Shannon Kubik will run forelection to School Committee

Special to the Transcript

I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to announce my candidacy for the Winthrop School Committee. Over the past year I had the privilege of successfully advocating for the Proposition 2.5 override, and I hope to build on that momentum to ensure that the investment our community made translates into meaningful, long-term progress for our district. 

My husband Chuck and I moved to Cottage Hill ten years ago, and we are now raising our three young boys, ages 4, 6 & 8. As a family, we strive to give back to this exceptional community by participating in the GFB and ATC PTOs, coaching Little League and football, and serving on various committees so that we can give back so much of what this town has given us: support, acceptance and a place to grow. 

I have experienced firsthand the opportunities that a strong public education provides; it is what opened the doors that led me to this wonderful town in the first place. I grew up in Albany, NY, where I attended public schools through high school before moving to Boston to attend Boston University. I earned a degree in Public Relations with a concentration in psychology and went on to help build a lifestyle and hospitality-focused integrated marketing and PR agency. I worked my way up to director of agency accounts and operations before stepping back from my career to raise our three children.

Leaving behind a job and clients I loved was one of the most difficult decisions I will ever make, but I am grateful that stepping back has allowed me to devote my time to volunteering as a parent, PTO co-president and leader of the “Invest in Winthrop” campaign. I see firsthand what many don’t– the daily challenges faced by our teachers, administration and students. 

While the override was a huge achievement for our schools and our town, the work is only beginning. I believe now more than ever, our school committee must collaborate across the community to plan ahead for the next five years, not just maintaining a level-service status quo.

We must prioritize the development of the whole student, but the reality is that our current budget merely sustains what we already have. I would love nothing more than to offer new opportunities such as band, early language instruction, AP classes, financial literacy and digital responsibility courses. But, in order to accomplish this, we must be more intentional, strategic, and collaborative in shaping the future of Winthrop’s schools. 

As a member of the School Committee, I hope to work closely with town leadership to create a long-term roadmap that prevents another 15-year override and avoids the cycle of year-to-year crises. I will prioritize giving our teachers and staff the support they need to stay in Winthrop for years to come, and I will advocate for creative, cost-effective ways to expand opportunities for students in the arts, languages, STEM, and life skills; programs that prepare them to thrive well beyond Winthrop.

The success of our schools IS the success of our town. The quality, care and effort that we put into educating our youth now is the foundation that we will all stand on for years to come. 

It would be an honor to serve our students, families, and community on the Winthrop School Committee.”