WILMINGTON, MA — Wilmington Apple recently asked all six Wilmington School Committee candidates about their qualifications and their reasons for running.
This week’s response schedule is as follows: Kathleen O’Donoghue (Monday), Rhonda Musikar-Rosner (Tuesday), Amy Largenton (Wednesday), Sabrina Hewitt (Thursday), Jennifer Bryson (Friday), Steve Bjork (Saturday), and a recap (Sunday).
Below is the response from candidate Steve Bjork.
Steve Bjork
QUESTION: Why are you running for School Committee? Why do you feel you’re qualified for the position?
ANSWER: Three years ago, I was fortunate enough to be voted onto the Wilmington School Committee. The impetus for my initial run was two-fold – I had been involved in the Wilmington 4.0 Committee, which successfully promoted the passage of the current high school, and my family had recently welcomed four children who would be attending the school system.
When I joined the Committee, it had recently appointed a new Superintendent and was in the final stages of constructing the new high school. I was looking forward to getting involved and helping a solid school system continue to improve. In my capacity as a School Committee member, I serve as Vice Chair, I serve on several subcommittees and have been on the negotiating team for multiple contract renewals. I have endeavored to be approachable to residents, as well as to the faculty and staff of the district. I believe that I have kept an open mind and have listened to both sides of every issue we’ve been confronted with.
This past October, the School Committee and our Superintendent parted ways. To be frank, it has been a difficult stretch ever since, but I’m proud of the way my colleagues and I have been moving toward short-term and long-term solutions. I am especially proud of the teachers and administrators who didn’t miss a beat. They kept a positive attitude and continued to provide exceptional instruction to our children.
I advocated strongly to bring back Joanne Benton for the interim superintendent role, as I was confident she could walk right in without any learning curve and that she would provide a calming effect for everyone employed in the district. My colleagues agreed, and it was the right decision.
Now the search for a permanent superintendent is underway. The hard work is not over yet. In fact, it is just beginning.
So, why am I running for reelection? Because I signed up to do a job, and there is still so much left to the task. I humbly ask for your vote on April 22.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Photo was provided by Bjork and taken by Maureen Brady.)
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