Lorie Ball, Salem State Representative Candidate

Lorie Ball

Age (as of Election Day)

64

Position sought (including district number if applicable)

State Representative, District 25, Salem

Party Affiliation

Republican

Family

Married 40 years to Jim Ball. Two sons, Michael and Sean, and daughter-in-law, Jerice, who also live in Salem. Five grandchildren: Dylan (8), Devon (6), Summer (4), Autumn (3), and Colton (3 months).

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Graduated Summa Cum Laude from Rivier University in 2009 with a Master of Education in Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities. Later certified as a Reading and Writing Specialist in 2011, and accepted into the Education in Leadership and Learning Doctoral Program in 2018.

Occupation

Retired Special Education and Reading Teacher

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Salem Area Women’s Club - GFWC-NH, Treasurer and Education and Libraries Committee Co-Chair

Campaign website

www.LorieBall.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am very concerned about the direction our country is moving — especially education. The federal government is taking on more and more of a role in what happens within the walls of our schools without the consent of parents. Public education decisions need to be transparent and stay at the local level with parental input. It’s time to take back our education system and do what is best for New Hampshire students. I will work on behalf of parents, teachers, and students to support curriculum transparency, parental rights, school safety, and increased student achievement.

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

The most pressing issue that continues to fail to draw attention year after year is our statewide low proficiency scores in reading, math, and science.

Currently, one out of every three students do not read at proficient levels — that’s 42,000 students! Our children deserve better. Now more than ever we need a person with my experience at the State House. As State Representative, I will work tirelessly to increase statewide reading proficiency levels by working cooperatively with colleagues to introduce legislation that will require students in kindergarten, first, and second grades to be screened for common reading disabilities, such as dyslexia. In addition, I would work proactively with colleagues to assure that reading lessons in the general education classroom include systematic, explicit phonics instruction. I believe this legislation would not only address the needs of our most at risk students, it would help all students acquire essential reading and spelling skills. By assuring all students are reading at grade level by grade three, we will ultimately increase our state’s overall reading proficiency levels — and, subsequently, increase our math and science proficiency scores as they pertain to reading.

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

What sets me apart from other candidates running for State Representative in my district is my experience as a public school teacher, Special Education Advocate, and Reading Specialist.

My hands-on experience in education provides the insight needed to sit on the Education Committee. I am committed to assuring that school safety, student achievement, and parental rights are our highest priority.

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

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I am committed to preserving the New Hampshire advantage of no sales tax and no income tax — as well as preserving the rights afforded to us through our US Constitution and our Bill of Rights, including the Second Amendment.

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

Eight years working as a volunteer for the Nashua School District and in the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Manchester.

Employed by Salem School District eight years (2007-2015) as a Special Education Language Arts teacher and case manager at Woodbury Middle School.

Employed by Hampstead School District four years (2015-2019) as Special Education Reading teacher and case manager at Hampstead Middle School. While there I served as the building Special Education Coordinator and was a member of the Middle School Leadership Committee.

Self-employed as a Special Education Advocate for nine years (2010-2019) working with parents around the state to help them understand the special education process, and opening lines of communications between the parents and school administration.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

My father always said where there’s a will, there’s a way — when you run into a problem, you don’t make excuses. You find an explanation and you fix the problem.

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

Once again the issue of funding New Hampshire public education through property tax is being challenged in court. Proponents claim that the resources the state provides to local communities has fallen far short of what schools need to help children learn and thrive. However, imposing an income tax and throwing more money at public education will not fix our problem (low proficiency scores). Changing the way we teach will! I vehemently oppose a state income tax to fund public education. No sales tax and no income tax works best for Salem!