Medford Election Profile: Jenny Graham For School Committee

MEDFORD, MA — Medford's municipal election Nov. 5 will send six people to the School Committee out of a pool of 10 candidates. Jenny Graham, 42, is one of five candidates currently not on the School Committee.

Graham lives in Medford with her husband, Scott, and two children. She is the co-chair of the Brooks Elementary School PTO and serves as the fundraising chair.

Graham has a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in finance from Babson College. She owns a Medford-based consulting business, Zelus, LLC, which advises government agencies and businesses on strategic planning, core business functions, adult education and curriculum development.

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

The single most pressing issue facing our school district is the absence of a strategic plan to lay out goals in critical areas such as communication, teacher support, curriculum development, and building and grounds maintenance. Without a strategic plan, we seem to approach issues piecemeal and without a view towards the larger picture.

As a certified Project Management Professional, I will work with the School Committee, administration, and stakeholders throughout the district to develop a strategic plan that articulates our goals and aligns those goals with realistic plans that will help us reach where we want to be as a district.

The subject of our building maintenance and the future of our high school is one of the big reasons I decided to run for School Committee. It has also been a priority for my and my campaign from the beginning. We can’t keep delaying our discussions around the needs for our buildings and I am committed to changing that cycle. Already, I’m pleased with the role I played in advocating for a discussion on this topic at the Buildings and Grounds meeting back in September, which led to the motion to create a special committee to look at the future of Medford High. That committee is happening and we need lots of voices on the committee. I really hope that a number of teachers, and even students, apply to be part of the committee. There are lots of options to explore, including to try to renovate in place, to build and move on the existing premises, or to explore other site options. As these options are vetted and costs are explored, I am committed to advocating for the best interests of our students and teachers. I will collaborate with the City Council and the Mayor’s office. Whether our residents have students in the schools are not, good strong schools are a priority I’ve heard about again and again.

The current capital plan is really more maintenance-focused. When it was created in the spring I was happy to see a first step being taken. Now, we need to revisit this plan annually. I am also working actively with parents from three elementary schools who have major playground issues to submit winning CPA applications that are collaborative and ensure that as a community we are not competing against one another, but working together with a common voice to benefit all our schools. The playgrounds are a great example of the vigilance we need in securing funds for our schools. While they were part of the capital plan to be completed prior to the close of the last fiscal year in June, the plan is not a guarantee of funds and a decision was made not to pursue city funding for these but instead to pursue a CPA grant. While the initial grants were submitted by the district, they did not complete the application or engage the community as the process intends. We are on top of it now and are ready to present winning proposals on November 13th at the CPA meeting.

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

The candidates are all unique individuals and would bring different skills or capabilities to the School Committee. My husband Scott and I are products of public schools, and we believe in the power of education. I am a first generation college graduate with a degree in Finance from Babson College. Scott and I are the parents of two children in the Medford Public Schools. My professional background in Finance, Process Improvement, Change Management, and Learning Design and Delivery align well with the responsibilities of the School Committee. I own a Medford based consulting business where I advise government agencies and businesses on strategic planning, curriculum development, and change management. I am a certified PMP (Project Management Professional) and designated a Certified Professional of Learning and Performance by the Association for Talent Development. I sat on the Superintendent Search Committee in 2018 and have been collaborating with the School Committee for years to make positive change happen.

What drives my candidacy is my commitment to always move forward and my commitment to doing better. As a school district, I want us to communicate more effectively on all fronts. I want the School Committee and the administration to name our problems and create an understanding of what we don’t have and why. We need it to promote understanding, collaboration, and action.

I want us to think of communicating to families as a priority. We need to stop hiding behind the idea that we need only to post public meetings to be compliant and do more to bring families to the table for issues they care about.

I want us to communicate a cohesive story to our prospective families about why MPS is a great choice for their children. We don’t have to be perfect to own our message and control our narrative.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

I view the role of a School Committee member as being a voice for our community. As an elected official, I would work for the residents of the city. For too long, our School Committee has taken direction from the administration and been pulled along in a sense. I believe it’s the committee’s job to push the agenda forward and set the tone for the administration. And I will do just that. I’ve already committed to holding regular office hours if elected, but there really is no reason to wait for office hours. Over the course of my campaign, I have been talking with our teachers and parents and students about what matters to them, and will continue to do this because I want to be prepared to hit the ground running and understand the needs of each of our school buildings.

I also want to see a reinvigoration of our Curriculum Subcommittee, which has not met since 2017. Some of our curricula are not quite aligned with state standards. I have lots of thoughts about the role of that subcommittee, and would hope to be a key contributor there to draw on my experience developing and delivering adult learning curriculum. We have a lot of work to do and I will be looking for our teachers to be part of those conversations. As a curriculum developer myself, I know that evaluating curricula can’t just be about a single measure. We need to be looking at a well rounded evaluation that takes in feedback from all constituents.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

Another key focus of my platform is increasing the amount of aid that Medford receives from the state. I became involved in fundraising both in my own children’s school and across the city as a co-founder of the Medford Citywide Elementary Alliance. The alliance raised nearly $28,000 in its first year. Fundraising from parents pays for so much in Medford, but perhaps it is too much. Moreover, fundraising can’t buy critical items such as additional staff, new curricula, or building maintenance. Increasing funding to Medford is necessary so that we can support our diverse population. Earlier this year, we were projected to lose nearly a million dollars in funding. I drafted a petition to our representatives and, within 2 weeks, nearly 1,000 Medford parents, teacher and stakeholders signed the petition. I delivered it to the governor's office and the state house, and several months later, we learned that our voices had been heard and the state was allocating additional funds to communities like ours that have lost funding in this fiscal year. I am closely watching developments on Beacon Hill regarding the Student Opportunity Act which aims to fix the funding formula that sends aid to cities and towns. There will be ways as the process continues that we should mobilize as a community and I will ensure that we do.

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

I have a track record of working with parents, teachers and staff, and officials from across our district to better our schools. As a parent appointed to the Superintendent Search Committee, I authored key documents that were used in the search process, which resulted in the successful hiring of Dr. Edouard-Vincent. As a co-founder of the Medford Citywide Elementary Alliance, I have worked collaboratively with a team of parents from all four elementary schools - the first time these school PTOs have collaborated in recent memory - to run four fundraising events that have raised over $30,000 in just 16 months for our elementary school PTOs. Together, we have also advocated before the School Committee for shared needs such as Chromebooks, building maintenance, a library curriculum, and improved bus service. This is an example of how I work to bring people together to work for a common goal.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

For change to happen you have to put one foot in front of the other. Do this every day and you WILL achieve your goals.

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

One of the things we’ve seen on the campaign trail is that change and opportunity abound here in Medford and our schools are no exception. We’ve talked about big changes at the high school and also changes at the middle school level in terms of how we structure the middle years.

But make no mistake, change is hard. It requires us to be pragmatic, and planful, and ask good questions. Big changes require a lot of what-ifing to be successful. I help clients make change happen every day. They will say to me “I need to improve my outcomes but I have 25 constraints, including a shoestring budget”. So we work with them to understand where they are at, and agree on that outcome they are seeking. And then we take steps, one at a time to move toward the outcome. It’s not easy, and it can take a long time, but there is always an opportunity to make process. Together, we can move more quickly and with better results. As a member of the School Committee I would bring my experience and my passion to the table to work hard, collaborate, and serve. You can find out more about me at www.electjenny.org. There you’ll also find my School Committee summaries and commentary. If you have questions though, don’t hesitate to reach out. I ask for one of your votes on November 5th so we can keep moving forward, together.