Meet The Newest Member Of The Salem School Committee - Veronica Miranda

SALEM, MA — A Rainbow Terrace resident and member of the Salem Human Rights Coalition is the newest member of the Salem School Committee.

Veronica Miranda, who spoke about her time being homeless and her perspective as a queer woman of color during her speech to a joint convention of the Salem School Committee and City Council at Monday night's meeting to fill the open seat, was elected with 12 of 16 votes in the joint convention to fill out the term that 20-year Committee member Jim Fleming resigned from last month.

"Thank you for letting me bring this representation to the school committee and further equity for our kids — all of the kids — including the Black, brown, queer and otherwise historically oppressed groups in Salem," she said following her selection. "I look forward to working alongside all of you and I'm excited for this opportunity."

Miranda was one of seven candidates interviewed in advance of Monday's meeting and given a chance to provide a three-minute speech to the joint convention.

The Revere native and 2021 City Council Ward 7 candidate spoke of her time in the Salem Housing Authority since 2019 and as a tenant representative after her family previously experienced homeless, as well as her priorities of equity and mental health services for the students of Salem Public Schools.

"I think that I've shown my commitment to the city and to equity in different ways," she said. "As a queer woman of color who lives in a disadvantaged neighborhood, Rainbow Terrace, I hope to bring some lived perspective, my educational background in mental health, and just everything that I learned in education, to the table, as well as my experience serving on boards and committees on the North Shore."

Miranda was immediately sworn in following her selection and cast her first vote as a School Committee member to adjourn Monday's joint convention.

Her first official full School Committee meeting will be Thursday night when Superintendent Steve Zrike presents the projected 2024 budget to the Committee.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)