Candidate Profile: Andy Milne, Medford School Committee

MEDFORD, MA — Andy Milne is one of 14 candidates running for School Committee in the Sept. 14 preliminary election, which will whittle down the field of candidates ahead of the municipal election in November. There will also be a preliminary election for the mayor's race.

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

Milne has been a teacher for 31 years, primarily at Medford High School.

Are you running for office in Medford? Contact Alex Newman at alex.newman@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate profile and submitting campaign announcements to Medford Patch.

Age (as of Election Day)

58

Position Sought

School Committee

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

Blythe Davis - spouse

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

no

Education

Master's Tufts University. BA - Hampshire College

Occupation

High School Teacher 31 years teaching

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

none

Campaign website

milneformedford.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

After a 31 year teaching career primarily at Medford High School, I know we have a wonderful school system consisting of a diverse and appreciative student population along with a group of very dedicated educators. It is important to have a teacher's perspective on the School Committee that can ask the right questions, identify potential future issues, and be aware of the complexities of implementation within a classroom setting. Most of all, I think I can add a bit of inspiration and support to make all our schools excellent.

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

If we think about it, within Medford High School for example, it is only the Senior class that has spent a full year within the building and is really familiar with school's academic and extracurricular culture. COVID has had a dramatic impact on students' well being because we know that they have lost critical interaction with peers and teachers. We need to restore some normalcy, but we also need to foster as much as possible every individual student's connection with their school. Ideally, I would like to see every student engage in some kind of outdoor activity after school whereby they can safely engage with their peers and regain a sense of belonging to their school and associate their school with happiness.

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

I have taught for 31 years in a classroom and was known as a teacher that could inspire students towards excellence and pursuit of their life's passion. I was well known for taking students on after school activities such as canoeing on the Mystic, architectural tours of Beacon Hill, or monthly movie nights at one of the local theaters. My mission was to create a sense of belonging and a sense of joy with learning.

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

I am impressed on how much our current School Board cares and works to make Medford Schools as good as they can be. As a teacher, I always want to implement a win-win strategy because we are all in this together, and everyone in Medford wants excellent schools. There are also complex barriers that keep some students from maximizing their potential that I have become aware of during my 31 year career. Obviously, I want to remove those. In addition, we have some employment practices that cause us to lose our best and most inspirational young teachers - I want to dismantle those practices too.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

Two things: We know outside is safer than inside. Sets stackable stools need to be located in every school so teachers can easily take students outside. There are lots of educational activities, from discussing a subject to reading a book, that can be done outside. Second, when you try to do two jobs at the same time - you do them both poorly. Asking teachers to teach into their laptop with a group of students also sitting in the classroom looking into their laptop was a lose-lose strategy. The focus needs to be on in-person classrooms or on the students learning remotely. Trying to do these at the same time is disheartening for everybody.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

These are NOT normal times. We are going to need to try some new strategies. I think many of the best ideas may come from parents, students, and teachers. The response I have observed to this crisis is a bit too much top-down.

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

Over my 31 years of teaching, I think I did a good job of treating every student as if they were my child. I have had numerous students head off to the Ivy League schools, and I have had many students from other parts of the world often speaking English as a second or third language. We all want to feel valued in this world, and I think I have done that for my students.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

You can achieve a lot more with inspiration than by pushing from behind. Inspire your students!

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

When I moved out of my classroom this June after 31 years, the most valuable treasure were the hundreds of "Thank you" notes that were layered on the bulletin board behind my desk. I was blessed to have wonderful students, and I think they were thankful to have me.