Meet Valerie Ottaviani, Future Framingham School Committee Member

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Unless something odd happens, we already know who's going to win the Framingham School Committee seats up for election in 2021.

The seven incumbents running for reelection are all unopposed. Two members are not running in 2021 — Scott Wadland in District 3 and Geoffrey Epstein in District 6 — but the two locals running for their seats are also unopposed.

Still, Framingham Patch has reached out to each School Committee candidate running this year to ask why they're seeking another term, what they want to accomplish and how to encourage more people to get involved in local politics.

Valerie Ottaviani will take over Epstein's seat in the uncontested District 6 race. Although it's her first run for office, she's been close to local politics for a long time: her husband is District 6 Councilor Philip Ottaviani. She works as a nurse at Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, and has been a volunteer in Framingham schools.

Why did you choose to run for a School Committee seat in 2021?

For the past twenty-plus years I have watched my husband give back to our community, be involved in multiple programs and now has a seat on the City Council. This has inspired me to get involved on my own, find a cause that is special to me and could use my voice. I’ve always been active in a variety of projects with each school my daughter has attended whether it was fundraising or assisting in a classroom. Now I want to get more involved and run for the District 6 school committee seat. My district needed a candidate and I feel I can do the job.

Can you tell voters a little bit about your personal background (including your school experience)?

I moved to Framingham (from Ashland) after graduating from Northeastern University. I’ve held a job in critical care nursing for more than thirty years and currently work at a teaching hospital in Boston. My husband, Philip, and I have one daughter who is a junior at Framingham High School. As a parent I have always volunteered at her schools but never held an actual office due to the fact I was my elderly parents’ primary caretaker, they both passed away peacefully in 2020.

You were the only person to file to run for this seat. Why do you think no one else wanted to run, and is there anything the School Committee can do to encourage more participation in elections?

I am not sure why other residents did not want to run for the school committee seat in District 6 but in the current climate our lives have all been in a holding pattern due to the pandemic. I for one have seen this first hand working in a COVID-19 ICU, the lives of everyone have taken a drastic turn, people are busy with their own jobs, families and everyday life. I have only watched the School Committee as a concerned parent/resident but once I start my new role and get acquainted with the process, I will encourage others to get involved with the schools and our community.

What's your top priority for your first term?

My first few months on the School Committee I will need to get familiar with the policies, meet with the administration and observe how the school committee functions on a daily basis and not as an outsider. I look forward to attending the school committee meetings, listening and learning to see where my voice can best serve the schools and city of Framingham. One of the most important things to me is that every student in the City of Framingham should have access to the best educational experience we can offer.

Read other 2021 candidate profiles:

• William LaBarge On 2021 Framingham School Board Run
• Meet Jennifer Moshe, New Framingham School Committee Member

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated which hospital Ottaviani works at.