Candidate Statements: School Committee

Laura Gardner

I am a 20 year educator, a parent of two school aged children, and a proud member of the Fairhaven community. I currently serve on the Sustainability Committee and have previously served on the Fairhaven Cultural Council. 

I am running for school committee because I feel strongly that all kids in Fairhaven deserve an excellent education at every grade level..

The backbone of an excellent education is literacy. As a nationally-recognized school librarian, I am uniquely qualified to help guide the district in cultivating world-class readers. Many of you may remember me from when I was the children’s librarian at the Millicent Library. Those of you who saw me kiss a goat at the summer reading celebration know I will do anything to promote literacy! 

For the last 14 years, I have been a school librarian at Dartmouth Middle School. In this role, I have had the privilege of helping students to find books they love, guiding them through the research process, and teaching them to be discerning consumers of information. I firmly believe that literacy and a love of reading are the foundation for a successful future. I will ensure that our teachers get necessary funding for classroom libraries and that all Fairhaven students have access to a wide variety of books. I will advocate for having librarians in all of our schools. Our students deserve the best literacy education possible. We can make this happen by providing our schools and teachers with the resources they need.

I am also committed to advocating for increased civic engagement and service learning in Fairhaven Public Schools. I believe in the importance of creating a safe, supportive, and joyful school environment and believe that students’ mental health improves when they find greater meaning and purpose in their studies. I am committed to helping bolster programs in the district that give students voice, choice, a chance to grapple with problems that they see in the world, and the opportunity to advocate for change on the local level. I am a big proponent of the new civics projects required by Massachusetts in 8th grade and high school and get excited about the potential for these projects in terms of both student learning and student engagement.

Finally, I am deeply committed to supporting students with disabilities. As a parent of a student with a disability, I have first hand knowledge of how difficult it can be to get appropriate and needed services. If elected, I promise to represent all students and parents in the district and keep the needs of students with disabilities in mind at all times.

Fairhaven is a wonderful place to live and I’m proud to call it home. I would be honored to serve on the School Committee and contribute to the town’s future success. 

Laura Gardner, Candidate for School Committee 

 

Brian Monroe

My name is Brian Monroe, and I am running for reelection to the Fairhaven School Committee. Fairhaven has been my home for 24 years, and I am proud of my family’s tradition of service. My father-in-law, Joseph Ste. Marie, was a long-time call firefighter. My wife, Keri, is the nurse at East Fairhaven School. I am an engineer for the US Navy and have served on the school committee for 12 years. I have coached for both FAYA and Southcoast Girls Softball. You will also see me and Anthony Ramous announcing/playing music at most FHS home games. 

Keri and I have three children that have graduated or will graduate from FHS. Gabriel (2021) is a sophomore at Clemson University on an Army ROTC scholarship. Adin will graduate from FHS this year and attend the US Naval Academy. Elaine is a freshman at FHS. 

Everyone knows the past three years have been some of the most difficult of our lives. You may disagree with the decisions made, but I hope you see they were made to keep our school community safe. We weathered the storm, and the worst is behind us. 

In the past 12 years, I have personally been involved in many accomplishments. Some of these include: 

• Opened the state-of-the-art Leroy Wood Elementary School in 2013.

• Involved in every facet of the FHS Alumni Stadium Project.

• Made FHS a one-to-one school. Every student has a Chromebook device.

• Created a K-2 literacy program to improve reading and comprehension skills.

• Created a Family Engagement Center to provide social support for our community.

• Created a Unified Sports program. FHS was named a Special Olympics Unified Champion School.

• Set our District on a course to becoming the first in Massachusetts to receive District Accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)

• Enhanced before/after school programming by bringing in Champions.

• Created an innovation pathway to start teaching STEM skills at the elementary level.

• Continued maintenance/restoration of FHS as the crown jewel of our town.

• Solar Energy projects at both elementary schools.

• Created a robust social/emotional system to support the mental health of our students. It is vital in the aftermath of the pandemic.

• FHS has been consistently highly ranked in US News and World Report rankings.

Our school district is a positive asset. One only needs to look at the value of their home to see that Fairhaven is a highly sought-after community. One of the top reasons is our schools. 

Continuity of leadership at all levels has made our school district successful. This is why it was an easy decision to hire Tara Kohler as our new Superintendent after the departure of Dr. Baldwin. 

Many have agreed or disagreed with my decisions. Yet, I hope you see that I serve our town with respect, honor, and dignity. I have never lied to you and have been direct. Everything I do is with the needs of our students, faculty/staff, and district leadership in mind. 

Please give me the honor to continue to serve by voting for me, Brian Monroe, on Monday, April 3rd. 

Stephanie Pickup

As a mother of four fantastic children, business professional, and dedicated community volun­teer, I, Stephanie Pickup, will do my best to earn your vote for Fairhaven School Committee on April 3, 2023. 

Over the past few weeks I have met, and will continue to meet, with parents, teachers, paraprofessionals, and community members. I’m com­mitted to understanding their concerns, ideas, and vision for our schools. In our shared desire to give Fairhaven children the tools needed to thrive in an ever-changing world, my campaign platform is inspired by the very people I seek to serve. Here is a brief summary of the issues most important to them and the ideas I will champion: 

1. Opportunities for student success individually and as a school district 

★ Gifted students program 

★ Inclusive special needs programs from pre-K to post-graduation 

★ Trades program 

★ Strengthen and encourage extracurricular opportu­ni­ties, such as athletics, art, music, and community service. 

2. Recruitment and retention of top talent teachers within the district. 

★ Equip teachers with the resources and support they need to do their jobs every day 

★ More frequent professional development, including integration of peer facilitated professional develop­ment to share best practices and creative ideas for successful classroom management 

★ Encourage positive parent support of teachers and faculty 

★ Implement continuous improvement by evaluating attrition of teachers and administrative processes and positions. 

★ Competitive pay for paraprofessionals, teachers, and school leadership. 

3. Enhance and promote Trade Education 

★ Collaborate with local trade companies, nonprofits, and organizations to develop enrichment programs during or after school 

★ Bridge connections to local businesses through trade-based co-op programs. 

4. Promote a culture of kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. 

★ Be respectful of each other. 

★ Teach students how to think, not what to think, by demonstrating critical thinking skills, tolerance of opposing viewpoints, civil debate, and open mindedness. 

If given the opportunity, I would be committed to transparent, collaborative, and receptive leadership as your elected representative. I invite parents, students, teachers, and community members to share their concerns and ideas with me at VoteStephPickup@ gmail.com and hope to earn your vote on April 3, 2023. 

Brendalee Smith

My name is Brendalee Smith and I am running for a seat on the Fairhaven School Committee. I currently serve as a Town Meeting Member and as a member of the Fairhaven Charter Commission. 

I believe our children deserve an educational experience that develops the leader within them and discovers their individual passion. My hope is to work to promote the greatest parental, student, and faculty communication methods to enable a seamless learning proficiency. I am also running because I believe we must continue to examine the impact of the pandemic on our students and faculty while providing support for all elements of education.

I am a lifelong Education Consultant and Business Owner. My passion and dedication is to enhance a student’s academic experience through comprehensive education initiatives. I developed and guided the RIGHT START PROGRAM, an educational solution that educates students, via interactive videos and practice scenarios, to confidently exercise the appropriate response for in-person and online communications. The program teaches students how to make decisions based on solid facts, rather than on feelings and peer pressure.

As the Coordinator of Multidisciplinary Teams, I co-led personnel from all departments of law enforcement and agency-team support to provide victims of crime with restorative care and prevention. A quote from one of my colleagues… “Brendalee handled this position with great efficiency, organization and professionalism.” The most rewarding aspect of this work was bringing teams together to provide our students with opportunities to reach their highest potential.

As the Director of Admissions at a private school, I assisted in obtaining accreditation and established an active Parent-Student-Teacher Organization. I also led student service teams to Belize to work in local schools. During a trip to Belize, I was invited to be the commence­ment speaker at the high school graduation ceremony. It was an honor to hand the students their diplomas and remind them that you only need one person to believe in you, and that is yourself. 

Currently, I am the Director of Community Development for a New Bedford-based non-profit organization. My role is to assist individuals on the verge of becoming homeless with housing and strength-based programs. I have the humbling privilege of leading an outstanding team that has a passion to eradicate homelessness. I believe together we will, one person at a time. 

In addition, I serve on the board of Rebuilding Lives, a non-profit organization that offers shelter, food distribu­tion, and wellness education to students and families.

The best part of my life are my four incredible children and three beautiful grandchildren, who reside around the United States. They are genuine adventurers and pioneers. I am overjoyed that they have all taken courageous efforts to becoming their best selves. 

Living in Fairhaven has been an incredible experience and I have all of you to thank for that! Our community is filled with generations of extraordinary people who work hard, are self-reliant and are devoted to their family and friends. I cannot think of a more rewarding opportunity than to replicate these values as a member of our school committee.

I respectfully ask for your vote on Monday, April 3rd.

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