NASHUA – Some of the issues those seeking election to the Nashua Board of Education on Nov. 5 will face upon taking office include:

• Reports of fighting and bullying at middle schools;

• An ongoing U.S. Department of Justice investigation regarding whether the school district is failing to provide adequate services to students whose primary language is not English;

• Some students continuing to attend class in house trailers;

• A shortage of both substitute teachers and bus drivers;

• State Department of Education reports that show student proficiency in math, science and English on the decline; and

• Regular public disputes among board members and school administrators.

Nevertheless, 11 candidates are competing for five available seats on the BOE, including Jennifer Bishop, Jessica Brown, Howard Coffman, Sharon Giglio, Burt Janz, Doris Hohensee, Paula Johnson, Renata Olszewski, Jamila Scales, Greg Surbey and Sandra Ziehm. With the exception of Olszewski, candidates participated in a Tuesday forum at Nashua High School South, during which students officiated.

Prompted by questions from South’s Advanced Placement Government students, candidates had 60 seconds to touch upon topics including mental health, special education, school renovations, the way current board meetings are conducted and budget.

Bishop

Bishop is a graduate of Nashua High School South and currently works as a social worker. She said she’s been working with children since she graduated college.

“As a social worker, I see a lot of the issues in Nashua and the things that we need to be focusing on,” Bishop said.

Bishop believes there needs to be a focus on meeting students’ needs and preparing them for adulthood.

“I really value the input that kids have. I think that you guys are a great resource,” Bishop told the students.

Bishop said her professional life has allowed her to focus on meeting the needs of the people who don’t have a lot. Bishop listed her priorities as providing adequate food supply, making sure the students feel empowered in school, and making sure the board’s policies reflect not only the needs of the students, but also the schools.

In regard to Social Emotional Learning, which the district is experimenting with in some of the elementary schools this year, Bishop said she has a lot of experience with the clinical side.

Brown

Brown is a parent of an elementary school and middle school students in the Nashua School District. She is also a teacher and has experience serving on a nonprofit board.

“I’m hoping to bring that perspective and working with lots of different personalities to get things done efficiently, quickly and smoothly,” Brown said. “Bottom line, I love the city of Nashua; I love the placement; I love the personality; I love how many people in the city are passionate about politics, about making sure the youth of our city is strong and moves forward.”

A major focus for Brown is school renovations.

“There are so many schools in our district that are, unfortunately, extremely in poor disarray,” Brown said.

Regarding the ongoing middle school renovation project, Brown said officials need to make sure middle school students have the opportunity for flexible space that can be used in multiple ways.

“Educational models are constantly changing, so we need to make sure that space is flexible with curriculum as we move forward to accommodate the changing demographics and population,” Brown said.

Coffman

“There’s a lot of unfinished business on the board,” Coffman, a current BOE member seeking re-election, said.

He said his voting record, along with everything he has said or done, is based on three things: transparency, accountability and fairness.

“That extends to students, to staff, for the community, to the taxpayers, to the teachers, everybody. We need to have consistency,” Coffman said.

When asked what could be done to help improve the learning environment for students with special needs, Coffman said the decision is based on finances.

“We spend $6 million on special education out-of-district tuition placement,” Coffman said. “One of the proposals that was put forth in the earliest phases of the middle school renovation was that we include a facility that we could provide services in Nashua to the students instead of having to send them out.”

In closing remarks, Coffman said, “The infrastructure of the Nashua school system is amazing. We have extraordinary potential; we have amazing teachers; we have amazing kids. The fact is the budgetary climate does not always allow us to spend it where we want.”

Giglio

Giglio began her career in education in the early 1990s as a paraprofessional at New Searles Elementary School while she worked on a master’s degree in library science.

After this, she worked as a school librarian in Massachusetts until 2016 when she retired. Upon retirement, Giglio received the opportunity to cover as a long-term library substitute at Ledge Street Elementary School. She also has worked in the libraries of Birch Hill Elementary School and Mount Pleasant Elementary School.

“I see on a day-to-day basis what the challenges are for both the students and staff and I feel that I can make a difference,” Giglio said.

When asked how she would fix the issue of the district’s substitute shortage, Giglio suggested looking at the daily rate of what substitutes are paid.

“(It) is not going to retract,” Giglio said. “… I think that we need to offer them more incentive to come to our schools and stay at our schools.”

If she were to become an elected board official, Giglio said she would like to be the voice of reason and she would like to see the meetings conducted in a “more calm” manner.

Hohensee

Hohensee, a current board member seeking re-election, has homeschooled her six children, but had all of them attend high school in Nashua.

“I have six children and I made sure that each one of them tried the high school when they got to that age,” Hohensee said.

When she joined the board, Hohensee said she was hoping to be able to bridge the differences between homeschooling and public education.

“We do have a growing homeschool population in Nashua and in the state,” Hohensee said. “I think even our schools, we can learn from Ledge Street what we’re doing right and share it with Main Dunstable.”

When discussing why she got involved with the board, Hohensee said, “I joined the board to resolve some issues that I learned about as a parent with students in the district,” Hohensee said. “My goal is for accountability and transparency and the rule of law. Right now, those are being squashed and I just find it very tragic.”

“You need candidates that can stand up and say when the laws have been violated,” Hohensee told The Telegraph prior to the forum Tuesday.

Janz

Janz said it is time for students to move away from textbooks and printed materials.

“Look, this is the 21st century. Let’s start using 21st century materials and 21st century teaching methods,” Janz said.

“It’s not necessary for us to use printed materials,” Janz added. “You are growing up with materials: phones, tablets, laptops, webpages. You’re growing up with this material. This is what you’re familiar with. This is what you use.”

Though he understands the problems with smartphones being used inappropriately in class, Janz said there should be a push toward using these for appropriate purposes, such as visiting a webpage for a class lesson.

In addition, Janz believes the current board has lost its sight, which is the students.

In his closing remarks, Janz said he has 11 years experience in the classroom at the former Daniel Webster College.

“I don’t know if they’re completely prepared for higher education,” Janz said. “I think what we need to do is pay more attention to every grade.”

Johnson

Johnson is a former board member, former Nashua Alderwoman and former New Hampshire House member. Johnson had three students go through the Nashua School District.

“I was on the board when we built the North and South high schools; I was on the board when we built Stellos Stadium. I feel that I can bring a lot back to the board,” she said. “I’ve seen over the last several years that the school systems are not educating students that are proficient in math and reading. We have to take a look at the foundation of our learning, of our students here,” Johnson said.

She added, “We need more transparency – we need to focus more on reading, writing (and) math.”

When later discussing the district’s testing scores, Johnson said, “It all comes down to the basics of learning that foundation. When the students are taking their math and reading tests, that proficiency level is low. That is that guide that’s telling us where we are going wrong. But the problem is, we’re not fixing it.”

Scales

Scales is a parent of three students who have been in the Nashua School District, two who have graduated, and one who is on her way.

“I’m running because I know that Nashua has an awesome, awesome, ability to educate our students,” Scales said. “I would like to see Nashua students not only succeed in high school, but to succeed when they get out of high school into college.”

Scales works with youth by tutoring, substitute teaching and serving as a paraeducator.

“I’ve spent most of my time advocating for youth…making sure they have what they need,” Scales said.

As a parent, she said she advocates for students and their education.

“As a senior student’s mom, of course I’m looking into the high education afterwards, and so for me, and then for all the parents in Nashua, we’re looking to see our students succeed after high school,” Scales said.

Overall Scales said she is willing to work hard, listen and be passionate about the changes that need to be made in order for students to succeed.

Surbey

Surbey is an informational technology professional who took it upon himself to begin watching board meetings. Surbey said he is shocked with the way meetings are run.

“There really is a lack of accountability (and) accessibility to information,” Surbey said.

Curriculum-wise, Surbey believes the school system should prepare everybody to be self learners in their lives.

“(Learning) needs to be fun – it needs to be interactive, it needs to be natural and we need to instill that rather than hammering information in,” Surbey said.

He also believes there should be a more dynamic way of learning so that students can gravitate toward their interests and follow them.

Surbey said, “We need different tracks. We need academic tracks; We need a trade school track. I want to be there to help the system.”

Ziehm

Ziehm previously served as the board chair and has served on every committee of the board, which is experience she believes is valuable. Ziehm has a new take for the board:

“I believe we can disagree without being disagreeable. I believe that in our disagreements, we help each other and we learn from each other,” Ziehm said.

Ziehm favors smaller classrooms, which allows for students, including those from low-income households, to get more attention.

Overall, Ziehm said it was an honor to serve the children of Nashua.

She left a final suggestion, “Engage: Be part of our community and make it better because you can.”

The forum, recorded by the students, will run at various times on Nashua ETV Channel 99 until the election.

Grace Pecci may be reached at 594-1243, or at gpecci@nashuatelegraph.com.