Tanya Morrisett

 

 

             I enthusiastically support Jessie Steigerwald’s bid for re-election to the School Committee.  I’ve known Jessie for many years and have volunteered with her on countless community-based events.  I have never seen anyone give his or her time to our schools and town the way that Jessie does; her level of volunteerism is unparalleled.  What impresses me the most, however, is that she listens and actively looks for ways to include the community in everything that she does. 

            When Jessie and I worked on the 300th Anniversary, she would constantly ask who was being overlooked.  Was it a person, community group, town department, school group, or town demographic?  Who weren’t we reaching?  It was unthinkable to her that anyone would be excluded from this celebration.  But, she didn’t just ask the question, she took action.  She made sure that we held open community meetings and actively invited people to participate.  She added events or changed existing ones to ensure that everyone was included.    

             Jessie’s value of inclusivity is readily apparent in her work on the School Committee.  When she took office six years ago and championed restoring annual public evaluations of our superintendent, Jessie went further and recommended a survey of community members.  For six years, Jessie has continuously advocated to allow the community to speak and be heard at School Committee meetings.  What’s more, she communicates with citizens who contact her.  I’m frequently stopped by people who want to tell me how Jessie helped them or pointed them in the right direction with a school-related issue.  Most recently, Jessie supported an open and inclusive process for hiring our next superintendent.  In my opinion, she and the current School Committee successfully met this goal.

             Please join me and vote for Jessie Steigerwald, a dynamic, hard-working volunteer who values inclusivity. 

 

 

             Tanya Morrisett