Suzanne Leonard to Run for School Committee

Special to the Transcript

Suzanne Leonard has officially announced her candidacy for School Committee. The following is her statement.

“I am grateful for this opportunity to declare my candidacy for school committee, and to introduce myself to you. I am a mother, I am an educator, and I love the Winthrop community. If elected to school committee, I pledge to listen, to learn, and to do my best to serve every student, parent, and resident of our town. 

My daughter, Anabelle, is a first grader at the Gorman Fort Banks Elementary School. Last year, she began kindergarten on a computer. While it was often heartbreaking to watch, it was also, at times, a rare gift. Thanks to some flexibility in our respective work schedules, my husband and I essentially went to kindergarten with her. We learned the songs she sang, the books her teacher read, and the personalities of her classmates. We looked forward to the joke of the day. While we mourned that our daughter was in a virtual classroom and worried over screen time, we also learned a fundamental truth. Education is about people teaching people. It is about creating a space where everyone can learn, even, and especially, when those needs are different. This is not an easy task. Yet, when it was time to send her to school, in person, in January of 2021, we felt confident that her school was a space of learning, of exploration, and of curiosity.

As an educator, creating a space where learning is accessible for every student is also my aspiration. I have worked in higher education for over twenty years, and I currently teach Literature and Writing at Simmons University. I have also served in a number of administrative capacities at my job, most recently as the Director of General Education. I understand the pressures of budgets and the needs of competing constituencies. I know the importance of goal setting, planning, and assessment. In my job, I am often asked: Are we achieving what we set out to do? How will we know?” I will ask the same questions of our schools.

Finally, I have lived in Winthrop for over nine years. My husband is a pilot based out of Logan, and once, at Belle Isle Seafood, I watched the plane I knew he was flying take off. I marvel at the beauty of our beaches, the small-town feel we retain through the decades, and, finally, the passion of our community. During the last academic year, I listened closely as Winthrop students, educators, parents, staff, and administrators talked about the schools and their hopes and fears. While this was a unique and very difficult situation, it also inspired me. The last 18 months have taught me that we must cherish our communities, and we must work hard to make them thrive. I am willing to do that work.