and need from the district in a timely fashion.
- Seek out opportunities to engage and listen to all stakeholders.
- Have short- and long-range visions for the future of the district and be able to regularly pivot as necessary, to recognize when things are working and when they are not.
TC: What would you say to residents to encourage them to vote for you?
- I have and will continue to prioritize the students and focus on outcomes.
- I will continue to challenge the district to prioritize advancing student achievement.
- It remains a top priority for me to assure our money is being utilized responsibly and that spending supports district goals in ways that benefit students and support teaching and learning.
- I will continue to remain committed and engaged, to grow and learn, and always listen to residents while respecting all thoughts, opinions, and concerns.
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