Meet the Candidates for School Committee - Part 1

Meet the School Committee Candidates (Part 1)

This is Part 1 of a 5 Part Series, giving the voters in Medfield an opportunity to learn about the candidates running for a seat on the School Committee.

Four Medfield residents will be on the March 28th Town Election ballot running for two seats on the School Committee.

The candidates are: Flavia Benson, Tim Knight (incumbent), Lauren Liljegren and Robert Worth.

Patch has reached out to each candidate and they have all agreed to answer questions about themselves and share their visions as well as explain why they should be voted to join the School Committee. They were asked to keep their written responses brief and to the point.

Question 1. What should the Medfield voters know about you (i.e., background, occupation, skills, experience, etc.)?

Flavia Benson: I was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil. I moved to Boston in 1996 where I attended Brandeis University followed by New England Law. I am fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. A Medfield resident since 2005, my husband Robert Benson and I moved here to start a family and have our children attend the highly rated schools. We have 3 children attending Medfield schools: MHS, Blake and Dale.

Professionally, my career began in private practice as an attorney for 10 years providing services in commercial and residential real estate, corporate transactions, and regulatory compliance. Currently, I am a Certified Healthcare Environmental Services Professional in the Environmental Infection Prevention field. I am privileged to work with environmental services teams, housekeepers, and custodians of school districts, major hospitals, and professional sports teams. We achieve successful program implementations and results that are balanced with cost effectiveness, sustainability, risk assessment, regulatory compliance, and within contractual constraints. I am also founder of Dovetail Mortgage, LLC which opened in January 2021. I am passionate about supporting organizations that inspire and bring hope, dedicated to volunteering in and engaging with my community, and in advocating for sustainable and healthy environments. I am currently a Board Member of The Born to Run Foundation, Inc., and for 4 years I volunteered as the Blue and Gold Banquet Chair for Medfield Cub Scouts Pack 200.

Tim Knight (incumbent): My wife and I moved to Medfield in 2002 , and have had the pleasure of raising three daughters in the community. I have always been active supporting the needs of the town, with my initial focus on coaching all grade levels, and volunteering as needs surfaced in my kids’ classroom.

In 2017 I began to serve on the inaugural Medfield SEL Task Force, where we work closely with teachers, administrators, students and fellow parents to improve the social emotional well-being for both our students and educators. As I became more active, I raised my hand and was elected to the School Committee in 2019. I have enjoyed partnering with the community and administration to foster a positive environment for our kids, and am excited to earn your vote and continue to serve the community.

Lauren Liljegren: I’m excited to be running as a candidate for Medfield’s School Committee! My husband and I live in an antique house, very close to the center of town. I enjoy learning about the history of our town. We have three children, including a current Blake Middle School student. Fun Fact: Dan and I were married at the Medfield Town House by the former town clerk, Carol Mayer.

Like the majority of Medfield citizens, I was unable to support the proposed new school on the Wheelock Campus and prefer use of the existing Dale School site. We need a new school on the right site. If elected, I’ll work to make sure the next school plan is one that incorporates the stated preferences of all our citizens and will pass. We cannot afford another failed plan. I am a working mother with 20 years of business experience in employee benefits administration, compensation and labor laws and practices. I believe my analysis and project management background makes me an ideal candidate for the role of School Committee Member. In our community, I am a member of the Blake Site Council and a frequent UCC Soup-on-the-Go volunteer. I have an in-depth understanding of special education law and procedure. This is an area where many parents feel Medfield Schools are lacking. Parents should not have to retain an attorney and educational advocate, at great personal expense, just to meet the basic educational needs of their child. I'm looking forward to meeting more members of our community and learning about your concerns and priorities. My goal is to serve as a voice for parents and taxpayers on Medfield's School Committee.

Robert Worth: With over a decade of experience working in schools, and in my current work as an Assistant Principal in Wrentham, I have a deep understanding of how schools work to serve all of our students well. The most compelling reason I can provide to vote for me is the combination of my past experience as an educator and my continued experience working in schools every single day as an administrator. Among all of the current school committee members, and candidates for this election, I am the only person that has daily experience working in schools with students and their families, collaborating with teachers and community organizations, engaging with all stakeholders. This is what will make me a valuable addition to the Medfield School Committee and an unmatched advocate for all of our students.

My wife and I absolutely love living in Medfield with our two daughters. We have lived in town for almost three years now, and we look forward to raising our children here and living here for a long time. We were very familiar with the community because we have many family members who have been longtime residents. As a passionate believer in public education, I am very excited for our two daughters to start school in Medfield. I know that the Medfield schools have excellent teachers and staff, and I’m confident that our daughters will receive an excellent education.

Question 2. What are your thoughts ("takeaways") after 2 years with Covid restrictions, (i.e. remote learning, hybrid learning and other educational changes)?

Flavia Benson: The past 2 years have been an incredibly difficult time for kids, parents, and educators. While we’re inching towards normalcy, children have faced the toughest obstacles with Covid restrictions. I applaud our school administrators and teachers for doing their best at the onset of the pandemic, particularly in shifting to remote learning when needed. My three children all struggled learning the material being taught via a remote classroom with limited teacher and peer interaction and collaboration. In a household with two full-time working parents, my husband and I were not equipped to provide the guidance and support that our kids needed to be successful students learning from home. We were blessed to be able to work with a tutor to help our kids succeed in this new environment, but not all families had the ability to do the same.

Seeing the struggles within my household and through numerous conversations with friends in similar situations, I became involved with the Bring Kids Back cause in mid-2020 to prioritize education and advocate for students to return to school while maintaining options for remote learning. My biggest concern was that kids would fall behind with remote learning, thereby increasing the educational gap between those that could afford a tutor and private schools, and those that could not. The repercussions of remote learning during Covid are coming to light in terms of academics, and social and emotional well-being of our children. Studies are showing increases in obesity, learning delays, and mental health issues. I want to be part of the solution moving forward, providing a voice for our children, parents and taxpayers.

Tim Knight (incumbent): The Covid impact is felt in the classroom every day with heightened student anxiety, behavioral issues, and increased demands on our educators every day. Managing pandemic related issues demanded increased collaboration & communication between parents/guardians, educators, and students to monitor and address emerging academic and social/emotional needs. I believe we are just beginning to understand the extent of the impact; and must work harder to engage our families and ensure ongoing communication.

Serving on the School Committee during this time had many ups and downs. I genuinely appreciate the fact that families were active in sharing their views, as it helped the schools make the best possible decisions under the circumstances. We must continue to work tirelessly to strengthen our community, and improve the climate and culture surrounding our schools. This will ensure we can hire and retain the best educators, and provide a positive environment for our students to thrive.

Lauren Liljegren: Hybrid and remote learning were an unmitigated disaster. Daily, it seems, a new study is released, describing the negative impacts restrictions have had on children’s’ cognitive and social development. Compared to 2019, MCAS scores dropped significantly in 2021. Our Surgeon General has called for a swift and coordinated response to the youth “mental health crisis”, exacerbated by restrictions on children’s lives. Boston Hospitals have months to year long waits for the most critical pediatric mental health care. The comprehensive impact of school closures, remote and hybrid learning and other restrictions won’t be fully understood for years.

I’m grateful Massachusetts educational leadership has allowed the removal of most remaining restrictions, effective February 28th. I look forward to seeing our kids’ smiles on Monday.

Robert Worth: The pandemic continues to be challenging for everyone who works in schools. As an educational leader, I have been determined to surmount obstacles and persevere through challenging times. Educational leadership during these challenging times relies heavily on improvising, tolerating ambiguity and building that tolerance among staff, students and families. In an effort to do this, communication is key. Especially when guidance and policies can be confusing, communication early and often builds trust and reinforces a strong sense of community. I pride myself in offering excellent communication and support in my position as an administrator. Similarly, the role of a school committee member demands clear and concise communication.

As the school community looks forward, emerging from the confines placed upon schools by the pandemic, we face the residual effects of the limits to teaching and learning over the past years. If elected, in my term as a School Committee member, I am prepared to confront these challenges, bringing the perspective of someone who is inside of a school everyday - working with students and teachers - encountering challenges and working collaboratively to create solutions. More than anything, during this challenging time, this continued experience is what I can bring to the Medfield School Committee.