Kathleen Howland: Candidate for Regional School Committee

Kathleen Howland: Candidate for Regional School Committee
Kathleen is running, as an incumbent, for one of two open seats on the Regional School Committee.

Why do you want to serve in this position?
I seek re-election to the Regional School Committee for Algonquin because I am passionate about education and the myriad of ways that it can lift the individual, our community and the world. I believe education to be the vehicle that can work for the common good, for diversity, equity and inclusion in our society, for finding and nurturing one’s passion, to cultivate citizenship and teach problem solving and civil discourse in the 21st century. As a college professor, I strongly believe and stand witness to the stress that students endure for their education. It is becoming rarer and rarer for a student to not identify themselves by their diagnoses of anxiety and depression. Schools have become a high pressure stakes game in the pursuit of getting into a good college (I am very much a Race to Nowhere fan). Driving content, teaching to the test, excessive memorization and sleep deprivation have all diminished the spark of joy and curiosity that I think is the essence of learning. I have stood and will continue to stand for the well-being of our students, for the power that education has to transform people’s lives with meaning and purpose and for our buildings to represent the highest standards for inclusion, honoring the inherent worth and dignity of each person that works or studies there. 

What special qualifications and experience will you bring to the office?
As I noted previous, I am a professor at the Berklee College of Music, specializing in neuroscience, music, stress biology, the power of art in society and positive psychology. I am the product of not one but three exceptional teachers who have made me who I am today—a well studied, passionate woman who embraces a life of service. 
Describe ONE other activity or (sub)committee you’ve been involved with within the town. What has it meant to you and how did it shape and impact the town?
I am the co-founder and Education Director of the Soular Jazz Festival along with my husband, Ed Harlow. We have created the festival to advance the transition to clean, green energy. We believe that red, hot music can enhance the advancements of cool, green technology. In addition to my work on the festival, I have served on several subcommittees as a school board member, namely NSPAC, the Equity Coalition and wellness. I am working to recreate the Lyceum that was a part of our community in the 1800’s, hosted at First Parish. I am seeking to combine the efforts of First Parish, the school community, the historical societies of Northborough and Southborough, and leaders in town to presenting community events, via Zoom that work toward diversity, equity and inclusion. I am also working with this platform to advance the quality of discourse in the community, moving away toward respectful, civil discourse. I believe with all my heart that we can disagree with one another and still get along, be neighborly and considerate. The divide in our country must be addressed at the local level. 
Describe THREE key issues/challenges facing the town and how will you address them in this role?
The key issues I foresee will be a review of what school means, how it operates and how it can be advanced post-Covid. 
Is there anything else that you would like to share about yourself?
I am the proud mother of an 11th grader, happily married, a great lover of animals and friends, a multi-instrumentalist, offended by litter and always picking it up, a gentlewoman gardener, a cancer survivor and thriver, and lastly an eternal optimist that the world can be a better place and we all have a part in that