Swampscott School Committee Member Seeks Reelection

SWAMPSCOTT, MA – Suzanne Wright announced Monday that she is running for a second three-year term on the Swampscott School Committee.

"I am interested in seeing a number of ongoing initiatives through to completion. I continue to be 100 percent committed to serve and can now call on all the experience I've gained, my first term has given me great perspective on how things run," wrote Wright in a statement. We have been able to implement two new mental health initiatives in the high school to support students with mental or emotional health needs. The need for these programs is unquestionable and the difference they are making for our students is undeniable; I want to work with the school department to find a way to extend these programs into the middle school. We are also continuing work on a district wide technology plan to ensure that our kids are learning with the best possible technology."

"Additionally, next month we will be filing two statements of interest with the Massachusetts School Building Authority for state funding for a new school," Wright said. "This is the beginning of a community wide process to determine how we deal with the unavoidable reality that our school buildings are literally crumbling and insufficient for today’s educational needs. I was part of the group that worked hard with the various constituencies in town to find a solution for the new high school a decade ago and I look forward to doing that again for our elementary schools."

Wright also cited the need for consistency on the School Committee in the years to come. "For the first time in years, we have a School Committee and a Superintendent who are able to offer our students and the District staff a level of continuity and a consistency of policy that has too often been lacking prior to this Administration."

She noted the numerous changes in leadership, both on the board and in the administration, over the years. "Last year was the first time in nearly two decades that we saw a School Committee that stayed intact for more than a single year. The constant turnover in the past created an inconsistency that presented a number of problems, not the least of which is having the same leadership from one teachers’ union contract to the following one."

Wright’s four children have all been educated in the Swampscott Public Schools. "If we are going to have the kind of public schools that Swampscott residents expect and are paying for, we need to provide stable, even-handed vision that lasts beyond each year’s election. Right now there is a healthy diversity of skills, personalities, and opinions on the School Committee. We work well together and respectfully challenge each other and the school administration to make sure we are doing the best we can for the students. We are committed to tackling issues large and small, including the tough financial issues we need to solve. We are seeing results."

"Being on the school committee and contributing my skills has been very rewarding," Wright said. "I enjoy the process and enjoy seeing the results, and I want to help the schools do even more."

The Swampscott Town Election is on Tuesday, April 25, 2017.

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