Marlborough Candidate Profile: Peggy Ayres For School Committee

MARLBOROUGH, MA — Marlborough has several contested races within the City Council election and a contested race for the Assabet Valley School Committee. Marlborough's mayoral race is also split into three ways — the field of mayoral candidates will be narrowed after the Oct. 8 preliminary election.

Marlborough Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Peggy Ayres, 63, is running for Assabet Valley School Committee. Her opponent is Mark Snyder. Ayres is the sitting Marlborough representative to the Assabet School Committee. She works as an Executive Assistant at Framingham Public Schools and has held the position for over five years. She has a bachelor's degree from Framingham State University and has six children and six grandchildren.

Are you running for office in Marlborough? Contact Samantha Mercado at samantha.mercado@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Marlborough Patch.

Previously on Patch: Marlborough Mayoral Race Split Three Ways

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

The most pressing issue facing Assabet is to assess and analyze the current career and technical education majors to ensure that they meet the needs of students by preparing them for the technology of today and also equip them to meet future industry growth needs.
My experience on this committee and my passion for our students, will ensure that this issue is addressed head on as we monitor and evaluate the progress.

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

Experience. As the current school committee member to Assabet, I understand the roles and responsibilities the post entails. I currently serve as an officer, as well as a member of the finance subcommittee, the personnel negotiations subcommittee and the policy subcommittee. I take advantage of workshops, seminars and professional development at every opportunity.
I also have the passion of a parent of a former student as well as a member of the Parent Advisory Council. My son and I both served as members of the (PAC) during his four years at Assabet and I remained on the PAC long after my son graduated.
Additionally, I worked at Assabet as the publicist and as a substitute teacher. I also mentored students and was a judge for senior projects. During this time, I gained tremendous insight as to what Assabet offers to the community and stakeholders in addition to the opportunities afforded to students.
In my current position with the Framingham Public Schools, I am aware of how schools operate administratively as well as keeping current with changing laws, challenges of increased regulation and unfunded mandates.
I also serve as a central office building representative in the Framingham Teachers Association.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

I will continue being an ambassador for Assabet by increasing community awareness about the value of a technical education as well as community opportunities. I will continue my professional development by participating in as many workshops and training opportunities as possible as I continually study and deepen my knowledge to ensure that I am as well-prepared as possible. I will continue to be accessible to residents.

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

In addition to my decades of personal experience with Assabet and my current position on the school committee, I have an extensive record of empowering community-based organizations to develop processes that facilitate understanding and change, whether the need is for expansion, funding, reorganization, succession planning, consolidation, or performance improvements.

Additionally, I jumped into volunteering and serving the community as soon as I began calling Marlborough home 25 years ago. I volunteered in schools, scouting, recycling efforts as well as many non-profits. I continue to volunteer with the Friends of the Library and at the senior center. And I spent over a decade making sure that children that might otherwise go without lunch during the summer months were fed.

I was named Humanitarian of the Year in 2008 by Mayor Nancy Stevens and awarded the Appreciation Pin from Patriots Trail Girl Scout Council in 2001.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

The best advice ever shared with me came from my youngest son when he was about four years old. We were driving on Rte 9 and had just driven past a billboard that read, “You’re never too old to be the person you always wanted to be.” As I was reading the sign my son asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I told him I already had a very important job - I was a Mom. He said, “No, I mean a real job.” The combination of reading that sign and his insistence of a real answer to his question at the exact same moment prompted me to reach back into my dreams and answer that I always wanted to be a writer. And he responded, “Then just do it.” His advice led me to enroll in a writing class at Assabet After Dark which opened up so many opportunities including a long working relationship with Assabet. First, I became a freelance writer for several publications which in turn lead to a job as a publicist for Assabet. My writing efforts also led to being hired as a legislative aide to a state senator. Additionally, I went back to school and finished by Bachelor’s Degree at Framingham State.

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

One reason I love representing Marlborough on the Assabet School Committee is because I have lived in other parts of the country where technical and vocational education is not available to high school students, so I understand and appreciate what a valuable asset we have in our community. Assabet is a district that invests in student wellbeing, student achievement and student career planning and success. Students graduate and are ready for immediate employment, and/or advanced certifications as well as further educational opportunities.

Everyone’s educational journey is different and Assabet provides learning opportunities for people at different stages of their lives as well as supporting the community in so many ways.

I respectfully ask for your vote in November.