Name: Sarah Fox
How long have you lived in town? My husband, Matt Wolverton, and I moved back into his childhood home in Marblehead in 2011.
Profession: As a mother of six, Fox took a step back from her career of interior design and project management several years ago to focus on her family and volunteering on several town committees.
Elected and appointed positions:
- Marblehead School Committee, two terms
- Budget Subcommittee
- Facilities Subcommittee
- Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Principal Search Committees
- Chair from 2022-2024
- Gerry/Brown School Building Committee
- Bell School Advisory Council
- Coffin School Advisory Council
- Veterans School Advisory Council
- Brown School Advisory Council
- Bell School PTO Board
- Aspire Early Intervention parent representative 2011-2024
- Farm Direct Coop Board
What are your goals for the next three years should you be elected?
I am very proud of the school administration leadership team I have helped recruit and onboard. I look forward to supporting the development of the new strategic plan for the district. The leadership team will need an experienced school committee to advocate for the new plan and make sure the funding is available to implement each clearly articulated objective. Continuing to provide a very transparent budget process is another goal. As a member of the Budget Subcommittee for five years, I have been a driving force to make our budget documents available to the public proactively and public business happens in public. The townwide budget will be the greatest hurdle for any town official over the next few years. I am committed to leveraging my experience serving Marblehead, particularly on the Budget Subcommittee, to meet the needs of our schools while staying accountable to the taxpayers.
Given the turbulence of the last few years, why are you the right candidate to stay on the committee? What issue, if any, would you handle differently if you could?
I believe I have the experience and professional conduct that will continue to benefit the town of Marblehead, specifically our schools. Over my tenure as a School Committee member, we have been challenged with many difficult topics that affect our students. I always ask myself, “What is best for students?’ before making any decision and act accordingly. I have served on several iterations of the School Committee and have always been completely committed to debating the topic before us and never engaged in personal attacks, which only harm our community. I am open to conversations with anyone who wishes to give feedback and work diligently, attempting to reply to everyone who reaches out. I strongly believe my willingness to engage with all stakeholders, not just the groups that agree with my point of view, enables me to grow as a person and a committee member. For these reasons, I believe my re-election would serve the students and residents of Marblehead well.
What are you most proud of from your last three years on the committee?
I am proud of how I have stayed steadfast in my commitment to be student focused. I do not let public pressure from vocal groups deter me from making hard decisions that are in the best interest of students. The past year proved a great challenge with the conduct of some members of our school community; however, I am very proud to say I stayed true to my personal principles of treating others with respect, dignity and kindness.
I am also very proud of the work I have done to bring further transparency into the budget process. Each year, the Budget Subcommittee, which I have chaired for several years, has worked collaboratively with town officials and the Finance Committee to continually refine our process to provide clear, timely information to the public. I am very proud that I have used my experience, knowledge and consistent professional demeanor to stay student focused when faced with challenges throughout my tenure on the School Committee.
Given orders from the federal government to restrict DEI, where do you stand on diversity, equity and inclusion curriculum and programs in Marblehead schools?
Education has experienced rapidly changing guidance at the national level, however Massachusetts schools receive their guidance and follow mandates put forth by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The Marblehead schools, like all schools in the Commonwealth, are obligated to follow the state frameworks.Furthermore, the Education Reform Act is very clear in its separation of powers between school committees and administrators. Many of the powers people often attribute to school committees are actually under the purview of the superintendent. I will continue to be committed to executing the duties set forth by the Education Reform Act that fall under School Committee purview, which are to oversee the superintendent, establish policy and oversee the budget in accordance with the state frameworks created by DESE.
Editor Leigh Blander is an experienced TV, radio and print journalist.
