Candidate Profile: Jo Thorlin For Andover School Committee

ANDOVER, MA — Andover will have two contested races in the March 22 municipal election, including a five-candidate open race for two seats on the School Committee.

Neither incumbent — Paul Murphy and Shannon Scully — is running for re-election.

Andover Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles over the coming weeks.

Jo Thorlin is one of the five candidates running for the School Committee seat, facing Sandis Wright, Emily DiCesaro, Erin Cash and Shishan Wang.

Thorlin is a teacher of moderate special needs students and is running for her first elected office.

Are you running for office in Andover? Contact Christopher Huffaker at chris.huffaker@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate profile and submitting campaign announcements to Andover Patch.

Previously on Patch: 11 Candidates File For Andover's 2022 Election

Jo Thorlin

Age (as of Election Day)

69

Position sought

School Committee Member

Party Affiliation

Independent

Family

Two sons ages 35 & 37

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Masters in Education University of Massachusetts, Lowell, Reading Specialist and Special Education Licenses
Graduate Studies at University of Michigan, Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures
B.A. English Major, Russian Minor

Occupation

Teacher of Moderate Special Needs (21 years)

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

Campaign website

JoForAndover.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

Education is my professional field and I find that now more than ever we need to step up the supports for families, teachers and students in our schools. It has not been easy to be an educator these past three years, yet I feel that all of the difficulties have brought to light the needs for more energy and resources to address student needs. This means at all levels of education: students with disabilities, students with setbacks in reading and math due to the time spent away from school, students who are talented in specific areas, and students who need additional adult support in their classrooms for other educational needs.

We need to keep schools open because our schools are the place where all young people are equal and they are provided with the tools they need to succeed in their future choices. When the schools closed for over two weeks right at the beginning of the pandemic, I began to call the governor's office, thinking about how it was going for my students at home, hoping we could get the schools open again quickly.

I am seeking elective office as a member of the Andover School Committee because I'm committed to keeping our schools upbeat, rigorous, caring, and running as smoothly as possible with our students in class and actively participating.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Educating our students in a way that meets their individual needs and ambitions, and I intend to support our families and schools by providing more adult support (instructional assistants, reading and math coaches, sports coaches, creative coaches, etc.). I would also like to see more interface between the Andover Public Schools, Phillips Academy, and the vocational schools to make our community stronger through diverse connections.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I have real life actual teaching experience and I have seen first hand what all kinds of families, students, and educators need and can accomplish together.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

I look forward to working with current board members and new members to make improvements in relating to the community.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I want families to feel like they're involved in the schools. I'd like to see parents back in the schools as room parents and as supportive helpers in the classrooms. I want more interface with the vocational schools and Phillips Academy to strengthen our public schools. I would like to see more support for our schools' instructional assistants, coaches, tutors, and other personnel who are so important to our schools. I want the current mask mandate to be changed to a policy of personal preference for wearing masks.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have been teaching for over twenty years in Massachusetts Public Schools. I have been a moderate special needs teacher in Middleton, Boxford, and North Reading. I have a Masters Degree in Education with certifications as a Reading Specialist; Moderate Special Needs Teacher, and Elementary Education Teacher. I have certification in the Wilson Reading Program which I use extensively in my teaching. Both of my children went to Andover Public Schools and I am thankful for the excellent level of education they received from their Andover teachers. I worked in the office of the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at Harvard University for five years.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

"If you're brave enough there are no precedents." F. Scott Fitzgerald

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.