January 31, 2022 Submitted by Matthew Cosman
As a near life-long resident of Hingham, I’m thrilled to be running for Hingham School Committee. My professional experience, volunteer work, family’s SEPAC involvement, and the time and effort I’ve devoted to advocating for students before the School Committee and school administrators put me in a unique position to be an effective School Committee member from day one. I’d be honored to receive your vote and to serve my hometown.
I believe that my experience and skills will translate well to addressing the challenges that exist within our schools. Like many in town, I faithfully attend School Committee (as well as certain Select Board and Advisory Committee) meetings to better understand issues—many which have been exacerbated by the pandemic and limited resources— faced by students, teachers and administrators. Through advocating for students both at public meetings and behind the scenes, I’ve developed positive relationships with current School Committee members, school administrators, and other parents. I have a deep appreciation for the Committee members’ and administrators’ commitment and outreach. Their jobs are exceedingly difficult. That said, I do believe we can—and need—to do more for our students.
If elected, I’ll bring a data-driven, solution-oriented and student-centric approach to problem-solving. I’ll prioritize more proactive planning for a return to normalcy in school settings, without jeopardizing wellness. I’ll facilitate more consistent and comprehensive district communication to parents and all stakeholders. I’ll work to ensure that the District is appropriately funded to support all students, including special education students, with continued focus on mitigating learning loss.
While improving the student experience will drive my decision-making, I’ll also highly value our dedicated educators and administrators. I’m a class of 1997 Hingham High graduate (Go Harbormen!). From my South Elementary kindergarten teacher Mrs. Goldstein to my HHS history teacher Mr. Kirkcaldy, along with so many others, HPS teachers have been instrumental in my life and learning, as they have been in my wife’s and children’s.
After leaving HHS, I graduated from Colgate University, worked in consulting for PricewaterhouseCoopers, and earned an MBA at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. For the last fifteen years, I’ve been an internal business strategy consultant at Fidelity, working on resolving the company’s key strategic challenges. I recently took on a Managing Director role where I’m leveraging my relationship building and problem-solving experience. Outside of work, I spend much of my time volunteering for my children’s sports, coaching and holding league board member and grade coordinator roles.
My wife Emily is also a graduate of Hingham High School. We chose to move back to town in 2007 to raise our family here. HPS has always been a crucial part of that plan. Our three children have been enrolled in Hingham schools since kindergarten. Without exception, their teachers have been unbelievably caring, smart and committed. Our son Will is a sixth grader at Hingham Middle School. Our two daughters, Abby and Sadie, are in fifth and second grade at Foster Elementary School. We understand the joys and frustrations parents experience in helping their kids navigate the school system. One of our children is dyslexic and is on an IEP. This has opened my eyes to the challenges that many students with learning differences encounter. While I am passionate about education, I’m not the expert that my wife Emily is. Emily has a Masters in Special Education and worked for close to 15 years in the field of special education. She is currently the co-chair of Hingham’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC), connecting parents and school administrators to facilitate the District’s delivery of special education services to students.
My family and I have met so many wonderful parents, children, educators, public servants, and citizens in this town. We all share a common goal. A thriving Hingham Public Schools is not just essential for students and their families, but for the entire town to flourish. By considering differing perspectives, welcoming rigorous yet respectful debate, and implementing creative, student-first decision-making, we can make our schools even more outstanding than they are today. Whether you’re already a friend or we’ve yet to meet, I look forward to listening to your ideas, and sharing mine—about what’s working well in our schools and what can be improved. I encourage you to connect with me at Matt@Cosmanforchange.com.
For more information about Matt Cosman, visit cosmanforchange.com
