We met the candidates

Moderator Michelle Hannon (left)
and Candidate Marie D'Agostino
on Candidates Night

Tuesday was the 2022 ORCSD School Board Candidates Night, this year hosted by the ORMS PTO.

I've been waiting for the video to be posted so I can watch it again and share the link.  As happens pretty much every year, my hopes are dashed (but not last year, which went great). It's been five days and still no video.  So we're left to my memory and some scrawled notes on the introductions. We're told the video will be posted; when it surfaces we'll see how I did. [Posted here; updating contents on 3/5/2022]

Unlike last year, the Teams format did not permit the audience to ask questions or make comments in the chat.  There was also no indication of how many viewers were watching; maybe someone involved can let us know.

The production had technical difficulties. The moderator, ORMS PTO co-chair Michelle Hannon, was perfectly audible when reading the questions, but it was often difficult for me to hear the words of the candidates. For the first few minutes it was just the reverberating room and the masks that muffled the audio. Then a loud fan kicked in to add some white noise to make it all a semi-intelligible exercise in frustration. Eventually even the computer couldn't take it anymore and crashed. When they came back a few minutes later the candidate audio was working great, though the moderator's audio had gotten worse.

They had to work pretty hard to mess it up this bad. I thought we'd get the usual Teams meeting, where all that's required for preparation is sending out Teams invite emails. Everyone is alone in their own space, masks off, a device with camera and mic up close and personal, perfectly audible, name under their image, with the occasional noise problem rectified with a request for non-speakers to mute. But on Tuesday they decided to tease us with a hybrid live/Teams event, cancel the live part that day, but still have the candidates together in person in a large, echoey room, masks on, with professional video cameras on tripods presumably being switched by a director. It didn't seem like the mics were close to the candidates, but one was sure picking up fan wind noise.

I've griped enough; on to the content. The candidates were given an opportunity to introduce themselves and then the first question was something like "what unique skills would you bring to the school board?"; I'll combine them; here's what the candidates said.

Matt Bacon (facebook) is the parent of five children. He has been a paraprofessional at a high school. He served in the National Guard, and serves in the Madbury PTO and as an ORYA coach, and on Madbury Zoning Board. Matt would bring his strong people skills and his ability to work with and listen to people with other opinions. 

Marie D'Agostino (no candidate web presence known) has lived in Lee sixteen years. She was a former member and chair of the Newmarket School Board.  She has 3 grown children and 7 grandchildren, 18 months to 18 years. Masters in Business Administration and Human Resources.  She's "semi-retired", consultant for Municipal Resources Inc., having worked as a school district business administrator in Kensington, Somersworth and (I think she said) Wakefield.  She's worked for Primex (insurance) as director of finance and human resources.  Expert in School Risk Management.  Open and closed schools, built schools, oversaw renovations. She oversaw the creation of SAU 101 out of SAU 64. Marie would bring her business administrator and school board experience in budgeting, negotiation and personnel.

Giana Gelsey (facebook) is the parent of a 4th and 7th grader. She serves as Moharimet PTO chair, on ORTV, the ORCSD Long Range Planning Committee, and the Madbury Water Resources Board. She puts her heart and soul and strong principles into everything she does.  She listens carefully to all -- every voice counts.  She supports the district's DEIJ work.  Giana would bring a strong science background and an understanding of different perspectives, having lived in Mississippi, Texas, Arizona, Minnesota and New Hampshire. 

Debra Harmon (facebook) has been in Lee 21 years, and has sent three children through the schools.  She has volunteered all 21 years, active in Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Otters, other activities and GO VOTE.  She has coordinated many events at Mast Way. Debra would bring her wide people and problem solving skills gained as a tour guide and a Delta Airline flight attendant for 22 years.  EDIT: A comment below says I've failed here to convey the full scope of Ms. Harmon's introduction and service, for which I apologize.  It adds Ms. Harmon was a Girl Scout Troop Leader (4 years) and ORMS PTO Treasurer for 4 years; please see the full comment below.  [I've edited the introduction a second time after watching the video.]

Heather Smith (facebook) has two children in the schools, in first and fifth grade.  She is a Senior Water Engineer.  She's chair of ORCSD's Long Range Planning Committee, and member and former chair of the Moharimet PTO, and serves on Chess Club, First Lego, Destination Imagination, Otters board, UNH Ocean Engineering External Advisory Board, and as an ORYA coach.  Heather would bring her unique curiosity, love of asking questions, love of digging down and understanding problems and coming up with solutions.

We've reached the end of my notes, where I couldn't hear much anyway and thought I'd just try again with the video when it was posted.  So much for that plan; I'll sit here and see what I can remember about some questions.

The candidates were asked something like: Paraprofessionals in the district do not make a living wage. What would you cut in the budget to remedy this?

My answer would have been to reject the premises: I don't know that paraprofessionals aren't paid a living wage -- I'd have to find out. I also don't know that if there was an issue, that cutting the budget would be the only way to address it.  What I do know is that every few years, including this year as reflected in Warrant Article 5, the district sits down with ORPaSS (The Oyster River Paraprofessionals and Support Staff), a genuine union presumably quite able to powerfully represent its members' positions, and they mutually agree to a contract that both sides generally claim to be pretty happy with. I vaguely recall back in the wake of the 2008 financial crash ORPaSS took a low raise to help out the district, while more recently the district has been willing to pay higher wages to remain competitive in order to continue to attract the best personnel.

As to not knowing the wage of paraprofessionals, one of my pet peeves with the board is when they present the negotiated contracts with the various bargaining units like ORPaSS, they only tell us the amount of the aggregate annual raise.  That's the number we're asked to vote on.  Some context, like the number of workers covered, their total wages and other costs (FICA, benefits, etc.) and total annual hours, would be very useful in actually evaluating the numbers we're being asked to vote on.  A similar comment goes for the tax rate increases presented as well.

OK, enough of my answer, what of the candidates?  Most candidates wisely didn't take the bait of this softball gotcha question.  Ms. Gelsey began by saying a budget is a balance, which is exactly right.  Most of the rest answered in similar vein, with I believe only Ms. Harmon taking the bait and addressing cuts. 

I know, my recollection here isn't very helpful.  Frankly that was my impression of the entire event -- the questions were not really designed to differentiate the candidates, so now their answers all blend together in my head. 

There were other questions:  Superintendent Morse will retire soon; what qualities should we look for in a new superintendent?   Most of the candidates took the opportunity to praise Dr. Morse and expressed hope we could find someone with similar qualities. Ms. D'Agostino offered that this was a difficult time to hire as (I think she said) 18 other school districts in the area were also looking to hire a superintendent.

There was an expected question about the process of ending the masking requirement in district buildings. This was during the difficult to hear part, I think; I can't remember much if any of the answers. Ms. Gelsey said there was a committee that evaluated the data weekly and reported to the board; the masks would become optional when various COVID thresholds were met.  I think it was Mr. Bacon who said we should continually revisit the thresholds in light of changing information. 

I think there was another question about working with people with differing views.  Unsurprising, the candidates invariably thought this was a good idea and would endeavor to do so if elected.

Clearly I'm not having much luck recalling Candidates Night.  I guess it's that "awful Zoom call" nightmare I just want to put out of my mind.  If the video is posted, I may revisit and expand this.

The word is that the Teacher's Guild has done a questionnaire which hopefully will differentiate the candidates a bit more than Candidates Night.  We'll talk about that, and about spending in the district, soon, so stay tuned.

[EDIT 3/5/2020:  I went through the released video with the improved sound and updated the introduction and unique skill answers.  I may further update.]