Sam is a proud graduate of the Marlborough Public Schools and the only candidate for Mayor with an education background, having trained and worked with teachers, districts, and students on project-based civic education curriculum, and helped pass the state bill on civics. As Mayor, she will serve as the Chair of the School Committee, and is excited to partner with our School Committee Members, Superintendent, our excellent school staff, and even the State of Massachusetts to ensure that our public schools can provide ALL of our students with the high-quality education they deserve.

This starts with making sure that our teachers and staff have the training and support they need to lift our students up. As Mayor, Sam will:

• Ensure that all staff have adequate training to help struggling students, including de-escalation and restorative justice strategies, social/emotional support for students struggling to meet classroom behavior expectations, and teaching multilingual learners.

• Attract and retain staff with a compensation package that is fair and competitive to make sure we are able to fill positions that require highly specialized skills such as fluency in multiple languages.

• Improve collaboration with local agencies to support families with students who are struggling in the classroom, including advocating for expanded regional support for already heavily-utilized local support agencies.

• Improve special education services to ensure that students with special needs get a high-quality education that sets them up for success.

To succeed and thrive, our students need opportunities for both academic and social enrichment. That’s why Sam proposes to:

• Increase school day and after-school enrichment programming for elementary and middle school students.

• Develop a program to support under-represented students in advanced courses.

• Expand the City and Small Business Internship Program, EMT certification, dual enrollment and other programs to offer high school students the opportunity to learn real-life skills and have a direct impact on our community.

• Provide opportunities for students to get on-the-job civic education by working the polls, sitting on City boards, and engaging in project-based learning.

Finally, we need a school infrastructure that meets the needs of our growing student body. As Mayor, Sam will:

• Strive to reach the desired average of 20 elementary students per classroom by working with the Massachusetts School Building Authority to upgrade, expand, or rebuild existing facilities like the Richer Elementary School.

• Increase the number of seats in our universal pre-K program, and increase its hours to support working families.