Newton Candidate Profile: Kathleen Shields, School Committee

NEWTON, MA — There will be several contested races in this fall's election, including one xxx. Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

When it comes to the school committee there are races in wards 4, 5 and 6.

Kathleen "Kathy" Shields, 46, is running - uncontested - to keep her seat on the school committee seat in Ward 7.

Sheilds, who moved to Newton in 2004, was elected to the School Committee from Ward 7 in 2017 and took on that role in 2018. She and her husband David have three daughters, two at Ward Elementary and another who will start there soon. She's been involved in the Ward PTO for the past five years, and served on its School Council. Shields has been a lawyer for 22 years, in both the public and private sectors. Currently she's a federal employee and works at the US. Securities and Exchange Commission investigating and prosecuting violations of the federal securities laws. She holds a BA from Cornell University and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law.

She took a minute to answer a list of question we sent her. Here's what she said. Her answers have not been edited.

Previously: Newton Election Calendar 2019: What To Know About Election

Are you running for office in Newton? Contact Jenna Fisher at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Newton Patch.

The single most pressing issue facing Newton is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

At the moment, the single most pressing issue facing the schools is making sure that we settle a fair contract with our teachers that is within our budget.

Salaries and benefits for our employees are over 80% of the schools’ budget, so everything else we wish to do as a school system, including keeping class sizes small, maintaining breadth of classes and programs, working on innovative ways to improve student achievement, and providing the education materials and experiences our students need, depends on concluding a contract that makes improvements to salaries and benefits in meaningful ways, but is within the means we have.

The School Committee is responsible for negotiating with the district’s employees and I will continue to support my colleagues in doing so.

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

My unique contributions to the School Committee come from my lengthy experience as a practicing lawyer. There are numerous issues we address that have a legal dimension and, while we frequently consult with outside counsel, it is useful to have someone with legal experience to assist in those discussions.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)? If you are an incumbent, what's still on your to-do list?

There are many things still on my to-do list. I ran for the School Committee not because I wanted to do one particular thing, but rather because I care deeply about the ongoing wise administration of our district. Many challenges continue to confront us, including a plan to address the poor physical condition of many of our school buildings and working to find a way to implement a later high school start time within our budget

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

I care deeply about keeping our public schools inclusive, and excellent places to learn for all of our students. I support the district’s expansion of social and emotional programming, and its work to decrease the achievement gap. I encourage the district’s implementation of sustainable practices to promote responsible use of resources and a healthy environment.

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

I have been contributing to the School Committee’s goals for the last two years. My assignments as a School Committee member have involved work on the school building committee for the preschool and Lincoln-Eliot, as a liaison to Families Organizing for Racial Justice, as a member of the policy working group, and as a member of the Equity Committee and Equity Working Group that is addressing ways to reduce funding inequities among our neighborhood schools.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

The best advice ever shared with me was to own my mistakes promptly and forthrightly. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes and while people may be (justifiably) upset with me as a result of the error, it is far better to acknowledge and learn from the error than either to minimize it or attempt to conceal it

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

Fundamentally, I believe that educational excellence for all of our students should be the touchstone of every decision the School Committee makes. Helping all of our students achieve looks different than it did when I was a public school student decades ago. Schools provide far more in mental health and social supports than before, and we educate students with a wide range of special education needs. We also serve students who are more diverse from racial, religious and socio-economic perspectives. I am focused on finding ways to help our students succeed as complete learners and individuals.

Your social media info (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook)

www.facebook.com/KathyShieldsforSchoolCommittee

My favorite aspect of this city is...

My favorite aspect of Newton is its interconnectedness. My husband and I moved to Newton in 2004 because we were looking for a city with excellent schools that was an easy commute for our jobs. We felt very included in the community, especially once my children started school, and we have enjoyed feeling that we live in neighborhoods where those around us share similar values.

What's your take on all the development in the city?

The School Committee needs to factor developments with approved permits into our enrollment forecasts so that we can accommodate the students who will live in those developments when they are built. More broadly, we need to understand where future development is likely to occur so that we can make decisions about school construction and renovation that will be sufficiently flexible to respond to enrollment as the city’s population changes.

More on Newton Elections:

• Newton Election Calendar 2019: What To Know About Election
• Ward 5 Residents To Head To The Polls Sept. 10
• Humphrey, Winters Win Preliminary Election In Newton's Ward 5

More candidate profiles:

• Kathryn Winters - Ward 5
• Bill Humphrey - Ward 5
• Rena Getz - Ward 5 (write in)
• Andreae Downs - At Large Ward 5
• Deb Crossly - At Large Ward 5
• Brenda Noel, Ward 6 City Councilor
• Emily Norton (Incumbent)- Ward 2
• Bryan Barash - Ward 2
• Jake Auchincloss(Incumbent) - At Large Ward 2
• Susan Albright (Incumbent) - At Large Ward 2
• Tarik Lucas -At Large Ward 2
• Ruth Goldman - School Committee

Are you running for office in Newton? Contact Jenna Fisher at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Newton Patch.