Letter to the Editor: Marianne Speranza-Hartmann

Dear Fellow Swampscott Resident: 

My name is Marianne Speranza-Hartmann and I am running for one of two vacant seats on the Swampscott School Committee.

Many people have asked why I want to run for School Committee. My reason is simple: I am dedicated to the children of Swampscott and want what’s best for them. 

I am a life-long resident of Swampscott and have been actively involved with the community as long as I  can remember.

My husband Eric (also a lifelong Swampscott resident) and I are both Swampscott High School graduates and have two children attending the Swampscott Public Schools: a son Nicholas, who is  a junior at SHS and a daughter Emily, in 8th grade at Swampscott Middle School. 
 
I have spent most of my adult life working with and for the Town’s children. I was on the Swampscott Building Committee for five years, and am proud to say that I helped build the new Swampscott High School.

I have coached kids in basketball, cross-country and track. Some of my other local volunteer work  includes organizing the Town’s Fourth of July parade, service on the Master Plan Committee and on search committees for various public school administrators.

I am also an elected Town Meeting member. 
 
My educational background includes a B.S. in education and sports medicine from Northeastern University and a degree in nursing from St. Elizabeth’s Hospital School of Nursing.

Currently, I am a school nurse at Swampscott Middle School. Some people have asked about a potential conflict of interest between my job  as a school nurse and service on the School Committee.

After speaking with The Massachusetts Association of School Committees and The Massachusetts State Ethics Commission I am confident that a bid for election is completely legal and appropriate.

In fact, my job gives me a great inside view of our schools which I believe will help inform my decisions as a School Committee member. 
 
As a member of the Swampscott School Committee my focus will be on the whole child. While academics and test scores are important, the social and emotional well-being of a child is equally important. 

Swampscott schools have always had a solid reputation. We push our children hard academically and  expect excellence, but sometimes forget that they need time just to be kids and to be with their families.

We need to strike a better balance between school and family life and find ways to achieve academic excellence in a child-centered environment. 
 
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I would be proud and honored to serve the Town as a member of the School Committee, and humbly ask for your vote. 

Respectfully,

Marianne Speranza-Hartmann 

39 Nichols Street

Swampscott, MA 01907