Submitted by Michelle Ayer
Hello, Hingham Anchor readers.
In challenging and uncertain times, we rely on experienced and thoughtful leadership, which is why I have decided to seek re-election to the Hingham School Committee. Serving the community and our schools has been a privilege and I would be honored to continue my service to the town that has given so much to my family.
Like a lot of folks, I choose to call Hingham home for a variety of reasons, but what really drew me here was the reputation of the schools. As the mom of two boys and a firm believer in public education, I wanted to live in a community that valued education and supported teachers.
As my two boys, Evan and Ethan, navigated their way through the Hingham Public Schools, I wanted to show my appreciation for the faculty and staff that dedicate their careers to educating our children, so I began volunteering at the schools. Room parent; library and computer lab assistant; literacy coordinator; 4th grade Physics Olympics; field trip chaperone more times than I can count; HMS PTO President; Hingham Parents for Drama Treasurer; HHS Class Parent; Senior Night volunteer coordinator...wherever help was needed, I was happy to pitch in because spending time in our schools supporting our students, our faculty, and our staff brought me great joy.
Then, just like that, Evan graduated and Ethan entered senior year at HHS and it dawned on me that the volunteer work that brought me so much satisfaction had also given me a unique perspective into our schools. When I combined that perspective with my 30+ years building and managing a $1.5 billion lending portfolio and my work on the finance committee of Ronald McDonald House Charities, I realized my experience and perspective provided the right skill set for the Hingham School Committee. I was humbled to be elected to the Committee in 2017, and then elected by my fellow Committee members to serve as Chair a year later and again in 2019.
Over the past three years we have accomplished a great deal, including hiring and integrating our new Superintendent; obtaining an invitation from the Massachusetts School Building Authority to enter Foster School into the eligibility period; and garnering unanimous support at Annual Town Meeting for capital improvements at HHS and Foster School. I am especially proud to have given voice to some of our most vulnerable students; to have improved relationships with our special education community; to have created a METCO liaison position; and to have secured a new facility for our vocational students (TRACES) to ensure educational continuity.
The past three years have been exciting and rewarding and yes, at times challenging, but at all times it has been a privilege to serve my community and to advocate for our students and our staff.
We have built great momentum, but there are many challenges facing our schools and our community over the next three years, including the capital project needed at Foster School; an overhaul of the Hingham Public Schools Policy Manual; the integration of our new Superintendent; budget constraints; and new challenges like public health crises. I believe our schools and our community would benefit greatly from the continuity of leadership and experience that I provide.
I pride myself on the trust that I have earned from school administration, town officials, faculty and staff, parents, students, and the community. I would be honored if you put your trust in me by casting one of your two votes for School Committee to re-elect Michelle Ayer on Saturday, May 2nd.