Erik Herring, Stratham Memorial School Board Candidate

Erik Herring

Age (as of Election Day)

44

Position sought (including ward or district number if applicable)

Stratham Memorial School Board - 1 Year Term

Party Affiliation

Family

Wife Abbie, Daughters Amelia and Sadie

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

BS, Business Studies – Southern New Hampshire University

Occupation

Vice President of a Technology Services Firm, with 20 years of experience in the field of IT

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Stratham's Zoning Board of Adjustment, Regular Member

Campaign website

https://www.erik4sms.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I have real skin in the game. My beautiful daughters are both Stratham Memorial School students. I want the little ones in our town to get the best education and ensure they have every advantage when they grow up. Our family moved to Stratham because SMS was one of the best elementary schools in the Seacoast. Coming out of the pandemic, we have seen a troubling dip in academic proficiencies. I want to lead the charge to ensure our kids can perform and compete at the highest levels.

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

Declining Academics: We've lost ground during the pandemic and it's time to set measurable goals and create a culture of accountability. I pledge to deliver leadership that will carefully evaluate every initiative, spending request, or resource allocation to ensure it aligns with improving academics.

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

I have unique experience driving continuous improvement within organizations. I also embrace something the current board has not presented to the administration: the need to set objective, measurable goals that we can use to gauge our progress and compare our outcomes to other schools in the region.

Besides a strong volunteer spirit, I'm well qualified for the job. In my career, I've been responsible for budgets, forecasts, managing people and projects. I value critical thinking, high expectations, achievable goals, accountability, and good stewardship of tax dollars.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Unclear Priorities: The board’s responsibility is to set the goals for the school and provide oversight on behalf of the public. Most board members that serve do not have a background in education but are representative members of the community. Administrators and teachers are the educators and know best how to implement the goals. The board should remove obstacles for the educators with policymaking and provide the funding they need to reach the prescribed goals. This should be an iterative and collaborative process that ensures everyone plays their proper role. The current board has not set clear, measurable goals. I pledge to change that.

Communication Gap: The community longs for true conversation, not just one-way information. In the absence of real dialog, concerned members of the community on both sides of the issues retreat into social media echo chambers to vent frustration. That only reinforces biases and does not move us forward. I pledge to act in good faith, advocating for long-form conversation, roundtables, transparent discussion, and providing meaningful responses to all messages I receive from my constituents.

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

The best advice ever shared with me was:

"Always live your values!"

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

There's no reason why SMS shouldn't be the elementary school that everyone in the region wants to send their kids to. I know this, because that's how it used to be, and not that long ago. We have smart, well-paid teachers, caring paraprofessionals and staff, loving parents and guardians who want to engage, and a very supportive community with high expectations. But it's going to require setting the right vision and goals, and providing oversight to see it through.