Democracy For All Dedham Candidate Spotlight Mayanne MacDonald Briggs

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.

"I am a lifelong Dedham resident and attended Dedham public schools. My husband Jon and I have one daughter, a proud Dedham High graduate. I have been elected to four terms on School Committee, serving two times each as Chair and Vice-Chair. I am a past Chair of both the Budget and Policy Subcommittees. In addition, I have served on numerous town boards and committees, including School Building Rehabilitation Committee, Town Manager Search Committee, Human Rights Commission, Dedham 375, Dedham Education Foundation, ECEC and Riverdale PTO’s, Dedham High School Alumni Association, Financial Policies Committee, and Town Meeting from Precinct 2. I graduated from University of Massachusetts Lowell and holds two Masters degrees in Education from Boston College. I am currently employed at Massachusetts Commission for the Blind coordinating educational services for visually impaired students. I am running for another term to continue the work we have done and the progress we have made towards making our schools the best they can be."

1. 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?

"Holding office hours has been a great way for residents to come and meet with School Committee members in small groups and share their concerns and learn more about the committee’s work. They are one part of our ongoing initiative to improve communications and engagement with the community. Improving communications across the district is an ongoing process and one I am firmly committed to continuing."

2. In 2013 Dedham High School ranked 42ndin 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?

"Unfortunately, the premise behind this question is wrong. Great things happen every day in the Dedham Schools and we should be proud of the hard work of our staff and teachers. As for these magazine rankings, they have changed their own methodologies over time so it is wrong to identify supposed trends from comparisons. In addition, the statewide testing these rankings rely on also has changed completely. From 2017 to the start of the pandemic, the state overhauled the MCAS and told all districts NOT to compare new data to old test scores. The most recent data the district analyzed were the 2021 MCAS results given during the pandemic. Those results showed Dedham students performing as well, if not better, than most other communities in the state coming out of the pandemic. That said, we are always seeking ways to improve student achievement and performance. If we build on the reforms we have made and the progress we were seeing before the pandemic, I am confident we will see even greater improvement."

3. 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. If elected, what steps will you take to see that all bullying accusations are given proper credence and investigation at all school levels to ensure improper behavior is dealt with in a fair manner?

"As a school committee we are always reviewing and updating policy. We have updated the policy on bullying within the last year to make our policy even stronger, making it clear that any form of bullying is not acceptable. My career has been all about advocating for children and I do not want any child to have a negative experience in our school. But, unfortunately, sometimes it does happen. Within our roles as a school committee member, we advocate for the families to take the proper steps and to ask questions. We bring concerns to the Administration, but because of privacy laws we do not always know the outcomes. We, as a School Committee, will continue to listen and constantly work to make our schools safe places to learn. Each school has implemented an age-appropriate curriculum to deter bullying. PTOs are also given presentations by the school principals so parents understand the definitions of bullying and cyberbullying, the process, and how outcomes are determined. Parents are encouraged by every school committee member to reach out to their child’s health teacher for more information."

4. 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?

"Academics have been the primary focus at Dedham Middle School and Dedham High School. Home Economics has not been taught at the Middle School since 2002. The new middle school was not built with any shop areas but it does have a classroom with a kitchen. Some of our special education students are learning those skills. We had an Auto Shop until 12 years ago. The schools did not have the technology needed to repair today’s cars. These programs are now offered at many Community Colleges as they expect the students to have skills in the technology area. We do offer many Computer classes and even an AP computer class that offer students pathways into tech training and assistance programs. As part of restructuring, we revamped our Guidance and Counseling Department. One of the primary initiatives of that department has been to identify and connect Dedham High School students who may not be on a college track with careers and opportunities in the military, the trades, and other important and rewarding life choices."

5. 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?

"Finding the right educational leadership is essential to moving our district forward. In this next term, the School Committee not only will be tasked with the hiring of a new Superintendent, but also two Assistant Superintendents. Finding leadership with the vision, talent, and qualifications to lead our district is the most important duty the School Committee will have, and it will be the most important decision we make as a district in the coming years to ensure the direction of our schools. A superintendent search process is complex and requires many hours and much hard work. It must involve parents, students, educators and staff, and the community as a whole. This is one area where experience will be very important to ensure we get the right person to lead our district into the future. I have that experience. I chaired the hiring committee for Superintendent Welch. I believe I can be an asset in defining what qualities we need in our next generation of leadership and setting up an open and proper hiring process to find the right leaders."

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