Medford Candidate Profile: Aaron Olapade For School Committee

MEDFORD, MA — With the Medford Municipal Election scheduled for Nov. 7, Patch is profiling the candidates.

Here, we learn more about Aaron Olapade, who running for School Committee. Olapade is among seven candidates running for six seats. The field features incumbents Paul Ruseau, Jenny Graham and Melanie McLaughlin, and challengers Olapade, John Intoppa, Nicole Branley and Erika Reinfeld

Olapade, who will be 23 years old as of Election Day, is an advisor in the Medford High School Center for Citizenship and Social Responsibility (CCSR) and a youth coordinator for the Mystic Valley NAACP.

Candidates were sent questionnaires and filled out the answers.

Name

Aaron Olapade

How old will you be as of Election Day?

23

Campaign website

https://electaaronolapade.com/

What city or town do you live in?

Medford

What office are you seeking?

Medford School Committee

Education

Boston College Bachelor of Arts and Science in Political Science with a concentration in Law, Politics, and American Government. Medford High School Diploma.

Occupation

Candidate, School Committee
Advisor, Medford High School Center for Citizenship and Social Responsibility (CCSR)
Youth Coordinator, Mystic Valley NAACP
Server, Legal Seafood

Family

I live in West Medford with my mother, Wendy Miller Olapade, who is a community activist and the pastor of Sanctuary UCC. My biological father is a Nigerian man from the Yoruba tribe who immigrated to the U.S. My elder brother, Alexander Olapade is an artist, producer and entrepreneur who lives and works in Boston and Miami. Family also means the many members and leaders of the many faith communities which have supported me and called me their “son”. Shout out to Sanctuary UCC, Medford, and Myrtle Baptist Church, Newton!

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No, but my grandfather, who served on the Borough Council in Lansdale PA for many years, has been a source of inspiration in this call to serve my city as an elected official.

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

No, although I was honored to serve as a Senior Intern for MA Rep. Sean Garballey.

Why are you seeking this office?

My story is a testament to the transformative power of public education and community connections. After arriving in Medford in 2013, I found direction, support, and purpose in the classroom, on the river as a member of the rowing team, and through community service. Believe it or not, I had more than 500 hours worth by the time I graduated from Medford High. I became driven to lead by example and to work for equity, unity, and progress.

Whether it was as a community liaison for the City of Medford, a team captain at BC, a legislative aide in the Massachusetts State House, or serving underrepresented youth with City Year Boston, I have been dedicated to these values. My studies in political science and social justice at Boston College and my work with the NAACP just intensified my determination to represent the underrepresented and to make a difference through service.

As we stand at the crossroads of tradition and progress, mine is a voice that understands our past and fearlessly envisions our future. I am a product of the Medford schools, an advocate for youth, and a representative who has walked the hallways and felt the community's struggles.

I want to serve our city as a member of the Medford School Committee because Representation Matters and I have been taught that it is my moral responsibility to serve my community as best as I am able with the gifts and skills that I have been given.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

A Safe and Supportive Learning Environment that Produces a Quality Education: I envision a Medford where students are equipped to handle life’s challenges both inside and outside the classroom and can thrive as whole humans.

What will I do to address this?

1. I will advocate for budget, buildings, books, and all the tools necessary for students and educators to excel in an environment that promotes safety, security, and sustainability.

2. Because student well-being is paramount — I will emphasize the importance of mental health resources, tools for social and emotional growth, and programs focused on conflict resolution.

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

I want to serve our city as a member of the Medford School Committee because Representation Matters. What I bring that is unique is this:

1. I am the only candidate with the lived experience of being a recent graduate who understands the challenges of being the diversity in the room. I am attuned to what's happening in the halls, on the buses, on the athletic fields, on the river, in the parking lots, and even in the bathrooms of the Medford Schools. Including as a person of color.

2. I also, as a community liaison for the City of Medford serving in the midst of the pandemic, have had direct experience gathering and listening to immigrants and communities of color about their hopes, dreams, wants, and needs. I know their experience personally.

3. I’m the candidate who has worked 1-on-1 with at-risk youth in the Boston Public School system. I had the privilege of working as their advocate and mentor when serving as a City Year Americorps Member.

4. I am the candidate who researched the impact of subconscious bias in the classroom for my senior thesis as a political science major.

5. Finally, I am and have always been a social justice advocate who is called to public service now and for the long haul.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

Our current School Committee has made exciting and significant progress in regards to some of the tough issues facing all school systems today and they have done so in the context of a global pandemic! I am grateful for all that has been done to date — and excited to join them as a collaborator. I love how much more creative outcomes can be when you are working with a diverse team! There are lots of strengths and a wide range of skills and experience in the incumbents and the other candidates running for School Committee.

I bring a work ethic and value system, along with expertise and lived experience that will integrate with the other members in their effort to build a school system that Medford deserves. I will work with my colleagues to address both the challenges to progress and representation wrought by our current city charter and the financial constraints of an underfunded budget.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

A. Equity and Inclusion, Access and Opportunity: I see the unequal footing that many students stand on, and understand how racism and bigotry hinder young Medford minds. I am committed to fostering a learning environment where every student feels valued, understood, and free from discrimination. And, I am devoted to ensuring that every student, regardless of their socioeconomic background, has the same opportunities in education.

What will I do to address this?

1. This means making extracurriculars accessible, paying special attention to the needs of students with disabilities, those from lower-income families, and English learners, and advocating for a more diverse teaching staff.

2. I will advocate for educational initiatives that create an equitable and inclusive learning environment, such as integrating a curriculum that includes contributions from different backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives.

3. I will champion an anti-racist, anti-ableist, and inclusive Medford public school ethos.

B. Support of Teachers, Educators and Families through Community Collaboration: Recognizing the backbone of our education system, I will use community collaboration to uplift and empower the educators and staff of Medford schools. I know from personal experience the power of community. Fostering collaboration between our schools, local organizations, and the broader Medford community, we can tackle broader challenges that impact our students. A holistic approach to education means ensuring students are nurtured at school, at home, and throughout the community.

What will I do to address this?

1. To solidify a passionate and motivated educational workforce, I will work to ensure our staff and educators are fairly compensated, have a healthy work environment and the tools they need, and their voices are central in decision-making.

2. To develop a community-wide commitment to achieve these priorities, I will seek ways to work with our community of parents, students, and local organizations. I will help to create tools for strengthening these partnerships, such as directories, committees, and open and safe forums for the support of parents and to create a feedback loop.

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

A. I have worked in numerous roles in direct service with youth:

1. Classroom paraprofessional with City Year Boston — mentoring, teaching, and supporting at-risk, 8th-grade youth for the 2018-19 academic year; finding new ways to engage them in mind, body, and spirit.
2. Waterfront Director and Counselor — mentoring, supporting, guiding, and keeping safe 150 campers (age 6 - 16) and 30 staff with team leadership, group activities, and one-on-one relationships.
3. Leader for am2pm Youth Leadership Development and Community Service Program — facilitate and guide middle and high school youth to engage and learn about social justice and equity through community service.

B. Created and conducted a yearlong senior research thesis project that focused on the subject matter of implicit bias, and how it presents in middle and high school level classes.

C. Served as the senior intern for D-23 Representative Sean Garballey’s home office in the MA State House; working on legislation, writing briefs, evaluating budgets and recommending monetary expenditure options.

D. Worked as one of the five Community Liaisons for the City of Medford Health Department’s MVP Project; during the height of COVID-19, and was tasked with interacting with Medford residents who identified as Black/African American to listen and learn the needs of their community so the city might be better equipped to engage and assist them.

E. Act as the Youth Coordinator for the NAACP Mystic Valley Branch; doing outreach to youth about ways to be civically engaged; and strategizing new and innovative ways to promote anti-racist practices in school systems.

F. Served as Conversation Facilitator to the Medford Conversations Project for three years, using the Everyday Democracy model of civic engagement to create positive community change, facilitating conversation between a diverse group of residents of Medford on tough topics such as economic security, affordable housing, and identity politics.

G. Elected Crew Team captain by my mates both at Medford High and Boston College rowing.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

“If you can't get out of it, get into it”

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I know that when it comes to the details of this work and this community, I have plenty to learn. You can count on me to remain forever teachable.