North Attleborough’s Town Election will take place on Tuesday, April 2, with polls at the North Attleborough High School open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
The School Committee is the sole contested race, with five candidates running for three seats. Charlie Peters is one of those candidates, and responded to a series of questions from the North Star Reporter.
- Occupation: Bridgewater State University’s director of digital communications (social media and digital content)
- Past positions/employers: Reporter at the Brockton Enterprise, education reporter at the Pasadena Outlook, sports correspondent at Boston Globe and Los Angeles Daily News)
- Married to Meaghan, past president of Community School PTO. Two children: Penelope (8) and Elliotte (4)
- Age: 37
- Education: Masters of Public Administration from Bridgewater State University and Bachelors of Arts in English from University of Massachusetts, Boston.
Please list any experience on other boards, committees or organizations.
– PTO volunteer, Community School
– Presidential Task Force on Student Experience, Bridgewater State University (BSU)
– Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) Accreditation Graduate Student Committee, BSU
– Crisis Communications Committee, BSU
– Inclement Weather Committee, BSU
– Graduate Professional Student Association, BSU
Why are you running for this position?
I’m running for one of the three seats up for election this year because my career experience in higher education and my academic background in public policy both align with the School Committee’s core duties.
Additionally, my professional work in institutional communications can provide value for the North Attleborough school community as we improve the clarity, consistency, and accessibility of our messaging.
Finally, I’m running because I’m a parent of a Community School third-grader and a soon-to-be-kindergartener. My wife and I are personally invested in the long-term success of this district and will always support our schools with public service.
If elected, what issues would you like to focus on?
I would focus on communication, both from the district to the committee and from the committee to the public — and it’s about more than transparency. While district information is readily available online, it isn’t always digestible or actionable for our stakeholders. We need to not only inform the community but engage them. I want to focus on optimizing how, where and when we communicate with the public.
Also, I can contribute to the policy review and amendment process. This long overdue work is underway, but two-thirds of the Policy Subcommittee did not seek re-election and we must stay on course.
What sets you apart from other candidates?
I’m the lone candidate working in the education field, and the only one with an advanced degree in public policy. However, I’m focusing less on what sets me apart and more on what brings us together.
The three candidates elected on April 2 will join four existing members at a School Committee meeting on April 3. Voters can keep our committee on track by electing candidates with complementary skills, collaborative experience, and educators’ support — which is why I’m honored to have the North Attleboro Federation of Teachers endorsement along with Chair Tasha Buzzell and former Town Council President Keith Lapointe.
What are some areas that the town has improved upon and what, in your opinion, remains to be done?
There have been incredible individual achievements by our educators and students, but school funding remains the biggest challenge. The committee has creatively and incrementally increased funding by expanding School Choice, advocating for a Special Education Stabilization Fund, and demanding stricter accounting of state-appropriated aid earmarked for education. But as the fourth-lowest funded district of its size in the state, our schools and our students deserve far more support than they receive locally.
We also must address diversity in meaningful ways, both to better reflect our changing demographics and to better educate future leaders.
And we’ve got to stop banning books.
Being part of a board requires one to be a team player. Does your background lend you to working well in this environment?
My career in higher education requires collaboration across campus — particularly when you’re responsible for communicating information from any of the dozens of departments, hundreds of faculty members and thousands of students to external audiences and partners. I also manage a team of incredible student-employees at Bridgewater, so prioritizing student experiences and voices is always crucial.
I’m prepared to collaborate with anyone who is elected and have already begun establishing relationships with school and town government leadership. We can’t forget that Committee collaboration includes an engaged public, too, so I’d welcome all readers to connect with me via email at CharliePetersSchoolCommittee@gmail.com.
