Somerville Election Profile: Tara Ten Eyck For School Committee

SOMERVILLE, MA — There are two contested School Committee races in Somerville's municipal election Nov. 5. Tara Ten Eyck, 47, is running against Caroline Normand in Ward 7.

Ten Eyck lives in Somerville with her husband, Lovan Chetty, and their two children. She has been a public school educator for 11 years.

Ten Eyck has a master's in education and a bachelor's of science in finance.

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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.

Equity and access in our schools. I will advocate for programs that will support our diverse population, like more bilingual programming, expanded pre-k, more project-based learning, and student support services.

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

I believe the biggest difference between myself and the current representative is that I intend to be a champion for more progressive educational opportunities and more responsive to the needs and concerns of West Somerville families. I will also be more direct and transparent in my communication with constituents about what's on the School Committee's agenda and how constituents can get involved and make their voices heard.

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

This is the 7th year our children are attending Somerville Public Schools. Carrie Normand has been our School Committee Representative for six of those years. In that time, parents (including myself and my husband) have organized and advocated for a second bilingual program within the district. Despite the growing popularity of Unidos, the only bilingual program currently offered, Representative Normand declined to support it or take it up on the School Committee's agenda. She was also part of the subcommittee tasked with putting the Powderhouse Studios proposal together to bring before the School Committee. Powderhouse Studios came with $10 million of seed-funding, had a revolutionary project-based curriculum, and a plan to become an innovation incubator within the school district. The founders piloted the program at the Healey School with great success and much anticipation. And yet, the Powderhouse Studios proposal was voted down unanimously; Representative Normand being one of the most vocal against the proposal. Proposals like these I have mentioned are certainly not simple or easy to implement. However, the School Committee could develop a plan with incremental steps to be made towards these goals in the coming years. If Somerville Public Schools are going to be competitive in the region, we must do this.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

In our district, the West Somerville Neighborhood School is the most isolated of all the schools and has the least programming available. If you are interested in Unidos, it is only available on the other side of the city. Many families don't even consider Unidos because the lottery is so competitive and If you don't get in, you lose your (almost) guaranteed neighborhood school admission - a double loss. If you are interested in the El Sistema music program, it too is only available on the other side of the city. Want your kids to participate in Citizen Schools? Sorry, only available on the other side of the city. It was only recently that one SMILE pre-k class opened at WSNS. Before that, it was also only available on the other side of the city. For many families, transportation is a limiting factor which calls into question whether there is true "school choice" in Somerville. WSNS is more diverse than people think it is and faces similar challenges to other schools with more support programs. WSNS students deserve equal access to programs offered elsewhere within the district.

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

I am a high school math teacher and over the past six or seven years, I have worked on changing my teaching practice to be solely competency-based. Of course, I learn a lot from each year's experience; I evolve and improve my curriculum, but it has still been a massive challenge. I was an early adopter of competency-based education, so I transitioned mostly on my own. No other educators in my building were doing it. Early on, I faced skepticism and sometimes outright opposition from some administrators and many students. But I sought professional development where I could and drew inspiration from what I observed. I knew what I was doing would produce the best outcomes for my students, so I never gave up. Over time, more colleagues and administrators could see the benefits of a competency-based philosophy and finally, this year, our whole school began an official transition to this new curriculum and grading format. I know I can handle this job, because ultimately it's about always keeping students' best interests in mind; having a vision, a belief, and taking iterative steps to achieve that vision. I have been able to do that as a teacher. I do it for my own children as a parent. I am confident I can do it for the 5,000 families in Somerville Public Schools.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

always have at least one close friend who is ten years older than you and one close friend who is ten years younger than you.

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

I grew up in California and my husband is from South Africa. We are a mixed-race family. Our two sons attend East Somerville Community School, one in 6th grade and one in 2nd grade. We love our community and have made our home here for 14 years.