Natick 2022 Candidate Profile: Kathleen Flathers, School Board

NATICK, MA — Natick voters in 2022 will have a big choice to make in the school committee race.

There are three seats up for election this spring, and the three incumbents holding those seats — Cathi Collins, Henry Haugland and Julie McDonough — are all seeking reelection. There are also two challengers in the mix: Kathleen Flathers and Elise Gorseth.

To help voters get to know each candidate, Natick Patch sent all five a questionnaire to probe their thoughts on school issues. Here's what Flathers had to say:

Age: 46
Occupation: Head of product for a healthcare technology startup
Ties to Natick schools: Parent of four Natick students who will be spread across elementary, middle and high schools next year
Experience as an elected official: None

What's the biggest issue facing Natick Public Schools and what would you do about it?

I believe the most pressing issue we face is to rebuild our community post-pandemic and get our students thriving both mentally and academically. Most of that work will come from educators, and as a committee member, I want to be a strong ally in that pursuit. First, I want to ensure that this recovery also focuses on our teachers by listening to their needs and advocating for fair compensation. Second, I want to work with the administration to find the right metrics to measure achievement for all students. Too often, the reports focus on the students with the highest academic achievement or the ones missing benchmarks. I want us to know that the 80% in the middle are not falling through the cracks, and clear metrics will help us avoid the trap of being distracted by anecdotes while also providing the fortitude to stay focused on big picture goals.

Natick voted to close Johnson Elementary last year. If you voted for that closure, can you explain why? If you weren't on the committee, how would you have voted and why?

I am a Johnson parent, so I followed the decision-making process closely. As both a parent and a taxpayer, I understand that we need to make hard decisions, and I even agree that a Johnson closure was likely to be one such choice — eventually. But in my view, this was not the right time.
Most districts have an extended planning period for school closures, which we didn’t see for Johnson. And while some have argued that a Johnson closure was discussed for a decade, the fact is, sporadic proposals are not the same as a deliberate process. I wish we had taken the time to complete things like a formal evaluation of the economic or environmental impact of the decision. Moreover, we were (and continue to be) in a pandemic, with all the uncertainty that brings. We rightly prioritize the mental health and emotional well-being of our students and educators in Natick, and therefore I wouldn’t have voted to add another disruption, and more uncertainty, to our kids, and our teachers, at that moment in time when the short-term benefits were not sufficiently justified.

What do you think of DESE's lifting of the statewide mask mandate? Do you think it was too soon, or maybe too late?

Most healthcare experts in my network felt comfortable with the decision to lift the mandate, so personally, I thought it was the right time. As a School Committee member, however, my opinion isn’t a factor, as I am not the expert on public safety. I would expect the School Committee to have a policy that is easily accessible to the public that governs safety measures, metrics and which expert opinions would prompt a change to the policy.

If you could snap your fingers and fix or change one thing in the school system, what would it be?

As a fiscally conscientious and pragmatic person, I will propose an area where progress is both possible and a natural extension to the great work our educators are already doing. I would like to find new ways to expand diversity among students and staff. As a committee member, I would encourage our administration to create new strategies to recruit, develop, and retain educators of color, so that every child has a role model and sees success by someone who looks like them. I would further conversations on how we can create more diversity in our student population, while also ensuring that our current students feel secure and able to thrive. As parents and educators, we must delicately educate students with facts and experiences so they learn firsthand that we are all equal and deserve the same care, respect, and rights as one another. This makes Natick a leader in equity.