'Transparent, Reliable, Responsive': Martha Driscoll Cesarz Runs For Swampscott School Committee

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — A retired Stanley School teacher and principal is looking to give back to the district and town as a member of the Swampscott School Committee.

Martha Driscoll Cesarz is running for the School Committee opening created when Amy O'Connell resigned earlier this year. Her seat remained unfilled pending the annual spring town election.

She said she believes there needs to be a balance between wanting the best educational experiences for students and a realistic budget.

"The operation and funding of our schools must always be transparent, reliable, and responsive to the needs of the community," Cesarz said in a campaign announcement to Patch.

Cesarz said she believes strongly that her education, experience, and passion make her well-qualified to serve on the School Committee and will help guide the Swampscott school system in these difficult times.

She added that, most importantly, there needs to be complete trust and confidence in our school system by the taxpayers and parents of this town.

Cesarz worked for 17 years at the Stanley School, including five as a principal and director of learning. She finished out her career as principal of the Winthrop Elementary School in Hamilton.

She received her undergraduate degree in Education from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, followed by a Master's Degree in Administration from Lesley University.

She has stayed involved in education upon retirement, as the Director of Research in the Alumni Office of the Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut, as Director of Learning and Professional Development for The Learning Project in Boston and as a math tutor for the Shore Country Day School in Beverly.

She also works at Endicott College, mentoring students prior to their entering the teaching profession, and as a substitute teacher at the Devereux School in Marblehead.

She is a long-time Town Meeting member, served on the Swampscott Local Arts Council for six years, and on the Hadley Reuse Committee.

Cesarz moved with her family from Lynn to Swampscott in 1966 and has remained in the town since then.

She served as a Girls Scouts pack leader, youth soccer coach and PTO member.

She has two children and two grandchildren.