Sheila MacDonald, Bedford School Board Candidate

Sheila MacDonald

Age (as of Election Day)

57

Position sought (including district number if applicable)

School Board - Three-Year Term

Party Affiliation

In my opinion, School Board is a non-partisan position. School board members must represent the community and not a single constituency.

Family

Bedford is my hometown. I am the mother of three children ages 19,17 and 14. My oldest is in college and my younger two attend Bedford High School. My parents have resided in Bedford since 1970.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Bedford NH School District K-8
Trinity High School
Keene State College V.A.
Rivier University
Villanova University Master Certificate - Business Intelligence

Occupation

Independent Information Technology Consultant 20+ years experience
Former Classroom Teacher

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

N/A

Campaign website

votesheilamacdonald.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for school board because I want the best quality education for Bedford children, including my own. Bedford is my hometown. I believe I understand the Bedford Community. My goal is to bring the community and the school district back together by building positive, trusting relationships. We have so much positive happening in our schools. I believe that all students can achieve high levels, and I want every student and family to have a great school experience. I am all about accountability and being data driven. I am not afraid to ask hard questions and work toward continued improvement. I will represent the community, not a single constituency. I understand being a board member means serving in the trust for the entire community. I believe my skills and experience will assist the current school board in reaching its district goals. Serving in this capacity will allow me to advocate for excellence in education always putting the interest of Bedford Youth’s first.

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

Transparency-
Individual board members have no individual authority. School board authority can only be exercised by the board as a whole. However, this doesn’t mean everyone agrees on the issues. As a board member you are empowered with the right to discuss, ask questions and debate. Effective, well-functioning teams have respectful, vigorous discussions. The Bedford Schools are highly regarded, however, there is always room for improvement. My focus would be- transparency, accountability, and metrics.

The board must always be attentive to transparency. Good governance is transparent governance. The board needs to be actively seeking ways to encourage parent input, participation, and engagement with the board. People want to be heard. We need to be policy and accountability driven, focusing our time and energy on governance-level actions related to student achievement and classroom instruction. We need to engage in goal-setting processes that can drive action in the district to improve. We need to align resources—including professional development—around those goals. We need to be data savvy and use data to both diagnose problems and to monitor and drive continuous improvement efforts. We need to be able to identify specific student needs through data and justify decisions based on data.

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

My background and skills differentiate me from the other candidates. I am a former educator. I have a deep understanding of the challenges facing teachers, students, and the community and can help develop effective policies that address these challenges. As a parent, I have firsthand experience at the elementary, intermediate, middle, and high school levels. I am a parent that has navigated both the 504 and IEP Special Education processes at all levels elementary through high school. I have used this knowledge to advocate for policies that prioritize student learning and success.
I am a technologist with a deep understanding of data. My experience with understanding data will help our school board make data-driven decisions for our school district by providing the ability to interpret and analyze data accurately. This will enable the school district to identify areas for improvement and make informed decisions based on data-driven insights, leading to better outcomes for students, teachers, and the community.

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

I feel failed is a strong word, but as I parent as I was extremely disappointed that the district administration, supported by the school board approved a transition plan (during covid) for our high school students to go to back to school for one hour a day with no school on Wednesday's. I did extensive research on what other high schools did for a return to school policy and there wasn't one other high school in America that went to school for one hour a day. This was not research or an evidence-based decision. Our students will never gain this time again. If elected, I can assure this community that student learning and student achievement will always be a priority. The question will always be: Is this what is best for our students?

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I want to ensure that our school board goals are SMART. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. Defining these parameters as they pertain to your goal helps ensure that your objectives are attainable within a certain time frame. We cannot change what we do not measure!

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

I am no stranger to the school board. I have spoken to the board several times about equitable education. Equitable education does not mean equal it means meeting the needs. Students learn at different rates, just as they grow at different rates. For the past three and a half years I been advocating for reassessments at the high school. This year after 3 and a half years of advocating, the high school is now embracing reassessments. I was thrilled to see student leaders from the high school speaking before the board and expressing their gratitude for the new reassessment policies. That’s leadership…. Believing in something that can make a difference and continuing to go back to the table when you are told no.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

People will forget what you said, they will forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

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

Leadership and School Board members are critical advocates for putting out the message that we care about public education. School board members are just as responsible for climate and culture as administrators in this district. My goal is to bring the community and the school district back together by building positive, trusting relationships.