To the editor:
We are writing in encouragement of one-year School Committee candidate Jenny Sheehan. Jenny has been an active and invested member of our town for years since she and her husband decided to settle in Lynnfield. As a mom of three children who are at the beginning of a long education in the Lynnfield Public Schools, she consistently invests her time and energy into making our community better not just for her own children and their peers, but for our whole district. She volunteers at Summer Street School, where two of her children are in first grade and kindergarten, and has been active on the PTO at Bethlehem preschool where her youngest child attends. As a mom and school volunteer, Jenny is always respectful to teachers, parents, and administrators, thoughtfully considering how to celebrate the good our town and schools have to offer, while lending constructive criticism and sincere curiosity on what can improve.
She values education in her household and puts the work in to ensure her children and our community are active and equal participants in keeping this town great. She consistently takes the time to listen to other people’s views, learn new perspectives, and make thoughtful decisions and input on the future of our town. Jenny doesn’t need to always have the last word in a conversation with opposing views, but also won’t just nod her head if peers or friends have a strong opinion on a topic.
Over the 18 months, Jenny has spent time attending School Committee meetings, meeting with school administrators and parents to discuss some concerns she has seen, from class size to curriculum. Class size isn’t her only focus — what’s great about Jenny is her ability to see an issue, dive into the research and information, and find solutions. She is smart, level-headed, and will bring a thoughtful approach to all school issues across all grade levels. Her respectful approach, paired with her desire to learn about the issues and make time to research before quickly making a decision is something we continue to need improvement on within School Committee leadership. We are always impressed with her ability to concisely get across her questions, concerns, or validations while making everyone around her feel encouraged to share their own thoughts.
Jenny’s passion for putting our children first, no matter their age, above friendships and politics, paired with her calm and thoughtful presence make her an ideal choice to help start picking up the pieces of what has broken in our district. She is smart and driven, and our family is eager to see how she can partner with other members of the School Committee, families, town officials, and our district of teachers and administrators.
When you go out to vote on April 9 and vote for Jenny, it’s a vote for all of our children!
Jenna Camann and Jesse Conklin
