Seven apply for two Portsmouth school board vacancies

Town Council to make selection Wednesday night

By Jim McGaw
Posted 12/17/18

PORTSMOUTH — Seven residents have applied for the two vacant School Committee seats, and the Town Council will interview candidates and appoint two members on Wednesday, Dec. 19.

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Seven apply for two Portsmouth school board vacancies

Town Council to make selection Wednesday night

Posted

PORTSMOUTH — Seven residents have applied for the two vacant School Committee seats, and the Town Council will interview candidates and appoint two members on Wednesday, Dec. 19.

The special meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

Two school board seats became vacant due to the resignations of former Chairwoman Terri Cortvriend, who was elected to the District 72 seat in the R.I. House of Representatives; and member Andrew Kelly, who was elected to the Town Council. 

The two candidates selected will fill out unexpired terms that end in 2020. The town advertised the vacancies and set Dec. 14 as the application deadline.

Here are the seven residents applying for the two available seats:

Milena Anatchkova, a senior research scientist with Evidera in Waltham, Mass. Ms. Anatchkova said her major goal as a School Committee member would be to “ensure that all decisions and polices of the Portsmouth School Committee are centered on the overall well-being and development of children and not test score achievements alone.”

Sara Churgin, district manager of the Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District. Ms. Churgin, an active school volunteer, has been working since “September 2017 to fund an ‘outdoor learning activity zone’ for Melville Elementary School’s backyard, that has been suffering from stormwater runoff flooding for years.”

Karen Marlow McDaid, a teacher in the Dartmouth public schools. Ms. McDaid said she’s dedicated to maintaining and strengthening academic rigor within the schools, improving safety and security, and wants to get involved in the renovation of the Portsmouth High School auditorium.

Christine Nolan, a wellness life coach who was formerly a community treatment specialist with the East Bay Community Action Program. Ms. Nolan said her main goal as a school board member would be implementing integrated solutions for school-based mental health services to reduce substance abuse issues and eliminate student stigmas.

• Juan Carlos Payero, student development coordinator of community engagement at Roger Williams University. Mr. Payero said if appointed to the school board he would focus on making the school facilities and students ready for the “global 21st century” as well as promote initiatives to improve the “emotional security” of students, staff and administrators. 

John Schlesinger, a project program management specialist advisor for Plano, Texas-based NTT Data Services, said he wants families to be proud of Portsmouth schools, students to feel safe and thrive, teachers to feel supported from the community and administration, administrators to feel supported from the School Committee and the committee itself to continually earn the trust of local families. 

Jason Spitalnik, a self-employed teacher of structural integration who said he can bring value to the school board through his experience as a postsecondary education instructor for Bristol Community College and kinesis. Mr. Spitalnik said his goal would be to help the local school system continue to provide top-quality education and prepare students for the future while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

Application requirements

All applicants included a résumé and a cover letter that addressed the following three questions:

• “Why would you like to serve on the Portsmouth School Committee (PSC)?”

• “Why would you make a good PSC member?”

• “What would be your major goals as a PSC member?”

Council members will have the opportunity to ask further questions at Wednesday’s meeting, querying candidates one at a time and out of earshot of the other applicants.

Portsmouth Town Council, Portsmouth School Committee

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Meet our staff
Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.