Molly McCullough On 4th Run For Worcester School Committee

Worcester MA

26 October, 2021

8:04 AM

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WORCESTER, MA — The Worcester School Committee race may be one of the most pivotal in Worcester this year. Four incumbents — Tracy Novick, Laura Clancey, Dianna Biancheria and Molly McCullogh — are all seeking another term in 2021. Meanwhile, committee members John Monfredo and John Foley are not seeking reelection, and four challengers — Sue Goghlin Mailman, Jermoh Kamara, Jermaine Johnson and Shanel Soucy — have stepped into the race. Any combination of candidates could emerge after the Nov. 2. election. But there's no question the new School Committee will have a lot to do heading into 2022. Worcester has begun the process of searching for a new superintendent after the committee voted in September not to renew Maureen Binienda's contract when it ends in June. The committee will also have a role in spending the district's American Rescue Plan Act, and could see a transition from at-large representation to a district system. Worcester Patch asked each of the eight candidates to answer a questionnaire to tell voters why they're running, and what they plan to do as a School Committee member. Here's what incumbent Molly McCullogh said. Why did you choose to run for another term in 2021? When I first decided to run for School Committee in 2015, it was because it was a way to do more for the children and families in Worcester. Having been involved with many different political campaigns in the area and volunteering in areas surrounding children such as Planting the Seed and Junior Achievement, I knew that if I was ever going to take the chance and run that it was the time. I had long been passionate about issues surrounding children and grew up the daughter of a lifelong Worcester Public Schools educator. Education was something that I felt I could work to help improve in the City Of Worcester and build upon the success that was already there. Over the past six years, I have been involved setting policy that has had a positive impact on children and the City and I look forward to the opportunity to continue this work. Can you tell voters a little about your personal background? Where did you go to school? I am a lifelong Worcester resident. I grew up in the Tatnuck Square/Newton Square area of the City and attended Flagg Street School, Jacob Hiatt and Forest Grove. I graduated from Notre Dame and went on to UMass Amherst. Upon returning home, I earned an MBA from Nichols College in Dudley. I worked in the mortgage industry for over 10 years before beginning a career in pharmaceutical sales, my current occupation. I am a founding member and current chair of a local nonprofit, Planting the Seed Foundation, an organization for homeless children and families and for those in need in the Worcester area. I have been an active member of the Worcester community for the majority of my life and currently live in the Indian Hill area with my husband Don "Moose" Huban and have two stepsons, Tiernan and Braydan. The school committee approved a new sex-ed curriculum last spring, but a small movement has come out against it. Can you tell voters your view of this curriculum and what it does for students? As the chair of the Teaching, Learning and Student Support subcommittee, I was an advocate of selecting a new sex-ed curriculum. Worcester had not had a specific curriculum that was being utilized in quite some time and we needed to select one that was age-appropriate, medically accurate, inclusive and comprehensive. Working with the Health and Physical Education Manager, health and wellness educators and administrators, we worked to review several options. Meetings with public input were held, options were discussed and the new curriculum was selected. The administration worked with a consultant to shape the curriculum for Worcester Public Schools and it allows our students the opportunity to have a curriculum that is inclusive, gives them accurate sexual health information, informs on accurate puberty and reproduction information and ways to prevent sexual assault, and how to treat others with respect. Like many districts, Worcester had to put a remote learning system in place during the pandemic. How do you think the district succeeded and failed at that, and what improvements still need to be made? Some of the most encouraging things were the ability to utilize technology to adapt, the sense of community, and coming together within schools and the community at large. Teachers, students, and families all worked hard to make this unprecedented time and type of learning work. Community members and organizations quickly banded together to raise funds for Chromebooks, organized centers to provide pod learning and we saw parents and neighbors work together to create their own pods. Another encouraging area was our nutrition department and our ability to feed children continuously during remote learning. Like this article? Sign up for the free daily Worcester Patch newsletter Some of the concerning aspects are the social-emotional needs of students and how those have really come to the forefront. The pandemic exposed the need for more resources in this area, more PD for all staff on this type of learning. And while the use of technology was positive, the pandemic highlighted the inequitable access to the internet across the district and the need within the district to keep up with technology. Not everyone had the same ability to navigate through home learning. Many of our students have parents who were essential workers and creating pods or having family members who could provide the supports at home wasn't always an option. Having a larger district also made planning to get back into a hybrid setting more challenging. I believe the things that could use additional improvement are additional social-emotional supports, more opportunities for translation services at meetings for family involvement, and greater access to technology and Wi-Fi for all students. The school committee will help pick a new superintendent in the next term. What are you looking for in a candidate? Having worked on the timeline for the process for the superintendent search, we have worked to establish a process that will include input from the community, students, educators, families and stakeholders. We need to make sure that the public meetings and listening sessions are accessible, that they are held at various times of day to encourage more participation and that the overall process is inclusive and transparent. As we work toward the hiring of the next Superintendent, I am looking for someone who can build upon what we have and bring us to the next level. Someone innovative, someone who can lead a large and diverse district. It's a turning point in education as things have changed and continue to do so. Strong communication skills, a problem solver, someone who shares the values of the district and the community. An instructional leader who can build upon community and business relationships. We need to continue to work together as a team. We know that role of a Superintendent is not an easy one and it is one that can come with a lot of criticism at times. We need to be able to utilize the criticism in a way that is reflective and that is another one of the strengths that I will look for in the next Superintendent. Related Worcester Schoool Committee election 2021 coverage Sue Coghlin Mailman On 2021 Run For Worcester School CommitteeJermaine Johnson On Worcester School Committee Bid: QuestionnaireTracy Novick: Why I'm Running For Worcester School Committee