Paula Jones Vows Transparency, Trust In Danvers School Committee Bid

DANVERS, MA — Paula Jones is running for the Danvers School Committee to bring transparency and trust to a district that she said has "lacked strong leadership, support and adequate training."

While Jones said she firmly believes Danvers "has some of the best teachers" she believes they are "feeling the pressure now that I know well" based on her 20 years of experience as a classroom teacher, curriculum coach and administrator.

"(That) gives me the knowledge to back recommendations I will make to our district administration to bring us from ranking 114th in the state to one of the best districts in the commonwealth," she told Patch. "I will make recommendations to the administration to identify best practices from teachers across the district to ensure our children are challenged and we strive for excellence, not settle for mediocrity."

Among her other campaign objectives are:

• I will advocate for addressing the learning loss that occurred and getting back to basic academics, and more support for our teachers to help with addressing the mental health issues from the pandemic that some of our students continue to struggle with.
• I will always support family choices. I will never be in favor of re-masking our kids or mandating them to be vaccinated.
• I will always make time for parents and community members who need someone to talk to. I encourage you to ask the hard questions and get direct answers to those questions. I have learned that one of the most important things I can do is listen to parents who have been ignored and alienated by the committee and administration. I have and will continue to listen, respond, and work with all families on the concerns they have and bring those concerns back to the committee for thoughtful discussion.
• I will always advocate for our children first, not for the budget, and not for the union.
• I will advocate for an emphasis on special education, and advocate for student needs to be accomplished quickly and easily without hesitation from the administration.
• Hands-on education choices must be championed and expanded. I have and will continue to research and advocate for improvement in our public school program offerings by working with area schools that offer varying education options and how we can support all of our learners. Education is not a one-size-fits-all model and we need to ensure that every student gets an opportunity to succeed.
• I will advocate for budget decisions that are rooted in local needs with a continued vision and plan for future budget needs to accommodate all our learners.
• I will advocate for a buddy system in every school, linking the oldest and the youngest together to build friendships and compassionate relationships and to prevent bullying from day one. We owe it to our students to have a safe and respectful learning environment. We need stronger policies to address the issue and we need to follow them.
• I will advocate hearing from our teachers who are face to face with our children every day and have our children's best interests at heart. I have found that the union does not always speak for all its members, I am pro-teacher not pro-union. I will always put students first, advocate for parental involvement, transparency, and vigorous support for staff.

"It is time that we rebuild trust in our district," she said. "It's time we put our children first, and not the budget. It's time for parents' and caregivers' voices to be respectfully heard and acknowledged. As a member of the Danvers School Committee, I will advocate for our students. I will advocate for our parents and caregivers. I will advocate for our teachers"

Jones said having two children in Danvers Public Schools makes her "deeply invested here with no political aspirations and ties" and that she doesn't view the School Committee as a stepping stone.

"I firmly believe that the quality of our public education can and will improve through partnerships and trust," she said.