Joseph Cahill, Exeter Regional Cooperative School Board Candidate

Joseph Cahill

Age (as of Election Day)

47

Position sought (including ward or district number if applicable)

Exeter Member of Exeter Regional Coop School Board

Party Affiliation

Family

Danielle (Wife), Kaley Cahill (Daughter) Hayden Cahill (Daughter), Harley (Dog)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Business degree, University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Occupation

National Sales Manager

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

.

Campaign website

https://cahill4exeter.wixsite.com/website

Why are you seeking elective office?

I have many concerns about our public schools and I'm committed to help
improving our educational and also improving communication between the school administration and our community of students, parents, teachers, and taxpayers. I believe our school board must be responsive and receptive to all. We need to have an open dialogue and discussion about what's in the best interest of our schools based on putting our most important asset, our children, first. As a board member, you are a trustee within the community that elects you. That Trustee must be accessible and willing to collaborate on important issues affecting our children.
If you elect me as your Exeter Co-op representative, my focus will be to serve all of the children in our community, from our most gifted to our most vulnerable. No one child is more important than another. In this regard, I will strive to bring our community together to support our children in ways that allow them to receive the best education possible, while fostering a positive environment in which to learn. With more than 25 years of experience managing people and budgets, combined with my desire to return our district to one of the best public educations in the state, I will achieve this goal.

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

Increasing educational standards with a refocus on the core educational subject. Reading, Writing, mathematics. Depoliticize our children's education and refocus on the basics

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

A vote for the incumbent in this election is a vote for more of the same academics performance we've seen from the SAU 16 over the last three years. I've been called out by my opponent for my lack of experience on public board positions. If the budget and academic results we've experienced over the last three years are what you're looking for, I am certainly not your candidate.

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

My opponents' leadership position with the YMCA shows signs of creating a very serious conflict of interest. She voted twice to keep our schools remote (even when other SAUs in our area had voted to return to in-person instruction) all the while - at the same time - the YMCA profited from a $200 IN-PERSON study program during the SAU remote learning period. I don't think this was an integrity issue in any way by my opponent but it certainly brings the issue of conflict of interest to the forefront.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I have witnessed some very troubling issues with the SAU 16. Staff shortages, underpaid substitute teachers, large gaps in time between teachers' contracts, divisive behavior of the
administration, declining educational standards, falling academic rankings, and misuse of budget resources

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

I have over 25 years in business management experience. I've created budgets and forecasts that have a proven record of success. I've worked with and managed staffs of well over a hundred people. I think a business approach is exactly what this board needs at this point.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Education requires costly resources, like time and money, which are often hard resources to find. But those who do invest these resources, often end up richer – not simply because they often improve their financial situation, but because their minds are richer for it.

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

I have a proven track record as a leader in business and I am personally invested in the success of the SAU 16 with two school-age daughters in the Exeter School System. I intend on impacting this board in a positive way through communication and dedication to the position. I am not a politician, I am a concerned Father. My goal is to improve education through decision making, the budget through my experience in business, and I will work with other members of the board and seek to understand their points of view and at the same time productively communicate my own.