First-time School Committee candidate is training to become a high-school Social Studies teacher
Collin McNaught is running for School Committee. There are two seats and three candidates. You can hear from Collin and the other two candidates on Wednesday night at the Crier & Carnation Candidates Forum.
Tewksbury Carnation: Why do you want to serve on the School Committee?
Collin McNaught: I am a lifelong Tewksbury resident, educated all through Tewksbury Public Schools, and am now completing my graduate work to become a public school teacher, which I have done in a long-term substitute capacity in three local districts the past two years. I am committed to education and to this town, a place I am proud of and a topic I am extremely passionate about, and I feel this combination as well as my work experience would prepare me well to serve on the School Committee.
TC: Give us a brief bio: Where you grew up, family, interests.
CM: I was born and raised right here in Tewksbury, and went to college originally for Political Science at Saint Anselm, before deciding to turn my attention towards education. My family has long been active around town, including my late grandfather Tom McNaught, a long time poll worker and friendly face around the Senior Center. I am a sports fan, especially of motorsports and baseball, and love reading about history and keeping up on current events.
TC: What is your education?
CM: Tewksbury Memorial High School Class of 2018. I have a degree in Politics with a minor in History from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, and am currently completing my graduate education program at Bridgewater State University.
TC: What is your “day job,” and how do your past or current professional experiences prepare you for service on the School Committee?
CM: I am a student teacher of high school Social Studies at Tewksbury Memorial High School, completing my program in May. I have worked previously as a long-term substitute Social Studies teacher for academic quarter-long stints in the Methuen, Chelmsford, and Nashoba Regional school systems. My experiences in four different districts have shown me both the strengths and areas of improvement for Tewksbury Public Schools in everything from curriculum structure to start times, and I intend to use that wealth of knowledge from all these places, including wherever I end up next, to help inform my decisions and thought process on the Committee.
TC: If elected, what do you hope to accomplish in the next three years? What is your platform? (feel free to include a link to your website or Facebook page)
CM: My platform is located at https://sites.google.com/view/mcnaughtforschoolcommittee/on-the-issues?authuser=0 but above all, I believe our most pressing issue in Tewksbury is our declining high school enrollment. Next year we are projected to dip under 700 students total in a school built just ten years ago to accommodate over 1,000. I highly support, as was voted on by the School Committee this week, exploring ways to more efficiently use the currently open space at the high school through formation of another School Space Planning Committee, as the Board did twice in the last number of years. I also support measures to boost our enrollment by keeping more students in-district, whether that be from exploring more state and federal grant opportunities or using our budget to fund new ways to engage our student body both in the classroom and in clubs, sports and academic programs.
TC: How do you define your budget priorities if tough decisions have to be made?
CM: My budget priorities will always be with our students and parents top of mind. As a teacher, I know that if morale in our schools is low among the student body, it negatively affects our workforce, our parents, and the community at large. We must continue to provide high quality services in our schools in everything from life skills to the technology of the future workforce. If tough decisions must be made, I’ll consult my constituents as well as ask myself; “Will this cut benefit our student population and all town stakeholders without compromising our community’s principles?”
TC: Describe an activity, group or committee you’ve been involved with in town and what you accomplished as part of that team.
CM: I have served the previous three years on the Tewksbury Cultural Council, an arm of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which in recent years has become a large benefactor of programs in our public schools, from Arbor Day tree-planting celebrations in our elementary schools, to the TMHS Drama Club and, most recently, the revival of the Wynn Middle School’s drama program. I have never missed a meeting of the council and have helped make tough budget decisions regarding which programs we should or should not fund on a limited budget, where total requests frequently go well over our allotted budget.
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?
CM: I am strongly in favor of making these negotiations public from the outset. No decisions impacting our town’s parents or children should be made behind closed doors, and this new process has given me a fresh perspective on how these negotiations work and the line items most at dispute between both sides.
TC: We will need to hire a new assistant superintendent. What expertise would you prioritize?
CM: I would prioritize experience in a variety of different districts and settings, to ensure that any new administrator has experience working with diverse student populations and can work with academic department leaders to craft reflective, engaging curricula that exemplifies the values of dedication, leadership and community that we have long valued here in Tewksbury. When a candidate recommendation is put forward by the Superintendent, I will consider them with their qualifications and these stated priorities in mind.
TC: What are your priorities for our superintendent?
CM: I view the declining high school enrollment as a priority that I would like to work on with the administrative team, as well as ways to meet our District Improvement Plan through the Student Opportunity Act. Right now, rates of chronic absenteeism among students with disabilities is above the state average, and we need well funded and prompt student support teams in place to close those gaps, as well as to tackle problems of social-emotional-behavioral health that may manifest in students. I want us to also work on the aforementioned Long-Term School Space Planning Committee to adequately use the spaces and resources we have at our reach now.
TC: What would you like to say to residents to encourage them to vote for you?
CM: I am a lifelong Tewksbury resident who has nothing but pride in this town and am invested in its institutions. I am already involved in this community through my service on the Cultural Council as well as my current tenure at TMHS. When given the option of anywhere I could have interned for this practicum, I chose right here at home because it is the place I’ll always feel most comfortable. I want to ensure every student who comes through this district feels the same way, that their parents feel that from their teachers, and that the teachers and School Committee together can take pride in being the best this town can be.
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