Salem Candidate Profile: Donna Fritz For School Committee

SALEM, MA — Salem will have several contested races in this fall's election, including a 11-way race for four at-large seats on City Council. The preliminary election on Sept. 17 will thin the field of at-large city councilor candidates to eight and the field of school committee candidates to six. Salem Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Donna Fritz, 44, is one of seven candidates running for three open seats on the Salem School Committee. The preliminary election on Sept. 17 will thin the field, with the top six vote-getters appearing on the ballot in the general election on Nov. 5.

Are you running for office in Salem? Contact Dave Copeland at dave.copeland@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Salem Patch.

Previously on Patch: Salem Election 2019: Here's Who's Running

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

Improving School Culture. We have seen too many principals, staff members, and families leave our school system. The extreme administrative turnover in recent years has created both instability and a lack of confidence in our schools. We need to strengthen professional development opportunities, offer more competitive teacher compensation and improve classroom support. Well supported administrators, teachers and students will foster stronger schools and a renewed faith in our community at large.

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

I work part-time and will have the time to visit the schools during the day, inform the committee about every day parent and teacher concerns and have a pulse on what kind of information parents need and when.

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

There has been a lack of a clear, strategic focus and a supportive, collaborative culture modeled by senior leadership. I would have liked the committee be more involved in creating and executing a strategy of doing a few things extremely well vs. the scatter-shot and reactive approach of the past.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

Clear and Timely Communication. Improving lines of communication between the SPS and families is crucial. There needs to be a comprehensive and meticulously streamlined approach to improving communication and engagement with families at every level. The technology and human capital are available for this to happen now. From top to bottom there need to be systems in place to ensure that our school systems’ goals and actions are as transparent and equitable as possible and that every stakeholder (student, family member, community member and personnel) has a platform and means for their voice to be heard.

Meeting diverse needs. Effectively meeting the needs of every learner in the Salem Public Schools is challenging but imperative to our continued growth and success. While this has been an ongoing focus we have much more work to do. Ongoing and timely evaluation from teachers as well as families and students can and should inform the professional development work going forward.

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

I have been an involved PTO parent for 9 yrs. I have developed positive and trusting relationships with parents and teachers and have been attending school committee meetings for the last few years. I have worked closely with principals at WHES & CMS to plan parent information nights and discussed policies. I have been a program director at a residential treatment facility for troubled teenage girls and the president for two different board of directors. I believe my leadership, project management and meeting facilitation skills will be an asset to the school committee.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

"Keep it simple." — Vincent Peluso

Vincent was (my husband) Mike’s grandfather. He raised his family on Greenway Rd in Salem and he was an important role model for us. Managing a school system is anything but simple, but if we all work together, compromise and make decisions that are in the best interest of the children in Salem Public Schools, that is how we can make a difference.

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

The position I would like the voters to know about most is that I truly care about the community in Salem and its schools. I care about the past, the present and the future of the Salem school system because for a community to truly thrive we must not only invest in our schools, we must get the community to believe in our schools. I see too much negativity on social media, in the press and on the sidelines at youth sporting events that over the years has chipped away at our school community and has created a fear amongst many families that their children’s needs will not or have not been met. I would love to reverse that trend by creating a new atmosphere on the committee and within our schools to gain back the trust of the Salem community.

Previously Published Salem Candidate Profiles:

Candidates for reelection are marked with an asterisk (*).

City Council, At Large

Domingo J. Dominguez *

Ty Hapworth

Alice Merkl

Maribel Steadman

City Council, Ward 4

Timothy Flynn *

City Council, Ward 6

Megan Riccardi

School Committee

Jim Fleming *

Beth Anne Cornell