Hi y'all! My name is Stacey Sexton.

I moved to Greenfield in December of 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, and since arriving I have sought to become part of the community and involve myself in community life. I've volunteered with Stone Soup Cafe, and with the library. Even before moving to Greenfield I have been involved in organizing and activism in the broader Western Mass area, and I bring that same passion for working collaboratively to improve our community. 

Professionally, I have worked in education research and evaluation for nearly a decade and I have a deep understanding of how school districts operate, both the constraints upon them and the opportunities available to them. In my professional roles I have had the opportunity to work with many school districts in Massachusetts and across the country. This exposure to other districts allows me to learn from others about potential practices we may like to try in Greenfield. Additionally, my work requires that I be aware of state and federal funding opportunities available to school districts – knowledge that I look forward to putting to use for Greenfield Public Schools.

PRIORITIES

Transparency and Openness

A school system works best when it is open to the public, integrated within the community, and it has transparent processes.

I will work to make the School Committee meetings more accessible to the public, strengthen GPS's ability to support parent and community volunteers, and to ensure that GPS processes are transparent and understandable.

For example, if the community wanted, I would work with the district to host a school budget workshop that would demystify the school budgeting process and answer questions about interpreting and working with the budget documents that are used.

Utilizing Our Resources

Strong schools are one pillar of a strong community with a robust local economy. We should be promoting the integration of GPS with local community organizations and businesses to develop the future community leaders of Greenfield.

Greenfield is fortunate to have a local community college and we should explore ways to better leverage the partnership between GCC and GPS, as well as with the other education partners around us, including trade and technical schools.

Developing the future community leaders of Greenfield includes investing in young people to become social, political, and business leaders. We should work with community members to explore offering intentional mentoring and development experiences to our students, enabling them to be successful here in Greenfield.

Equitable Discipline

According to district-provided data GPS is disciplining its "high needs" students at a disproportionate rate compared to their peers. Additionally, this data also shows that Greenfield is relying on out of school suspensions to address discipline challenges, which research suggests leads to worse student outcomes.

I believe that school discipline should be a tool that is used to promote accountability, build and repair trust among those impacted, and support students' learning, not detract from it. I support the implementation of a robust restorative justice program within the district to work toward a culture based around student and staff empowerment, conflict resolution, and repair to reduce the incidence of event requiring discipline in the first place.

We must ensuring that no one group of students is receiving a disproportionate share of school discipline and that the disciplinary mechanisms utilized are appropriate and promote learning and changed behavior.

Meeting Human Needs

The Covid-19 pandemic laid bare the need for robust mental health support not only for students but also for school staff, teachers, and parents.

School-based supports cannot be the only solution, but they must be part of addressing the real social and emotional challenges that exist today within all communities, including Greenfield.

I support robust investment in mental health professionals in schools, access to quality social-emotional curricula and supports, and greater student and staff involvement in designing solutions that meet their needs.

I am running for the School Committee as a way to put my skills to work for our community. If you think I would do a good job in the role, vote for me on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, at the Greenfield High School gymnasium from 7 am to 8 pm. 

You can register to vote or check your registration here.

The deadline for voter registration for all elections is 10 days prior to the election date.