Alicia Houston, Nashua Board Of Education Candidate

Alicia Houston

Age (as of Election Day)

35

Position Sought

Board of Education

Party Affiliation

Republican

Family

Two children (16 and 12) in the Nashua School District.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Associate of Art in Liberal Studies from Southern New Hampshire University.

Occupation

Sales (over 15 years), Education (at or about 10 years), Customer Service (over 15 years)

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

State Advisory Committee for the Education of Students and Children with Disabilities Appointee. Chair of the Family Involvement and Outreach Subcommittee.

Campaign website

https://www.facebook.com/aliciahoustonfornashuaboe

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am seeking a seat on the Nashua Board of Education to bring the Nashua School District back to the stakeholders of Nashua. I am running for this elected position because your children and their education, your voice, your money, your concerns, your suggestions, and more matter to me. I want people in the Nashua Community to feel invested into the Public Education System for the best interest in serving our Nashua children.

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

The Nashua School District belongs to the citizens of Nashua. This is a crucial point as the collaboration between the community and the School District Leadership (specifically the Board of Education) is of the utmost importance when making decisions for the best interest of the district, but also the best interest of each individual child. Family Involvement is not just an important collaborative effort, it is required in some of our schools as Title I recipients. It is crucial to involve the stakeholders of Nashua (parents/guardians/taxpayers/residents) into the decision making process of the school district. We need effective and strategic collaboration to boast a more competitive advantage for each whole child.

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

The critical difference between myself and other candidates is my creativity, communication, and critical thinking. These skills identify to the current needs of the Board of Education well because these are necessary traits for working on the best educational investment into the Nashua School District. Creative solutions for curriculum, budgeting, communication, and more are crucial for me as these items I see as our greatest areas of opportunity.

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

The incumbent Board of Education members up for re-election failed by ignoring the voices of the community. These incumbents have not acted in the best interest of the constituents who voted for their elected positions, but rather voted based on personal bias' and their own subjective decisions, this is not the role of an elected official in any capacity. They have failed to identify that they are public servants who serve at the pleasure of the community and their constituents as well as failing to hold one another accoutable to a high level of professionalism, ethics, and overall meeting decorum.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

The Nashua Board of Education began the pandemic response well, we were in a state of emergency and they followed the requests of the New Hampshire Governor. We needed two weeks to flatten the curve. This Board did not their due diligence in ensuring that the voices of the parents, students, taxpayers, and community voices were ALL heard, they selected a specific population and eliminated many rights of passage after the two week period and continued the same subjective process through until April of 2021 in which the Governor had to make a requirement that schools must reopen which was a direct action to ensure the Nashua School District (and a few others) re-opened their doors. Had the Governor not stepped in, the children would have remained in remote learning.

Additionally there were no exemptions made for students with disabilities to ensure their learning was competitive to the general education students. Our children fell behind by 18 months of lost learning due to this Board of Education's decision to remain in a remote only capacity without exemptions for students who were not successful in remote learning.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

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

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Come from a place of contribution.

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

I promise to always advocate for the best interest of your children, your tax dollars, and your voices.