Woburn Candidate Profile: Andrew Lipsett For School Committee

WOBURN, MA — Woburn will have several contested races in November's election, including a seven-way race for five school committee seats. Woburn Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Andrew Lipsett, 40, is running for election to the school committee. There are six other candidates: Luke Anderson, Patricia E. Chisholm, Colleen Cormier, Ellen Crowley, Charles Viola, and John Wells. Lipsett and his wife Emily both teach high school history. They have a son in first grade at Malcolm White School and a one-year-old daughter.

Are you running for office in Woburn? Contact Chris Huffaker at chris.huffaker@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Woburn Patch.

Previously on Patch: School Committee Candidate Forum: Contenders Tout Resumes

Woburn Preliminary Election: Galvin, Pedrini Advance

Campaign website: www.lipsettschoolcommittee.com

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Making sure our resources and funding meet our needs. Woburn is experiencing growth, development, and change, and we have a responsibility to make sure our schools are prepared to meet the needs of every child who comes through our doors and provide them with the tools they, personally, need to thrive.

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

My fellow School Committee candidates are good people who want the best for our kids. I hope I can add to their work with my unique perspective as both a teacher and a parent. If elected, I would be the only member who works in the field of education; working with students every day gives me a clear sense of what kinds of curriculum and services we need to provide, and where we might be able to improve. I would also be one of only two members with children currently in the schools. Together, these give me a clear sense of what's happening on the ground, in the classroom, on a daily basis.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

- Ensuring stronger communication and transparency between the schools and the community;
- Promoting equity, both among student populations and between schools;
- Reducing our reliance on high-stakes and standardized testing;
- Increasing support for students in our Special Education and English Language Learner programs;
- Supporting the further development of social and emotional supports for our students;
- Finding creative ways for the schools to ease the burden on working families;
- Working with state lawmakers to push for legislation that benefits Woburn's students

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

In my role as classroom teacher, I have helped develop curriculum, supported students in crisis and in need, led professional development sessions, headed accreditation committees, and been honored on a number of occasions by students with yearly teacher awards.

As an advocate for public education, I have met with and lobbied legislators at the local and state level, worked within coalitions pushing for changes that would support our most vulnerable students, written op-eds and articles in support of legislation, and appeared before Woburn's school committee to advance positive change.

I hope that in all of these roles, I have been able to advance my own vision of what public education should be, and collaborate with others in support of that goal.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

I'd like to say something profound here, but it is probably closer to "don't sweat the small stuff."

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

Though I'm not a Woburn native, my wife and I have come to love this community in the seven-plus years we've lived here. This is my way of giving back; I hope that my experience, commitment, and passion for education will allow me to make some positive change for my kids and all of our kids.

Past candidate profiles: Woburn Candidate Profile: John Wells For School Committee

Woburn Candidate Profile: Colleen Cormier For School Committee

Christopher Huffaker: 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com