Candidate Profile: Christine Chesbrough for School Committee

TEWKSBURY, MA — Tewksbury will have five contested races in the April 2 municipal election, including a three-candidate race for two open seats on the School Committee.

That seats are currently held by Shannon Demos and John Stadtman, who are not running for re-election.

Tewksbury Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles over the coming weeks.

Christine Chesbrough is one of the three candidates running for School Committee, facing Richard Russo Jr. and Kayla Biagioni-Smith.

Chesbrough is a claims analyst for an insurance company and is running for her first official office.

Are you running for office in Tewksbury? Contact [email protected] for information on being featured in a candidate profile and submitting campaign announcements to Tewksbury Patch.

Previously on Patch: 17 Candidates Filed For Tewksbury's 2022 Town Election: See Who's Running

Christine Chesbrough

Age (as of Election Day)

52

Position sought (including ward or district number if applicable)

Tewksbury School Committee

Party Affiliation

Independent

Family

I have lived in Tewksbury for over 26 years with my husband. We have two children. Our daughter is a junior at a top business school in the US which we feel was the result of her great education in Tewksbury. Our son is a freshman at Tewksbury Memorial High School.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No one in my family works in politics or government

Education

I graduated from Andover High School and attended Northern Essex Community College. I was an early childhood teacher before I transitioned to my current role. I participate in continuing education through my employer regarding state and federal policies and procedures for our industry.

Occupation

I work for a major insurance company as a claims analyst in the payment integrity, banking & appeals department. I have been with the company for 32 years. I save consumers and companies millions of dollars per year.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

I have never been elected or appointed to a position before.

Campaign website

www.christine4sc.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for school committee to ensure that the number one focus of our district is the education and well-being of our students. I want every child in Tewksbury to receive the best education possible.

I believe that the safety of our students, teachers, and administration needs to be prioritized. I want to make sure we have the best possible safety measures in place. Socially and emotionally our children have been through so much with COVID. I want to make sure a plan is implemented for students to address the deficits that COVID has created.

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

Communication. I will push for more transparency and make sure parents are informed about challenges and decisions facing our district. I will also be respectful to all parties.

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

I have lived and been active in the community for over 26 years. I know what people's concerns are. I have the ability to communicate with all groups and individuals.

I have been the leader of groups that bring people together. I run a town Facebook Group for members of our community. It is a group where members can share info, share events and ask questions. I have worked hard to keep it a clean and positive group for all members.

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

As a challenger I believe there are too many inconsistencies with communications, equality, fairness, policies and resolutions.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Education, safety, safety environment and communications.

Every child deserves to have the best education possible. The focus needs to be on children in the classrooms and learning. We need to prioritize safety for our students, teachers and administration. There are issues of bullying, internet/social media and other incidents that we need to be sure all students are safe and feel safe. Every person should have a chance to speak, be heard and listened to equally. Everyone needs to respect one another. There are many communication issues. There are inconsistencies in emails and policies.

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

I have organized, developed and implemented community Facebook groups. The most successful group is a group where residents in town can share info, events, ask questions and work together as a community. I monitor the page to make sure there is a sense of community, implement rules and make sure all are respectful towards each other.

I also implemented, and monitored a remote parent group for parents/guardians of remote learners for the 2020-2021 school year. This consisted of sharing info, communicating with parents, communicating with the district on all the concerns of parents regarding children and remote learning through email and zoom calls.

I was a Girl Scout leader for 13 years including taking my daughter from Daisies to Ambassador Girl Scouts. I was on the Baldwin Girl Scouts Service Team. The service team met in preparation of the service unit meetings which were for all leaders of Girl Scout Troops in Tewksbury and Wilmington. I planned and ran events for all levels of Girl Scouts. I worked with all kinds of children and parents. For that I am very grateful because it gave me the experience to know and understand everyone’s cultures and ideas and be able to think outside the box.

I have been on the school PACS, helped out at PAC events, helped out in the schools, helped out in the library and helped organize and run fundraisers and events. I sent out a monthly newsletter which I then changed to a weekly email that was sent out to parents informing them of upcoming school events and info. This now is in every Tewksbury School.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Always treat people the way you want to be treated.

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

I have had a lot of community outreach having lived in Tewksbury 26 years. I have associated myself with multiple different organizations and groups. I am easy to approach. I am a big supporter of listening to people on their ideas and concerns and adjust when appropriate. I am very committed to anything I do.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or [email protected].