Pregnancy and Pandemic: 2020 Lends Vision For BOE Chairwoman

TOLLAND, CT — As if the year 2020 wasn't unique enough for any chairwoman of a Connecticut town's board of education, let's just add a pregnancy to the mix. Yes, it's been quite a year for Ashley Lundgren, the head of Tolland's school board.

She says she's taking it all in stride ... OK with some sitting when she might feel a little tired.

"I'm doing well," Lundgren said in a recent interview. "I tell people, 'Don't forget I come from family of three,' so why not have a third myself? You just don't know what happens in life and it's always nice to have extra people in your life."

It was a spring like no other for Lundgren and education officials across the state when the coronavirus pandemic prompted school buildings to close. Then came an intense summer of planning culminating with the start of school under a hybrid model Tuesday. Her son, Andrew, began his high school career and daughter, Chloe, started fourth grade. It went well, Lundgren said, save for a technical issue with some Grade 4 virtual assignments.

"It's definitely great to be back to school," she said. "I think this hybrid system is going to take time to get used tom but we're back."

Lundgren said all should feel more settled when another girl comes into the family. Her due date happens to be Dec. 7 — Pearl Harbor Day.

Lundgren even joked that she's no stranger to Zoom meetings, which seem to be the platform of choice for online class access. As an academic verification manager, she already deals with plenty of virtual meetings involving education.

"I've been lucky in that respect," Lundgren said. "I do appreciate the Zoom meetings."

Lundgren said, when venturing out, she's been well ahead of the curve when it comes to personal protective gear and the hand washing and that hand sanitizer stuff.

"Yes I went out to vote in the primary in person," she said, citing an example. "I didn't need any ballot box. It's the normal safety protocol and, of course, I don't plan on hanging out with anyone who has Covid. I'm going out when I need to."

Having her third child makes a pregnancy a bit nostalgic, Lundgren said. But it's also been a bit different.

"First of all it's in God's hands and I just want healthy baby," she said. "It's been harder on my husband (Steve)."

He has been shut of out from some appointments during the pregnancy because of virus protocol.

"He had to sit in on an anatomy scan on Facebook," Lundgren said. "It was weird because he was in the parking lot. I don't blame the office, but it's still an exciting thing and he was not in the room. He's been very supportive.

"The school planning has been stressful. I've never had an issue with high blood pressure until now and that's been one concern."

When it comes to the big picture, Lundgren said she can get very sentimental.

"When I look back. I don't know what I'm going to think (about 2020)," she said. "Right now — honestly —I think this gives you a little bit of hope. Things will work out in the end. I think being born in this particular time — when the world has kind of gone to crap — does add something different. It really does give you hope."