Milford School Committee: Patrick Holland

Editor's Note: Although the School Committee has no race this year, Milford Patch asked the two candidates for the two open seats to respond to a series of questions. The response of Patrick Holland, the incumbent candidate, follows. It is edited only for grammar, punctuation and AP style. The response of Joseph Morais can be found here.

Q: Why are you seeking this position?

A: I am the current chairman of the committee and I am seeking re-election to my second term. The School Committee is a board of volunteers, and I consider being a part of it my way of giving back to our community. It is an important public service.

Q: What is your educational background?

A: I am a graduate of Milford High School and of Trinity College in Hartford CT.

Q: What is your age and profession?

A: I am 37-years-old, and work in marketing and advertising.

Q: Describe your family.

A: Most of my family lives in Milford and has done so for many generations. My wife, Alissa Holland, is an eighth-grade science teacher in town. We have two children: Patrick, aged 3, and Margaret, aged 2.

Q: What are the three top issues facing the Milford Public Schools. Please identify the issue and explain what you think school officials should do to address it.

A: 1. Curriculum. Massachusetts is adopting a new Common Core curriculum. In many ways this is good because it means an end to the old MCAS tests, a system of evaluation I have little faith in as a means of properly assessing school performance. However, this development introduces a host of new challenges for our school system. As a committee we have been focusing on giving direction to the superintendent as a single voice, and providing him with the resources he needs to mobilize and motivate our staff to roll out the new curriculum successfully.

2. Budget. Every year that I have served on the committee we have been challenged by the Finance Committee to find budget reductions any place we can.  So far we have been successful in doing so without having a major impact on class size in our core subjects by cutting administrative positions and programs with low enrollment. Our budget is lean now. Future cuts will have to come from personnel, and as I have for the past 3 years, I am worried about where we will be come this time NEXT year.

3. Replacing or renovating the Woodland School. We have two school buildings that are no longer suitable for their purposes. The Woodland School is too small and cramped, and was built around an “open classroom” model that no longer has a place in modern education. Middle School East is in need of major repairs. It cannot support the technology we need in our classrooms, and it is inefficient to have a building serve a single grade. With this school building project we have an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. We can gain an elementary school capable of educating children in grades 3 through 5, take an aging and inefficient single grade building offline, and turn the Stacy School into a true “middle” school that educates children in grades 6 through 8. I have never been a fan of having fifth graders in a middle school building.

Q: Have you ever held public office before? If so, what was the position and the years served.

A: I am currently a member of the School Committee in Milford. I have served for three years.

Q: What is the most important thing people should know about you?

A: I think the School Committee’s most important duty is to demonstrate to the town that we are working together for the best interest of our students. Parents entrust their children to us, and we take that responsibility very seriously. We need to focus on curriculum, safety and the student experience first and foremost. I think these are concerns that every member of the committee shares.