Worcester Candidate Profile: Jermoh Vainga Kamara, School Board

WORCESTER, MA — Worcester's election season is heating up and the School Committee race is one to watch. Worcester's School Committee and district has been in and out of the spotlight this year as education equity has been a topic on the lips of both City Councilors and School Committee members.

Worcester Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Jermoh Vainga Kamara, 26, is running for Worcester School Committee. She is facing 13 opponents, all vying for one of the six seats. Kamara works as a bilingual Public Health Practitioner. She holds a masters in public health from New York Medical College and is a certified health education specialist. Kamara's specialties in his field include water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), school health and sexual reproductive health.

Are you running for office in Worcester? Contact Samantha Mercado at samantha.mercado@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Worcester Patch.

Previously on Patch: Worcester Preliminary Has Small Turnout, Familiar Faces Advance

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

Equity in our district:
Equity in our district is of high priority, we must first work on a school culture that is inclusive of all the students. This should come with professional development that is culturally sensitive. The staff needs to understand the students they serve and students need to feel safe and respected. To accomplish this, here are a few of my recommendations:

Trust building activities that builds a culture of respect built throughout the school day, consistently for the entire academic year. Learning happens in many ways, we must first learn to trust each other to achieve a meaningful relationship.

Involve students and teachers in reviewing and implementing student handbook guidelines. Create an ambassador program where students take leadership in reminding other students when norms are not being followed. Remind students what they signed. Make it appropriate to the grade level.

Communication and Partnership with parents don’t just call them for conflicts. Develop a relationship so when a conflict comes, you can have a meaningful conversation.
I will work to ensure these recommendations are understood, respected and adhered.

Sexual Education:
As a public health professional, when selected for the School Committee, I will use my expertise to make thoughtful decisions that is based on best practices. Look! There’s already a system in place to aid school districts select a health education curriculum and that is the Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT). This tool was developed by the CDC to provide guidance to improve curriculum selection and development, and the National Health Education Standards, and National Sexuality Education Standards provide a framework for teachers, administrators, and policy makers in designing or selecting curricula. Other States have used these to set their own standards and Massachusetts can utilize this approach. This is to say that when I am voted on the School Committee, I will use my public health expertise as well as international experience working in schools to dig deeper into this matter and work to adapt a program that can help the school district reduce teenage pregnancy, STI/STD and other health disparities.

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

-First Generation of African heritage running
-Woman of color
- Educated in the Worcester Public Schools
- Background in Public Health, international development and experience working in public school
- Educator and public health professional

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

-Not relating to the community, students and their families
- Accountability and transparency is also lacking
- Failure to implement diverse programs to help young people and their families, especially those from low-income backgrounds and those who are English language learners / English as a second language
- Lack of diverse teachers and lack of effort /plan to recruit diverse teachers
-Failure to implement a comprehensive and evidence-based sexual health education that is inclusive

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

Worcester ranks the 5th highest among US cities for having the most homeless youth. The disproportionate suspension rate and systemic racial and gender biases can significantly impact the overall social and mental health of our children and their families. The number of pregnant teens in Worcester is higher than the total state of Massachusetts. Youth employment is also important to ensure young people are staying out of trouble and developing key skills before going to college. Therefore, coordinated wrap-around school health programs should get attention to ensure our children are safe in their innate environment.

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

Political Experience: I pushed the memo/ bill to support Community Health Workers (CHWs) integration in the Health Equity Zone in Rhode Island. I also have over 5 years experience working in schools, mainly in developing countries such as Dominican Republic, Ghana, and Liberia. In Liberia, my philanthropic organization, HVK Children’s Foundation models the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) and we support six k-12 schools. Lastly, I also thought Science, Technology, Engineer, Arts and Math (STEAM) as part of an after-school program for the White Plains Youth Bureau. With my public health background, I have experience as a teacher, program coordinator and director and public health researcher.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Most of the incumbents have more social capital and recognition because of their name and because they've been in office for more than 10 years. As a new candidate, never give up, keep pushing and telling your story to voters! Victory is certain!

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

I would like for voters to get to know me and meet me one-on-one. I also want them to come out and vote for me on November 5th, 2019 to change the face of leadership on the School Committee here in Worcester.