Ellen Lederer-DeFrancesco To Run For Election To Sudbury School Committee

SUDBURY, MA — Sudbury residents will head to the polls to vote on two open seats on the Sudbury School Committee, and Ellen Lederer-DeFrancesco has announced her candidacy for the position.

Lederer-DeFrancesco, a lifelong educator, moved here seven months ago when she and her family decided they wanted something brand new.

"We fell in love with Sudbury, so we moved here," she told Patch. "It had everything that we absolutely wanted."

Growing up in a family that served the community in some form or another, including a soup kitchen her parents ran, is what led Lederer-DeFrancesco to want to volunteer her time.

While living in New York, Lederer-DeFrancesco said she was the Parent–teacher association president and started a blog that helped families, for free, find fun activities and connect.

She ended up running for New York State Assembly in 2024 after the opportunity became available. While she didn't get the position, she said the experience was valuable.

"I believe failure fuels success, and even though I wasn't successful in that situation, it opens my ability to leave and find the place that I always wanted to go, which is here," Lederer-DeFrancesco told Patch. "Sometimes, you know, when a door closes, that window opens right up for you."

Lederer-DeFrancesco told Patch that, when moving to Sudbury, she knew she wanted to get involved. Now that both of her daughters are in college, she said she has the opportunity to give back even more.

While she told Patch she doesn't have children in the school system, she expressed her desire to be involved.

"In my previous community, I spent 10 years volunteering and helping a local homeless shelter for women and children. I didn't need to be homeless to be able to care and to help," she said. "For those who are a bit nervous that I don't have children in the school system. I come from a place where I care."

• 11 Open Positions For Office In Sudbury: Select Board, School Committee And Others

Background In Education

Lederer-DeFrancesco told Patch she brings a different background to the table.

In addition to working as an English as a second language teacher at Framingham Public Schools, she holds two master's degrees in education from George Washington University and Columbia University, and a doctorate in educational administration from Columbia University.

"I'm a parent of two daughters that went through public schools. I'm a teacher who teaches in public schools. I have the degree that superintendents have, so I can study that aspect," she told Patch. " I kind of come to the table with all these different aspects that possibly nobody else has."

School Committee's Top Priorities

When asked what she thinks the top priorities for the School Committee are, Lederer-DeFrancesco said there is a lot of talk surrounding transparency, but added that it can just be a buzzword.

"I feel here they really do have transparency," she said. "I think there is a big issue in having the information distributed to meet people where they're at."

While School Committee meetings are often three or four hours long, twice a month, she said that could be very difficult for busy parents.

Lederer-DeFrancesco suggested a new way to disseminate information for people who may not be able to watch the full meetings every month.

"I really would love to see a Facebook page from the School Committee, that's maybe not interactive because I'm not looking for that discussion part," said Lederer-DeFrancesco, saying that any way for the Committee to provide a summary of what's going on could be helpful.

Lederer-DeFrancesco said for her, it always comes down to the students.

As an educator, she can see how decisions made at the highest level trickle down, she told Patch. She added that schools are workplaces for educators and teachers, who are often pushed to the side.

"I love that all the different School Committee members come from a different place...It's very emotional, and it should be. You're dealing with your children," she told Patch. "Sometimes people just want to be seen and heard, and people have different viewpoints, but we also can respectfully listen to each other."

Sudbury Annual Town Election

The Annual Town Election is scheduled for Monday, Mar. 30. 11 town-wide office positions will appear on the ballot, including one seat each on the Select Board, the Board of Assessors, the Board of Health, the Park and Recreation Commission, and the Planning Board. There are two open seats each on the Sudbury School and the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional District School Committees.

Along with Lederer-DeFrancesco, current School Committee member Julie Durgin-Sicree will also be on the ballot. Last week, another resident and parent in Sudbury, Jonathan Sullivan, launched a write-in campaign for the election.

The deadline to register to vote in Sudbury is Mar. 20, and voting by mail will be available for the election.

See Also:

• Sudbury School Committee Member Julie Durgin-Sicree To Run For Re-Election
• Jonathan Sullivan Launches Write-In Campaign for Sudbury School Committee