Brian Castellanos
Office running for: Lynn School Committee
Education: Graduate of Lynn English High School, Framingham State University, B.A., Salem State University, Master of Science.
Occupation: Social worker, Department of Children and Families.
What are your accomplishments?
Commencement speaker at Lynn English High School for the Class of 2014, Annual STOP the Violence assembly keynote speaker, Marshall Middle School assembly keynote speaker, Steering Board director for the Lynn Community Connections Coalition, Fundraising/Strategic Planner and Nomination Director for the Framingham State University Alumni Association Board of Directors, Salem State University Alumni Association Board of Directors.
What do you feel is the biggest issue facing your local schools)?
I have had the opportunity to gain experience working as a substance abuse clinician for the Middlesex County Sheriff Department where I helped reduce drug addiction and recidivism through community corrections and substance abuse treatment programming. The opioid crisis has caused a tremendous strain in the lives of many of the families and students who attend the Lynn Public Schools. This is a major issue for the city’s schools.
How would you propose the city pay for your remedy to address that issue?
There are several options people can use to enroll in substance abuse treatment programs. Private health insurance plans are accepted. Medicaid may cover part or all addiction treatment cost. The state assists the city financially by offering eligibility for grants. Treatment programs and family resource centers have case managers who work with individuals on getting medically insured and educated on how to access resources.
What is something about you that voters may not know and would be surprised to know?
I completed the 2017 Boston Marathon for Horizons for Homeless Children and raised more than $11,000.
Donna Coppola
Office running for: Lynn School Committee
Education: Bachelor’s of Arts, University of Massachusetts/Boston; Associate’s, North Shore Community College
Occupation: JOI Child Care Center/Teen Parent Case Manager
What are your accomplishments?
I am married for 48 years and the proud mother of four and grandmother of five. I retired from American Telephone and Telegraph after a 23-year career and I retired from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts after 18 years. I changed careers and graduated from college while raising four children. I have been honored as a foster parent and received the Boy Scouts of America Award, Wyoma Lions Womans Award. I am a past board member of My Brothers Table and Dare Family Services and a board member of Lynn Community Connections Coalition. I am a member of UAW 1596 steward, former member of CWA 1302, AFSCME 1730 and delegate to the North Shore Labor Council.
What do you feel is the biggest issue facing your city (or local schools)?
Space/building conditions: First we need to assess are we utilizing our facilities to the fullest and are they special education appropriate.
How would you propose the city pay for your remedy to address that issue?
As a city, we need the financial support from the state. It will still be the responsibility of the citizens of Lynn to finance the balance. I did hear loud and clear from the voters they did not like the proposed middle school site or cost. As a homeowner I get that but I also know when I looked to buy a house I wanted to know how the schools were and their physical condition. The citizens of Lynn need to revisit this issue and when it’s time to sell their property it will have value.
What is something about you that voters may not know and would be surprised to know?
I was a foster parent to 19 children. I loved helping them overcome the traumas they had endured. I think of them often and pray they are doing well.
John Ford
Office running for: Lynn School Committee
Education: Bachelor’s of Science, Sociology; Master’s in Education.
Occupation: retired General Electric Co. manager, retired legislative aide to state Rep. Brendan Crighton.
What are your accomplishments?
I serve on the Board of Family and Children Services, Building Bridges Through Music, Lynn Street Outreach Association and Stop the Violence Lynn. I have been Chairman of Building and Grounds since 2002. I consider working with the Superintendent and Inspectional Services and keeping a very old school infrastructure functional as a major accomplishment. A new roof was recently installed on Connery and Harrington Elementary schools and Lynn Vocational Technical Institute, as well as new windows and doors at Breed Middle School. Energy efficient heating systems have been installed in Breed, Connery, Hood, Harrington and Callahan. There are certainly areas that we could improve upon, but to keep 100 year old buildings in good working condition is incredible. I bring a common sense approach and 30 years of business management experience to my decision making.
What do you feel is the biggest issue facing the schools?
The biggest problem is the lack of space. We have converted almost all of our lunchrooms and libraries into much needed classrooms yet we still face overcrowding. The building of new schools approach is slow and tedious at best, we must continue to seek new space and be as innovative as possible. The potential elimination of all day kindergarten or the implementation of a platoon system in our schools will detract from learning and will burden parents.
How would you propose the city pay for your remedy to address that issue?
Lynn must be less generous in their awarding of tax incentives. Since the days when General Electric provided $1 million in taxes, we have struggled to replace it. The burden of building new schools falls primarily upon homeowners. The city must find new sources of revenue to lessen the burden.
Lorraine Gately
Office running for: School Committee
Education: Project Lead the Way at WPI/ Certificate in Introduction to Engineering Design; Cambridge College, Master’s in Education; Goddard College Bachelor’s of Arts,, North Shore Community College
Occupation: Retired Lynn Public Schools high school science teacher. Teacher at St. Mary’s High School.
What are your accomplishments?
I’m proud to say I was born and raised in Lynn, MA and attended Lynn Public Schools. For 33 years I taught science on the secondary level in public schools, and have also experienced Lynn Public School as a parent. An excellent school system is my goal, and while on the present School Committee, I have strived to represent the students, parents, teachers, administrators and all staff in Lynn Public Schools. As chairwoman of the curriculum committee, I have been monitoring the progress of MCAS 2 scores.
What is the biggest issue facing schools ?
The biggest issue facing our city is overcrowding. We must improve communication with our constituents as we plan to build new schools. We need an effective plan and vision on how to handle over crowded schools in the immediate future.
How would you propose the city pay for your remedy to address that issue?
We could have a special committee that would consist of the building grounds subcommittee, mayor, superintendent of schools, Inspectional Services and parents to discuss possible plan. Then we could discuss the costs during the special committee meetings such as what grants, and city monies we could use to resolve our crowded school issues.
What is something about you that voters may not know and would be surprised to know?
I graduated Harrington Elementary, Cobbet Junior High School and Lynn English High School Class (1972) with City Councilor-at-Large Buzzy Barton.
Elizabeth Gervacio
Office running for: Lynn School Committee
Education: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Salem State University, post graduate studies at the University of Massachusetts/Boston.
Occupation: Immigration Specialist
What are your accomplishments?
I earned my bachelor’s degree from Salem State University while working full-time and raising my daughter. It was difficult, but I never game up. My son’s academic progress is an accomplishment. He was diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum when he was 2. Since then, I have advocated on his behalf to obtain services to help his cognitive and social development. He is flourishing in the Lynn Public Schools and that is something I am proud of. I served on the board of Lynn Community Health Center and serve on the Lynn Hispanic Scholarship Board.
What do you feel is the biggest issue facing local schools?
Deteriorating school buildings and overcrowded classrooms are serious issues affecting our school system. It is difficult for students to learn in such settings. The situation is not conducive to learning.
How would you propose the city pay for your remedy to address that issue?
There is not an easy answer to this questions. I would propose we re-apply for state school building money in order to build new middle schools. In addition, we should advocate with our state legislature to help the city obtain more funding to build and repair our public schools. Lastly, we should seek out any potential federal grants available to the city for school repairs.
What is something about you that voters may not know and would be surprised to know?
I was a mental health specialist in the U.S. Army Reserves.
Natasha Megie-Maddrey
Office running for: Lynn School Committee
Education: Regis College, bachelor’s degree, New England School of Law, Juris Doctor,
Occupation: Attorney
What are your accomplishments?
I am the mother of five children and a practicing attorney. With the support of my family and community, I was the first in my family to attend a four-year college and graduated from law school as a single mother. I have been married to my wonderful husband for 15 years and we are Lynn homeowners. All of our children have attended Lynn schools, where I worked as a substitute teacher. I am an active member of my community and have been involved with Neighbor 2 Neighbor, L.P.O.B.E., Cobbet’s School Improvement Committee, and various Parent Teacher Organizations.
What do you feel is the biggest issue facing local schools?
Funding and overcrowded classrooms. As a substitute teacher for three years, I know how difficult it is for teachers to teach and for students to learn when classrooms are overcrowded. We need to hire more teachers and aides to create the best learning environments for our children. If elected, I will also work on safety, parent engagement and building maintenance/improvements.
How would you propose the city pay for your remedy to address that issue?
As a member of the School Committee, I will propose that we engage a grant writing team to raise money for the Lynn Public Schools; examine the budget to find cost savings and funds to pay for additional teachers; and work to create partnerships with private organizations and local colleges to support our schools.
What is something about you that voters may not know and would be surprised to know?
I love to play Scrabble!
Jessica Murphy
Office running for: Lynn School Committee
Education: State University of New York at Fredonia, Bachelor’s of Science
Occupation: Media services technician, Suffolk University, licensed real estate salesperson.
What are your accomplishments?
My single greatest accomplishment has been raising my 5-year-old daughter, Quinn. It has been a learning experience and honor to watch her grow into a young lady with a bright personality. She is in kindergarten at Brickett Elementary School.
What do you feel is the biggest issue facing local schools?
Funding. We are not spending the required amount by the state on our schools, and are missing out on new learning opportunities. We also need to do a better job linking the schools and the community. Stronger schools can help us build a stronger community. We must invest not only money, but resources, into our schools for the greater good. They are not completely separate issues, and I intend to fight for both.
How would you propose the city pay for your remedy to address that issue?
We have to push for reallocation of funding, to prioritize where our money is going. We also need to organize a campaign to find grant money, conduct fundraising efforts that include large business sponsors to help raise money and awareness of the school funding issues.
What is something about you that voters may not know and would be surprised to know?
We are very excited to be expecting a new addition to our family in February, and look forward to the joy in watching another child grow into their own personality. It is the most gratifying feeling in the world, and we are lucky to be able to do this again as parents. We are proud to raise our young family here in Lynn.
Jared Nicholson
Office running for: School Committee.
Education: Harvard Law School, Princeton University (majored in public policy with a focus on education policy).
Occupation: Attorney who represents new businesses in Greater Boston.
What are your accomplishments?
I helped start a wrestling team in Lynn at the middle and high school varsity level. I have also been focused on building pathways for students to college and jobs. This year, Lynn Public Schools launched an after school program at Lynn Vocational Technical High School for students to learn job skills.
What is the biggest issue facing your local schools?
The biggest issue is overcrowding and the state of the school buildings. Rising class sizes make it harder for teachers to teach and students to learn. It is hard to find space in the city and resources in the city’s budget for new schools.
How would you propose the city pay for your remedy to address that issue?
We need to learn from the school vote last year and digest the feedback. With the right plan and community support, we could get most of the funding from the state through the Massachusetts School Building Authority. For the rest, the city will need smart capital planning. As an attorney with a business background, I have a lot to contribute to the work on this issue.
What is something about you that voters may not know and would be surprised to know?
I got married to Katherine in June.
Michael A. Satterwhite
Office running for: School Committee
Education: Harrington, Ingalls, Fallon elementary schools; Breed and Pickering middle schools; Classical, English, and McArthur high school. Associates of Science (NSCC), Bachelors of Liberal Arts (UML), and Juris Doctor (MSL).
Occupation: Attorney
What are your accomplishments?
Wholeheartedly it was making it, not out of our city but for our city. Everyone has trials and tribulations, some more than others. But as a true Lynn kid, the struggle and hunger motivated me to be the man I am today. I wouldn’t change a thing. I would like to change this struggle for our future Lynn students and teach them that getting over the hump is just that, and there are valleys and mountains to explore that will mold their own journey in life. Marrying my beautiful wife and starting my family.
What do you feel is the biggest issue facing your local schools?
We have more than one “biggest” issue facing our schools. We need the proper tools, in the proper environments, for our teachers and students. We must correct our space issue and overcrowding, which is caused by unfunded mandates from our state. We also need to hire a Special Education Director. All children must get the opportunity to reach their full potential. These three issues have immediate impacts on the education our children receive.
How would you propose the city pay for your remedy to address that issue?
We need to unify around our schools and fight to end unfunded mandates. Some of our issues are interwoven, so the remedy in one area, may be the remedy in the other. We must also apply for state, federal and other funding and grants to assist.
What is something about you that voters may not know and would be surprised to know?
I was never a follower, no matter the fad or faction. These days following is praised with social media, and I get that with technology, but there is a misconception that translates into real life and we need a generation of leaders that can comprehend the difference.