Democracy For All Candidate Spotlight Beth Flanagan-Gleason

Please tell our towns voters a little about yourself and why you decided to run for one of the two seats on the School Committee this year.

"My name is Beth Flanagan-Gleason and I am running for Dedham School Committee because I have three young daughters. I am a proud ECEC, Oakdale, and formerly Greenlodge mom. I first ran two years ago, and came very close to being elected. Last year, all of the covid in my house prevented me from running! My message is the same. We need to support and facilitate increased parental involvement.

Parental involvement is the greatest determining factor to a student’s success. This is something our neighboring districts understand, and it is why they out rank us. My oldest girl, Margot, has autism. She was a student in the STAR program at Greenlodge. There are some very well-intentioned teachers in special education, but the outgoing Director of Special Education is not worthy of Dedham, and as a community, we have an opportunity to fix that. We also need to rectify the disrespect that high level administrators and some school committee members have demonstrated towards parents.

Our Superintendent of Schools and Director of Special Education are retiring. We need a parent like me on the school committee whose loyalties lie with the children, parents, teachers and employees of the Dedham Public Schools. Once families and staff feel supported and welcomed, parental involvement will come more easily. "

The School Committee started an initiative of holding office hours to listen to the concerns of taxpayers and parents. If you are elected to the School Committee, what commitment would you make to have these sessions become a permanent part of your business and would you expand on further outreach outside of normal committee meetings?

"When I first ran for Dedham School Committee in 2020, I was taken aback by the outpouring of support at the polls. I missed being elected by about 400 votes. When it came time to fill the seat left on the school committee by former Chairman Kevin Coughlin’s departure, I applied hoping the school committee and the select board would take the 2,500 votes I received into account when making their decision. On the application, I told them I was able to dedicate three afternoons, every week, for office hours. My schedule is pretty much the same as it was two years ago. If elected, I will do just that. I will be available for parents and or employees three afternoons per week. This is the advantage of electing a stay- at- home mom!"

In 2013 Dedham High School ranked 42nd in the state according to the U.S. News and World Report rankings of the best high schools in the nation. We are currently ranked 139th in the state. What factors do you believe attributed to such a dip in our ranking in less than a decade and what steps do you feel our school system should take to remedy this to try and improve our ranking going forward?

"There are a few factors we can look at, but all roads lead back to the same problem, and the vehicle that made it possible. We have high level administrators in the Dedham Public Schools whose judgement and intentions are, at times, questionable. Unfortunately, our school committee is the very vehicle that enables them by heaping them with praise when they really should be censored. Our Superintendent of Schools reports to the school committee but, somewhere along the way that power dynamic has been inverted. Instead of holding him accountable, they regard him as their boss.

Every student who graduates from DHS should have a solid plan in place that includes furthering their studies. Because of our location, the possibilities are endless. We could facilitate this by hiring more guidance counselors. Additionally, there are few investments a school can make that are as wise as hiring more talented paraprofessional educators. They are needed in all schools.

But in light of the pandemic, hiring more paraprofessionals would be particularly invaluable to the ECEC. There will inevitably be more students entering with deficits as many early interventions were shut down due to covid staffing issues. If we have more paras working consistently with students on a 1:1 basis, we can give them a better foundation.

When high-level administrators leave much to be desired, and members of the school committee routinely roll their eyes and sulk during public comment, it can be very discouraging to parents. If we were to see a sharp increase in parental involvement, we could get the administrators we deserve. When parents become involved, a student’s performance improves. If you elect me, I will never enable problematic administrators. Instead, I will empower parents. "

Bullying can be a traumatic situation not only for the students who are victims of this treatment, but also the parents that must try to be there for their children and be supportive. There have been times that allegations were not taken very seriously by the middle school administration. Not too long ago this administration was prioritizing correcting behavior around mask wearing over bullying allegations. Now that the mask mandate has finally been lifted what commitment will you make if elected to see that all bullying accusations are given proper credence and investigation to ensure improper behavior is dealt with in a fair manner?

"As the mother of a child with autism, I understand bullying. Dedham Middle School is an excellent example of trickle-down bullying There are a few factors we can look at, but all roads lead back to the same problem, and the vehicle that made it possible. We have high level administrators in the Dedham Public Schools whose judgement and intentions are, at times, questionable. Unfortunately, our school committee is the very vehicle that enables them by heaping them with praise when they really should be censored. Our Superintendent of Schools reports to the school committee but, somewhere along the way that power dynamic has been inverted. Instead of holding him accountable, they regard him as their boss.

Every student who graduates from DHS should have a solid plan in place that includes furthering their studies. Because of our location, the possibilities are endless. We could facilitate this by hiring more guidance counselors. Additionally, there are few investments a school can make that are as wise as hiring more talented paraprofessional educators. They are needed in all schools.

But in light of the pandemic, hiring more paraprofessionals would be particularly invaluable to the ECEC. There will inevitably be more students entering with deficits as many early interventions were shut down due to covid staffing issues. If we have more paras working consistently with students on a 1:1 basis, we can give them a better foundation.

When high-level administrators leave much to be desired, and members of the school committee routinely roll their eyes and sulk during public comment, it can be very discouraging to parents. If we were to see a sharp increase in parental involvement, we could get the administrators we deserve. When parents become involved, a student’s performance improves. If you elect me, I will never enable problematic administrators. Instead, I will empower parents.

Bullying knows no age limit, and it dwells in our superintendent’s office, assistant superintendent’s office, and director of special education’s office to name only a few. It also rears its head at school committee meetings during public comment. The eye rolling, sulking and hissing in which some members engage is reprehensible. We wouldn’t tolerate it in our homes. Why do we tolerate it from school officials?

The bullying at DMS should not come to any of us as a surprise. As a district, we are complicit. I have experienced it as a parent many times. We need the Principal of Dedham Middle School to report directly to our new Superintendent of Schools.

In the meantime, while Mike Welch remains our superintendent, we might be forced to hire an outside consultant to handle these situations. While I usually do not like the idea of hiring expensive consultants because it is a band aid approach, Ms. Hillman has failed too many times. Too many families have paid the price for her therapeutic and inconsistent approach to discipline.

I have to ask the following: If we are willing to consider consultants, why not explore the idea of hiring a new Principal at Dedham Middle School?

At one time basic life skills such as home economics and auto shop were regular staples of a student's education. Some of this was taught at the middle school level, but much of it was taught at the high school level. While curriculum study should always be first in a child's education, what commitment if any would you consider to bringing back programs like those mentioned and others to help students become self-sufficient in basic life skills after leaving our school system?

"Our children are extremely comfortable with technology, and that was an essential skill in the pandemic. However, technology can fail, and its overuse can contribute to stress and self-esteem issues. As the mother of a child with autism, I have many concerns about effective communication. If children learn to listen to others, they could be less likely to bully, overreact, or find unnecessary conflict.

Effective communication skills are included in basic life skills. After two years of isolation in the pandemic, this could be beneficial to many children. I attended Catholic school during the years you mentioned in this question. My school did not offer either home economics or auto shop! I still cannot sew, and any understanding that I have of tools is self taught. It would be valuable for them to have a basic knowledge of mechanics, and the ability to balance a check book manually. Their health and financial well being could also benefit from learning how to grocery shop on a budget. Additionally, basic money management could help prevent them from accumulating too much debt while in college.

This area of study could also facilitate futures in technical careers, and that is a great way for children to continue their studies after graduating from high school. I’m always open to hearing new ideas! If parents think it is a good idea, it is worth exploring. "

As an elected member of our school committee, you will be tasked with taking part in the search and eventual hire of our next Superintendent of Schools. What qualities will you be looking for in potential candidates and how do you feel those qualities will lend themselves to moving our school system forward?

"There is a lot at stake this year. We have the chance to hire a new Superintendent of Schools who could have a unifying effect on our town! I usually think that promoting from within is the best idea, but this situation is very unique, and rife with conflicts of interest.

We deserve a doctoral level superintendent from outside our district. They should possess inner confidence and security that will enable him or her to lead with grace and humility. They should share a fondness for our town, and a desire to unite us. Their level of commitment to increasing parental involvement will demonstrate how much they actually care about the district. They should also be asked many, many questions about bullying. It isn’t enough to come from a background with an anti- bullying policy.

They must offer effective answers as to how they will strive to improve our ranking. By asking them what their hiring priorities will be, we could gage their understanding of the basics. For example, it should be a red flag if they think outside consultants are more valuable than paraprofessionals. They should also be willing to explore the idea of hiring more guidance counselors.

The candidate should have a background that includes experience in special education. They should be asked what they think an IEP meeting is like for a parent. We should find out how much they know about autism, developmental delays, and early intervention in general. It would be helpful to have a BCBA on the hiring panel. We are going to have children entering the ECEC in the next few years who will not have had appropriate early intervention due to the pandemic. Autism and/or developmental delays are a very expensive endeavor that no parent wishes on their family. It is imperative that the decision maker have a meaningful frame of reference. We should ask the candidates what they think the biggest barriers are to receiving early intervention, and how much they think it costs out of pocket.

I am proud to be the only candidate endorsed by Tim Dwyer, the President of the Dedham Education Association. For too long, our teachers have not received support or respect from our Superintendent of Schools. He or she should be someone who respects women and wants them to feel safe in the workplace. They also should be someone who has spent a significant number of years in the classroom. We want someone who identifies as an educator; not a politician. Finally, it would be a tremendous gesture of good faith if he or she expressed a willingness to invest in Dedham by moving here. If they have school age children, they should want to send them to our schools. This would be an excellent catalyst in our quest to increase parental improvement!

I humbly ask for your vote, and I’m #4 on the ballot"

I thank Beth for taking the time to answer my questions. Election Day is Saturday, April 9th. Polls will be open from 7am to 8pm.