School Committee Candidate Questionnaire

Beth Kontos

What is the best way for families to reach you if they would like to follow up or learn more?

beth_kontos@yahoo.com 978-314-9234

Why are you running for School Committee?

I am a recently retired educator. I was also the president of my local Union (Salem Teachers Union) and, more recently, I was the president of the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts.

I understand that the educator’s work environment is the student’s learning environment. Our schools must be a place where educators and staff have the tools and resources they need to create the best learning environment to meet the needs of our diverse learners. Our children deserve to have interesting pathways that meet their interests and career goals. They need time for art, music, movement, and play. I believe that project based learning and service projects are excellent ways to learn and demonstrate mastery and standardized testing should be minimized.

My goal is to help the Danvers Public Schools continue to thrive for the next generation of students to succeed.

If elected, how will you engage with SEPAC and families to understand their experiences and concerns?

My email and phone number are available to all. I would certainly meet with SEPAC parents to discuss problems and to celebrate successes.

What are your top priorities related to special education and student support in Danvers Public Schools?

Interventions as early as possible in reading and math are important. Also, early screening for dyslexia with repeat screening as the child grows. I believe that for most children, screen time should be limited in the early grades unless it is being used as a communication tool. We are fortunate to have technology as a research tool and for creativity. But it is important to also teach children to use technology with discretion. I know our educators are already doing this and they must have the training to deal with the AI onslaught ahead.

I support continuing education and quality professional development for educators and paraprofessionals to learn best practices for creating a personalized and individualized instructional plan. Educators need time to create strategies for differentiated instruction and helping children and families advocate for their needs. Collaboration and communication between educators and families is paramount. As I mentioned earlier, active learning with projects, teamwork, and group collaboration is a wonderful way to help all children actively engage in their learning.

How do you define inclusion in a school setting, and what role should the School Committee play in advancing it?

Children should learn in the least restrictive environment. Class norms should be set to promote a positive and accepting environment that leads to cooperative peer interactions. Providing extra time for processing, proper scaffolding, and co-teaching will help include all children in the classroom lessons.

What actions would you take to address inequities and improve outcomes for students with higher levels of need?

I will advocate for proper classroom staffing, smaller class sizes, and special services like reading specialists, occupational therapy, and speech and language instruction.

How would you approach funding decisions to ensure special education and student support services are appropriately prioritized?

Funding is the hurdle we all face in public service however, properly funding to serve ALL our children will be a top priority for me. Personally I work on policies which will tax the wealthy and spending it in our public schools. I will also continue to advocate for increased funding for our public schools on the state level. I will also be a voice to direct spending toward the greatest need.

What is one specific challenge related to special education in Danvers that you are aware of, and how would you work to address it?

I am not aware of a specific need in Danvers, however, I have been talking with people regarding the under diagnosis of dyslexia and the long term harm that it creates for our students. I am willing to listen and learn from parents to find the specific needs in Danvers.

Josh Kepnes

What is the best way for families to reach you if they would like to follow up or learn more?

joshuakepnes@danvers.org

Why are you running for School Committee?

I am running for reelection to the Danvers School Committee because I care deeply about our schools and our community. As a parent of a student in the Danvers Public Schools, I have a personal and vested interest in ensuring that our schools continue to provide a high-quality education and supportive environment for every student.

I am committed to building on the progress we’ve made, listening to the needs of families and educators, and working collaboratively to strengthen our schools for the future.

If elected, how will you engage with SEPAC and families to understand their experiences and concerns?

Since joining the School Committee in 2022, I have always made myself available to families with concerns interacting with families outside of regularly scheduled monthly School Committee meetings and will continue to do so. If any topics come up that I am needed to join any SEPAC meetings, I can also make myself available (I have joined virtual meetings in the past).

What are your top priorities related to special education and student support in Danvers Public Schools?

I have been a proponent of continuously funding our Special Education programs in Danvers. Our goal should be to continue to fund and support our Danvers Special Education program as much as possible with the end goal of keeping as many students in Danvers as possible (versus placing them out in other schools). Not only does this make sense from a budget standpoint, but also keeping our students in Danvers versus placing in other schools makes it easier to allow our students to thrive socially and be connected to our town.

How do you define inclusion in a school setting, and what role should the School Committee play in advancing it?

Inclusion means ensuring every student has meaningful access to learning, feels a sense of belonging, and receives the support they need to succeed. By providing the needed support that students may need, inclusion strengthens outcomes for students in the ENTIRE school community.

What actions would you take to address inequities and improve outcomes for students with higher levels of need?

Each year we have a collaborative school budget process that spans over several months. I have served on the budget subcommittee this year which put me directly involved at a tactical level of building the budget. During this process, I worked collaboratively with the head of Student Services to hear their needs in the department. I helped build a budget that allowed for the appropriate resources (overall headcount, assistants etc.) to give our students who utlize higher needs the support that they need. I will continue to support this funding in the future.

How would you approach funding decisions to ensure special education and student support services are appropriately prioritized?

We have started to look at how our funding of Special Education has benefited out school district overall. We have clear data that shows that by adding funding to special education, we are able to keep more students in Danvers versus outplacement. While we will not be able to keep every student in Danvers due to specific neeeds, we should strive to keep as many as possible. I am a supporter of spending money to invest in the district to benefit our students and schools overall.

What is one specific challenge related to special education in Danvers that you are aware of, and how would you work to address it?

I am aware that Special Education is requiring additional headcount to continue to bolster the program. While we were unable to support this budgetarily in 1 year giving all the requested resources, we have agreed on a phase in approach by continuing to add headcount and positions over the next several years to make our program as strong as possible. I will continue to support giving our Student Services Dept the resources they need to succeed by supporting students now and into the future.