Nine candidates face off for three Bristol school board seats

By Christy Nadalin
Posted 10/12/18

Bristol residents have a lot of School Committee candidates to consider this Nov. 6 — nine, to be exact. Here are snapshots of each of them, why they are running, and what they hope to …

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Nine candidates face off for three Bristol school board seats

Posted

Bristol residents have a lot of School Committee candidates to consider this Nov. 6 — nine, to be exact. Here are snapshots of each of them, why they are running, and what they hope to achieve.

Paul Silva

“I believe in public education.”

“Over my years on the School Committee, I have watched this school district go from one that was struggling to get respect, not only from the residents here but also from educators throughout the state, to where it is today,” said incumbent Mr. Sousa. “This school system was noted as one of the main reasons that the Town of Bristol was listed as one of the best places in the country to raise a family.” 

While noting that there is always room for improvement, Mr. Silva cites the district’s graduation rate, matriculation, and the number and variety of available internships as bright spots. He also notes that the district’s facilities and maintenance are viewed by the state Department of Education as the model that other school communities should replicate.

“I am seeking re-election so that I can continue to be a part of these innovative changes and help this community to achieve even more.”

Bill O’Dell

“Our proud accomplishments have taken time and teamwork.”

Incumbent Bill O’Dell has helped oversee the hiring of four superintendents, the rehabilitation of much of the district’s infrastructure, and the transformation of the “swamp” behind the high school into a top-notch athletic facility. He sees his long tenure as an asset. 

“I am running again because the committee needs members who are well grounded in, and understand the true function of committee work,” said Mr. O’Dell. “Progress can be hindered and more harm done when a school committee fails to maintain a proper decision making process.”

His priorities, if elected for another term, will be to continue tracking the increasing role of technology: how much the department is spending, and how it is impacting the classroom both educationally and socially. He also wants to see the “flexible classroom” initiative maintained, despite the budget cuts that have forced its scaling back.

“A conversation regarding the expansion of the trades and home skills would be appropriate,” he said. “Finally, we need to more effectively integrate relationships between the School Committee, parent groups, the business community and the community at large.”

Diana Campbell

“I believe strongly that every child deserves to have the best quality education we can give them.”

A member of the Bristol Warren Regional School Committee for 12 years, incumbent Diana Campbell is proud to have been a part of the transformation of the district from one with a graduation rate of 79 percent to today’s graduation rate of 92 percent.

“As one of nine school committee members, I have been able to use my leadership skills and educational background to enact policies and to set goals that introduce more academic rigor into the curriculum, promote more educational opportunities and support for at-risk students, and make our children safer,” she said. “By raising expectations, demanding more from our children and staff, I believe we have created an environment where all students are being prepared for the demands that are expected of them at the end of their academic years in Bristol.”

If re-elected, Ms. Campbell intends to continue to steer the schools toward greater academic excellence, especially in the area of STEM and technology; to be an advocate for parents; to keep open the lines of communication between the School Committee and the community; and to encourage parental involvement in the policies that affect students.

Rob Hancock

“We need leadership that can take our schools to the next level.”

“I am running because I want to see our schools reach their full potential and ensure that they are providing an outstanding education for every student,” said candidate Rob Hancock. A parent of a third-grader and first-grader at Rockwell Elementary, Mr. Hancock has worked in education for over 15 years, building partnerships between public schools and non-profit organizations to provide hands-on learning opportunities to students.

“As a parent with kids in the district, I know we have talented educators in the classroom. As a parent volunteer at my children’s school, I know that we have engaged families who are committed to students’ success. And as an involved community member, I know that, in Bristol, our residents value public education.”

Mr. Hancock prioritizes making the district more transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs of families and educators. He would like to see more hands-on learning opportunities, increased offerings of arts and languages, and increased career and technical education. “We need to aim high and raise the rigor of our curriculum, so that we prepare students for the careers and challenges of the 21st century and instill in them a love of learning that will enrich their lives now and in the future.”

Carly Reich

“I feel that our community deserves schools that are supportive, empowering and inclusive.”

“I believe we must provide our educators and students with more social-emotional support so that they are equipped to be successful in school and beyond,” said candidate Ms. Reich. “I would like to see our community more engaged with what is happening in our classrooms, so that they feel confident in supporting our goals and funding requests.” Asserting that strong public schools are the backbone of any successful community, Ms. Reich believes that Bristol needs school committee members who communicate clearly with families and the community. She also wants to prioritize addressing the current “lunch shaming” practice and provide children with the same lunches as their peers even if their account is overdrawn.

As she meets people to talk about their concerns, she is hearing parents clamoring for a vacation schedule that looks like that of the rest of the state, so that educators who work outside of the district can have time off with their families. “We must strive to meet the needs or all of our students while making them feel like they are a valuable part of our neighborhood,” she said.

Sheila Ellsworth

“We need to find a balance between our children’s educational success and spending taxpayers’ money responsibly.”

Candidate Sheila Ellsworth became interested in running for school committee after seeing an opportunity to apply her 23 years of experience in financial management to an issue that affects her very closely. With two children at Colt Andrews Elementary School, this active member of the parents group was surprised to see a lack of transparency when it came to budget issues. Until the very recent changing of the guard in the district finance office, she found her efforts to obtain information on the district’s financials repeatedly rebuffed.

“If elected, my goals are to make the budget process more transparent by holding meetings with taxpayers to ensure everyone fully understands what is in the budget request,” she said. “Once the budgets are funded, I will facilitate a monthly financial dashboard to show how we are performing against the funding the district has received.” She advocates working closely with teachers to find out what programs and technologies are working and more importantly, not working in classrooms so as to reduce wasteful spending.

“We need to start listening to the teachers, students, parents and taxpayers of this amazing community so we can move toward a higher level of educational success while maintaining fiscal responsibility.”

Andrew Benn

“We need more career pathways for our students.”

After spending the first 10 years of his career in finance, Andrew Benn was ready for a change, and found that he really enjoyed teaching. For the past two decades, he’s done just that, building a career that has spanned from the history classroom to special education to administration. He’s currently a history and special education teacher at the Providence Career & Technical Academy. He feels Bristol Warren schools are good — but they could be better.

“There’s a valley between Portsmouth and Barrington that shouldn’t be there,” he said, referring to the fact that the Bristol Warren district is flanked by two of the highest-performing districts in the state. “I’ve been an administrator, at the forefront of reform initiatives; I understand Rhode Island Department of Education regulations, and I understand what’s needed,” he said. Mr. Benn feels the district needs to provide more career pathways and programs that will help all students have successful long-term outcomes.

“I have experience launching federally funded career and technical programs for students,” he said. “I have the knowledge and ability to help, so I would like to work to make it better.”

Victor Cabral

“Every student in our district is entitled to a quality education.”

“I have six reasons for running,” says candidate Victor Cabral. He’s referring to his granddaughters, who range in age from 2 to 17, all of whom are either district students now, or will be in the near future. “I support public education and I always have,” said Mr. Cabral, a graduate of Colt Memorial High School who subsequently went on to wear many hats at Bristol High School, including math teacher, student advisor, and assistant principal.

Though he is pleased with many aspects of the district’s performance, most notably Colt Andrews’ recent national honor, he nonetheless sees a need for change in a few key areas. Bullying is a particular concern, and he notes that the hearsay around town suggests that it remains an ongoing problem, particularly at the middle school. He also feels that the current schedule is problematic, with an early start that often coincides with some of the worst heat of the summer. “I’m just one vote,” he said. “But I would encourage everyone to get involved, and be heard.”

Patrick Usher

“We can do a better job with special education.”

Candidate Patrick Usher is concerned that the district looks “good on paper,” but his conversations with others in the community reveal another truth: that students who would benefit from vocational opportunities and students who need Individual Education Plans (IEP) are getting the short end of the stick.

A lifelong local farmer, Mr. Usher has hired many young recent graduates over the years who have felt ill-prepared for the working world. “The kids who aren’t college-bound are pushed to the side,” he said. He feels the lack of vocational readiness is the first issue he would like to see addressed if elected, with the bullying issue a close second — like Mr. Cabral, he has heard much anecdotal evidence of rampant bullying in the schools. Another issue that he would like to confront is alleged excessive delays in approval of IEP and federal 504 plans for students.

“The district shoots them down, the parents are forced to fight, and by the time it is all straightened out, the special education student has lost half the year,” he said. “We are doing an injustice to these kids.”

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