Seven candidates running for Biddeford School Committee
Seven candidates are running for seven seats on the Biddeford School Committee, but one seat will remain open following the election.
Three candidates – Nathan Mills, Tammy Fleurent and Jane Kircher – live in Ward 3, but only two candidates may represent a single ward, according to the city charter. City Clerk Carmen Lemieux said the committee chairman will nominate a person to fill the vacancy within 30 days. The nomination will be subject to the confirmation by the School Committee.
Candidate Margaret Bean, who currently sits on the committee, did not return a survey.
Roberta Bernier
Age: 41
Address: 10 Memorial Drive
Phone number: 283-8742
Occupation: Stay-at-home mom
Family: Married with two children, a 14-year-old daughter who is a freshman at BHS and a 13-year-old autistic son in seventh grade at BMS.
Education: GED, basic clerical certification
Previous political experience: None, however I’m very involved with the schools. I’m the president of the Music Boosters for BMS. I work very closely with special education teachers. I started the Walk for Autism 10 years ago. I’ve run an autism/Asperger’s support group for four years.
Why are you running for office? I’m running for office because I feel it’s time for change. With one child at the high school and one not far behind, I want to know and have a say in what happens to the high school. I’m also running to give a voice to the parents of special needs children and the regular population as well. These kids are our future. I want to support our kids.
What are the top three issues facing Biddeford students and schools and how will you address them? 1. The high school. I would want to figure out the most cost-effective way to fix or build a new high school and bring the standards of education to the level of other high schools. 2. I think we need to take a look at how special needs issues are handled. I’d like to educate the school community on the needs and everyday issues these families face. 3. Overall morale of the students and staff at BHS. Letting them know I understand the issue and will do my best to resolve them along with other committee members in a mature and timely manner.
Alexandra Clarke
Age: 76
Address: 631 South St.
Phone number: 632-9199
Occupation: Retired teacher
Family: Widow with four grown children
Education: Bachelor’s and master’s from Elmira College
Previous political experience: None
Why are you running for office? After teaching for more than 20 years, I miss my connection to schools. I also feel an obligation to my community.
What are the top three issues facing Biddeford students and schools and how will you address them? 1. Improvement on state test scores by Biddeford students. 2. High school renovation should move forward. 3. Reinforcement of school rules and regulations to improve the learning experience.
Tammy Lynn Fleurent
Age: 40
Address: 291 Granite St.
Phone number: 284-1586
Occupation: Educator
Family: My husband and I have four children: Denali, 12, Madeline, 5, Isabella, 4, and Jada, 2.
Education: As a member of the Saco community I attended both Saco school system’s public elementary and junior high schools. I then attended Thornton Academy for my secondary education, through which I benefited from the Regional Vocational Center in Biddeford. I earned a B.S. in special education and elementary education at the University of Maine Farmington and later attended Antioch New England graduate school in Keene, N.H.
Previous political experience: This is the beginning of my political journey in which I hope to support education.
Why are you running for office? I’ve always thrived on being part of an educational community. For 16 years I enjoyed teaching in public education and still enjoy being an exciting part of positive change.
What are the top three issues facing Biddeford students and schools and how will you address them? After talking with Biddeford residents, parents and teachers, I believe the top three issues facing our schools are: BHS renovations, community support for teachers and families and funding for extra curricular activities. I support the renovations for the Biddeford High School. I understand the expense to taxpayers and the sacrifice residents will make to support our students. We have experienced quality education through dedicated, highly qualified teachers for many years. Our students are excelling in their studies even with the substandard facilities, science classrooms and media space. As a taxpayer I am willing to give in order for our children to receive the very best education has to offer. Education is a priority. I truly believe that for most people their success in life was a result of their educational experience and the value of learning. A family’s value for education is vital for students to succeed. As a community, supporting our teachers and school programs is necessary to bring excellence to education that Biddeford students deserve. We have a dedicated PTO and I appreciate those who volunteer in our schools. However, I would like to see more people involved in our classrooms. I’d like community members who have raised their children to come back and share their knowledge and experience with today’s youth. I’d like to see more business owners offer their expertise and support. Students, teachers and families need positive encouragement to get involved and make a difference. Offering to mentor students, volunteer or recess or lunch duty, photocopy, share your skills, hobbies or trade, or write a kind letter to the editor about the good things happening in our schools are just a few ways to help support education. Improving education should be a priority and a community effort. Funding has always been an issue for schools. School districts, communities and teachers have been highly creative in trying to find funding to keep programs alive. Most recently, we have seen fundraising shift from providing extra curricular programs to funding basic classroom experiences and materials. This impedes greatly on academic opportunities. Corporate sponsorships, grants and business partnerships are areas to explore for financial support. If elected, I will listen to your concerns, ideas and suggestions. I am committed to supporting students, families and teachers by encouraging community involvement and support for education. I will use my education, experience and love for teaching to influence positive change in our schools.
Name: Jane Kircher
Age: 50
Address: 9 Benson Road
Phone number: 282-7530
Occupation: Homemaker
Family: I have been married to Tim Kircher for 25 years. We have three children, Charlie, Jimmy and Mary. All of our children graduated from Biddeford High School.
Education: I graduated from Mt. Blue High School in Farmington. I also received a bachelor’s in chemical engineering and a master’s in environmental engineering from RPI in Troy, N.Y.
Previous political experience: I have served on the Biddeford School Committee since my appointment in July.
Why are you running for office? I feel that it is important to give back to the community. The education of our children is one of the best investments that we can make for the future of our city and the world. I want to give my time to the school board because I think that the education of our children in important.
What are the top three issues facing Biddeford students and schools and how will you address them? The top three issues facing Biddeford students and schools are: the accreditation of Biddeford High School, the renovation of Biddeford High School and providing educational opportunities to prepare students to reach their full potential. These issues are all connected to each other. The accreditation is important because graduating from a high school that lacks accreditation puts students at a disadvantage when applying for jobs or pursuing further education. The physical condition of Biddeford High School is the result of years of cutting corners on spending for basic upkeep. We need to move past blaming and move forward with the renovations. These renovations are needed to bring BHS into compliance with building codes and to make it fully accessible for people that cannot use stairs. Some of the renovations will make the building more energy efficient and save money in operating costs. The education that we provide for the current generation will impact the city that we have both now and in the future. We need to provide educational opportunities that will prepare students to reach their full potential and to help them to their next step in life. As far as my part in this, I support the renovations of BHS. I will work to make sure that we get a good value for those renovations. I think that we need to look at the curriculum and see what changes can be made to better meet the needs of students. I will support hiring teachers that are qualified in their fields. Improvements to the curriculum and renovations to BHS will make it much easier to get full accreditation. All of these things cost money and given the current economy we will have to set priorities in spending. I will work to spend money wisely in the education of our students.
Name: Nathan Mills
Age: 48
Address: 5 Split Rock Lane
Phone number: 286-2892
Occupation: I recently returned to full time work as the business and compliance manager for a Portland based non-profit agency.
Family: Married, two children
Education: Bachelor of arts, University of Maine
Previous political experience: Biddeford School Committee
Why are you running for office? I support the Biddeford school system’s mission that assures all students of an education that prepares them for the future. Community confidence is paramount for me as an elected official and I remain committed to doing the hard work to understand the issue. I am an advocate for strong leadership and effective decision making throughout the school system in fulfilling the educational mission and in this way I wish to continue advocating for the students and the educational mission of the school system.
What are the top three issues facing Biddeford students and schools and how will you address them? In order, safety, fairness and accuracy. 1. The school system must continue to create and maintain an environment that is safe for students and staff. During the past two years the school system has implemented, through policy and training, measures that create a safe environment for learning. 2. The school system has an educational mission and vision responsibility to all its students and fundamental fairness in fulfilling this mission will be the measure by which I make decisions as a school committee member. 3. These are financially challenging times with many families, as well as publicly funded institutions, feeling strain. Many in the community have high aspirations for our students. It is my expectation that tough choices will be made to accurately reflect these high aspirations in budgets that are already feeling the strain of reduced funding. It has been a priority of mine to understand school funding and budgets. I believe that the school system makes good and effective use of the community resources devoted to education.
Name: Laura Seaver
Age: 40
Address: 23 Lamothe Ave.
Phone number: 571-4376
Occupation: Social worker
Family: Husband Randy, sons Tim and Matt
Education: B.A. in criminology, University of Southern Maine
Previous political experience: Biddeford School Committee, 2007-2009
Why are you running for office? I have been serving on the school committee for two years and feel that there is more good work to be done. As with any organization, there are always improvements to be made.
What are the top three issues facing Biddeford students and schools and how will you address them? Schools all over Maine are being challenged by less state funding and our own community has been hard hit by this depressed economy. It is imperative for the school committee to look closely at the budget from the taxpayers’ perspective and work with our administration to make cuts in a manner that least affects our students. The Biddeford High School building desperately needs updates. If the referendum is passed in November, then it will be important to continue to ensure that the work being done best suits the needs of our community. If the referendum fails, we will need to look at other options. We will need to reexamine the needs of our students and prioritize how to meet those with limited funds. Our school system still struggles with a high rate of student dropouts and failing grades. We need to work to address these issues by exploring innovative and cost effective ways to keep our at-risk students engaged in their education.
Three candidates – Nathan Mills, Tammy Fleurent and Jane Kircher – live in Ward 3, but only two candidates may represent a single ward, according to the city charter. City Clerk Carmen Lemieux said the committee chairman will nominate a person to fill the vacancy within 30 days. The nomination will be subject to the confirmation by the School Committee.
Candidate Margaret Bean, who currently sits on the committee, did not return a survey.
Roberta Bernier
Age: 41
Address: 10 Memorial Drive
Phone number: 283-8742
Occupation: Stay-at-home mom
Family: Married with two children, a 14-year-old daughter who is a freshman at BHS and a 13-year-old autistic son in seventh grade at BMS.
Education: GED, basic clerical certification
Previous political experience: None, however I’m very involved with the schools. I’m the president of the Music Boosters for BMS. I work very closely with special education teachers. I started the Walk for Autism 10 years ago. I’ve run an autism/Asperger’s support group for four years.
Why are you running for office? I’m running for office because I feel it’s time for change. With one child at the high school and one not far behind, I want to know and have a say in what happens to the high school. I’m also running to give a voice to the parents of special needs children and the regular population as well. These kids are our future. I want to support our kids.
What are the top three issues facing Biddeford students and schools and how will you address them? 1. The high school. I would want to figure out the most cost-effective way to fix or build a new high school and bring the standards of education to the level of other high schools. 2. I think we need to take a look at how special needs issues are handled. I’d like to educate the school community on the needs and everyday issues these families face. 3. Overall morale of the students and staff at BHS. Letting them know I understand the issue and will do my best to resolve them along with other committee members in a mature and timely manner.
Alexandra Clarke
Age: 76
Address: 631 South St.
Phone number: 632-9199
Occupation: Retired teacher
Family: Widow with four grown children
Education: Bachelor’s and master’s from Elmira College
Previous political experience: None
Why are you running for office? After teaching for more than 20 years, I miss my connection to schools. I also feel an obligation to my community.
What are the top three issues facing Biddeford students and schools and how will you address them? 1. Improvement on state test scores by Biddeford students. 2. High school renovation should move forward. 3. Reinforcement of school rules and regulations to improve the learning experience.
Tammy Lynn Fleurent
Age: 40
Address: 291 Granite St.
Phone number: 284-1586
Occupation: Educator
Family: My husband and I have four children: Denali, 12, Madeline, 5, Isabella, 4, and Jada, 2.
Education: As a member of the Saco community I attended both Saco school system’s public elementary and junior high schools. I then attended Thornton Academy for my secondary education, through which I benefited from the Regional Vocational Center in Biddeford. I earned a B.S. in special education and elementary education at the University of Maine Farmington and later attended Antioch New England graduate school in Keene, N.H.
Previous political experience: This is the beginning of my political journey in which I hope to support education.
Why are you running for office? I’ve always thrived on being part of an educational community. For 16 years I enjoyed teaching in public education and still enjoy being an exciting part of positive change.
What are the top three issues facing Biddeford students and schools and how will you address them? After talking with Biddeford residents, parents and teachers, I believe the top three issues facing our schools are: BHS renovations, community support for teachers and families and funding for extra curricular activities. I support the renovations for the Biddeford High School. I understand the expense to taxpayers and the sacrifice residents will make to support our students. We have experienced quality education through dedicated, highly qualified teachers for many years. Our students are excelling in their studies even with the substandard facilities, science classrooms and media space. As a taxpayer I am willing to give in order for our children to receive the very best education has to offer. Education is a priority. I truly believe that for most people their success in life was a result of their educational experience and the value of learning. A family’s value for education is vital for students to succeed. As a community, supporting our teachers and school programs is necessary to bring excellence to education that Biddeford students deserve. We have a dedicated PTO and I appreciate those who volunteer in our schools. However, I would like to see more people involved in our classrooms. I’d like community members who have raised their children to come back and share their knowledge and experience with today’s youth. I’d like to see more business owners offer their expertise and support. Students, teachers and families need positive encouragement to get involved and make a difference. Offering to mentor students, volunteer or recess or lunch duty, photocopy, share your skills, hobbies or trade, or write a kind letter to the editor about the good things happening in our schools are just a few ways to help support education. Improving education should be a priority and a community effort. Funding has always been an issue for schools. School districts, communities and teachers have been highly creative in trying to find funding to keep programs alive. Most recently, we have seen fundraising shift from providing extra curricular programs to funding basic classroom experiences and materials. This impedes greatly on academic opportunities. Corporate sponsorships, grants and business partnerships are areas to explore for financial support. If elected, I will listen to your concerns, ideas and suggestions. I am committed to supporting students, families and teachers by encouraging community involvement and support for education. I will use my education, experience and love for teaching to influence positive change in our schools.
Name: Jane Kircher
Age: 50
Address: 9 Benson Road
Phone number: 282-7530
Occupation: Homemaker
Family: I have been married to Tim Kircher for 25 years. We have three children, Charlie, Jimmy and Mary. All of our children graduated from Biddeford High School.
Education: I graduated from Mt. Blue High School in Farmington. I also received a bachelor’s in chemical engineering and a master’s in environmental engineering from RPI in Troy, N.Y.
Previous political experience: I have served on the Biddeford School Committee since my appointment in July.
Why are you running for office? I feel that it is important to give back to the community. The education of our children is one of the best investments that we can make for the future of our city and the world. I want to give my time to the school board because I think that the education of our children in important.
What are the top three issues facing Biddeford students and schools and how will you address them? The top three issues facing Biddeford students and schools are: the accreditation of Biddeford High School, the renovation of Biddeford High School and providing educational opportunities to prepare students to reach their full potential. These issues are all connected to each other. The accreditation is important because graduating from a high school that lacks accreditation puts students at a disadvantage when applying for jobs or pursuing further education. The physical condition of Biddeford High School is the result of years of cutting corners on spending for basic upkeep. We need to move past blaming and move forward with the renovations. These renovations are needed to bring BHS into compliance with building codes and to make it fully accessible for people that cannot use stairs. Some of the renovations will make the building more energy efficient and save money in operating costs. The education that we provide for the current generation will impact the city that we have both now and in the future. We need to provide educational opportunities that will prepare students to reach their full potential and to help them to their next step in life. As far as my part in this, I support the renovations of BHS. I will work to make sure that we get a good value for those renovations. I think that we need to look at the curriculum and see what changes can be made to better meet the needs of students. I will support hiring teachers that are qualified in their fields. Improvements to the curriculum and renovations to BHS will make it much easier to get full accreditation. All of these things cost money and given the current economy we will have to set priorities in spending. I will work to spend money wisely in the education of our students.
Name: Nathan Mills
Age: 48
Address: 5 Split Rock Lane
Phone number: 286-2892
Occupation: I recently returned to full time work as the business and compliance manager for a Portland based non-profit agency.
Family: Married, two children
Education: Bachelor of arts, University of Maine
Previous political experience: Biddeford School Committee
Why are you running for office? I support the Biddeford school system’s mission that assures all students of an education that prepares them for the future. Community confidence is paramount for me as an elected official and I remain committed to doing the hard work to understand the issue. I am an advocate for strong leadership and effective decision making throughout the school system in fulfilling the educational mission and in this way I wish to continue advocating for the students and the educational mission of the school system.
What are the top three issues facing Biddeford students and schools and how will you address them? In order, safety, fairness and accuracy. 1. The school system must continue to create and maintain an environment that is safe for students and staff. During the past two years the school system has implemented, through policy and training, measures that create a safe environment for learning. 2. The school system has an educational mission and vision responsibility to all its students and fundamental fairness in fulfilling this mission will be the measure by which I make decisions as a school committee member. 3. These are financially challenging times with many families, as well as publicly funded institutions, feeling strain. Many in the community have high aspirations for our students. It is my expectation that tough choices will be made to accurately reflect these high aspirations in budgets that are already feeling the strain of reduced funding. It has been a priority of mine to understand school funding and budgets. I believe that the school system makes good and effective use of the community resources devoted to education.
Name: Laura Seaver
Age: 40
Address: 23 Lamothe Ave.
Phone number: 571-4376
Occupation: Social worker
Family: Husband Randy, sons Tim and Matt
Education: B.A. in criminology, University of Southern Maine
Previous political experience: Biddeford School Committee, 2007-2009
Why are you running for office? I have been serving on the school committee for two years and feel that there is more good work to be done. As with any organization, there are always improvements to be made.
What are the top three issues facing Biddeford students and schools and how will you address them? Schools all over Maine are being challenged by less state funding and our own community has been hard hit by this depressed economy. It is imperative for the school committee to look closely at the budget from the taxpayers’ perspective and work with our administration to make cuts in a manner that least affects our students. The Biddeford High School building desperately needs updates. If the referendum is passed in November, then it will be important to continue to ensure that the work being done best suits the needs of our community. If the referendum fails, we will need to look at other options. We will need to reexamine the needs of our students and prioritize how to meet those with limited funds. Our school system still struggles with a high rate of student dropouts and failing grades. We need to work to address these issues by exploring innovative and cost effective ways to keep our at-risk students engaged in their education.
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