ITEM FILE PHOTO
Marblehead High School.
BY GAYLA CAWLEY
MARBLEHEAD — A one-year term on the school committee hasn’t discouraged candidates to run for the seat.
Jennifer Schaeffner and Michael “Rafi” Spiewak are vying to complete the unexpired term of former committee member Michael Murphy, who stepped down last fall. The winner will face reelection next year.
Two other open seats on the panel are for a full three-year term. Running unopposed for those seats are David Harris Jr. and Meredith Tedford, an incumbent and vice-chair of the committee. Harris was appointed last fall to fill Murphy’s vacancy until May. He was selected over Spiewak, a finalist for the appointment.
Kathleen Leonardson, chairwoman of the committee, did not seek re-election.
Spiewak, a father of two, grew up in Brooklyn, but moved to Marblehead five years ago. In his native New York, he said, it was hard to be involved in local government. He is running because he wants to influence schools.
Spiewak is a former intern for state Rep. Lori Ehrlich, but this is his first time running for an elected position.
“I got to work with her and get my feet wet,” he said.
Spiewak said Marblehead has a strong school district, but there’s lots of frustration that among residents who say it’s tough to communicate with the system. If elected, he vows to improve on that with more information in advance to prepare for meetings. He wants to show research and present a collective argument for why something should be done.
During the day, Spiewak sells men’s clothing in his family’s shop in Boston. He was a social worker and earned a master’s degree from Suffolk University in ethics and public policy.
He said people should vote for him because he listens and is able to work with all kinds of people.
“I have fresh ideas,” he said. “When you have the same ideas being recycled, things become stagnant.”
Schaeffner ran unsuccessfully for school committee in 2010, her first time seeking elected office. She has been a parent leader in the school district since her younger son entered kindergarten. He’s a freshman in college now.
She was raised in Marblehead and moved back to the town in 2003 with her husband and two children. She has served on the Parent Teacher Organization for almost a decade and is co-president of the Marblehead High School Parents Council. She served as co-chair of the Special Education Parent Advisory Council, a legislatively mandated group consisting of parents with children who have disabilities, for five years, before stepping down in 2012.
“I’m a strong believer that active parents are important to the success of the school district,” she said.
Schaeffner, who has worked in the investment and financial field for 23 years, sees the position as an opportunity to continue her volunteer service with the town. Her focus is on tightly managing the budget. If elected, she intends to focus on understanding what’s involved with the committee before running for a full term.
“My learning curve for the system is not very high,” Schaeffner said. “I believe I bring the important attributes to that role.”
One issue that concerns Schaeffner is a lack of stability with principals and teachers in the school system, adding there’s lots of turnover. She said that could be disruptive and strong leaders are needed in each school.
The Town Election is May 10.
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley