Ben DionMunicipal General Election 2021 Winner
Running forWard 9 Board of School Committee
in 2021
Running as
In my free time, I host a weekly radio show with my dad on 95.3 FM WMNH called The Weekly Dion. The show is on every Thursday night from 6-7 p.m. I am also on the Heritage Commission for the city of Manchester, as well as a member of the Manchester Historic Association and New Hampshire Historic Association.
The only office that I have run for before school board was School Charter Commission in 2019.
Current jobI am now a Vendor Enablement Associate (Tier 3 Inside Sales position) at Bottomline Technologies in Portsmouth, NH.
I was a paraprofessional at both Goffstown high school and Bedford high schools before getting hired as a social studies teacher at Manchester Memorial high school in 2014. I taught Economics (all levels, including AP Micro & Macro), World History, and Civics. I left the teaching profession in the Fall of 2019 to pursue other opportunities outside of education.
I graduated from Manchester Memorial high school in 2006, NH Technical Institute in 2008 with an Associates in Education, and Keene State College in 2010 with a Bachelors in Secondary Education and Social Science.
Why are you running?
There are many reasons why I decided to run for school board but the most important reason is to make sure that our schools are able to provide the best education for our students. My son will be attending Manchester schools and I want to make sure him and his classmates have every opportunity to succeed.
What uniquely qualifies you for the Board of School Committee?
Since I am a former teacher and my wife is a current teacher in the district, I bring a perspective straight from the classroom to the board. I understand what students, teachers, support staff, and other faculty/staff are faced with on a daily basis. I believe I bring a perspective to the school board that other board members and potential board members cannot.
How would you rate the school district's current curriculum and why?
It is hard to put a rating on the districts curriculum since I feel like it is constantly changing and is also not consistent throughout each school in the district. Curriculum is a major topic that needs to be addressed soon so that our students can have every opportunity to succeed. I guess if I had to rate the current state of the districts curriculum, I would say “needs improvement”.
What are your thoughts on the Manchester School District’s facilities? How many schools should the district have and what grades should each school have?
The future of our schools is very dependent on the state of our school buildings and the direction that the district takes. I am agree with some of the building recommendations that the Superintendent has come up with but I also want to hear from the community, parents, students, teachers, and everyone that is affected by it. For the most part I agree with the amount of elementary schools, middle schools, and what are grade levels are at those schools. I think the biggest change would be with the high schools and how they are configured. I have heard some feedback from the community but I would love to hear from more people so that the community as a whole has input in the future of our school buildings and configuration.
Do all students in the city have the access to a quality education regardless of where they live? Please elaborate on your answer.
Currently I do not believe so since not every school has the same programs, curriculum, and opportunities that other schools in the district do. Every school and area of the city is a little different and should be addressed differently but I feel as if not every school has the same opportunities as the next.
Should the Manchester School District be autonomous from the city government, a department of the city government or something else entirely?
I believe that the School Board should be able approve the funding for their budget instead of having to pass it along to the Board of Mayor and Alderman for their approval. It would eliminate “finger pointing” and blame when it comes to the two boards. I also think that the School Board should have a tax cap just as the Alderman do now with their budget approval process. The same process that happens on the Aldermanic side should also carry over to the School Board when voting on their budget and contracts.
What is your perception of Manchester Proud's recent Community Partnership proposal?
I am so happy that a community organization like Manchester Proud has stepped up to assist in making our school district and schools better. The Community Partnership proposal is key to moving our district forward in a positive direction.
What are your thoughts on the Manchester School District’s financial decisions in recent years?
I do not agree with many of the financial decisions made over the recent years and I think we can do a whole lot better with our finances. We have to look at all of the details, what money is being used for what programs and if those programs are effective.Paying attention to detail is key when it comes to the budget and other financial decisions.
Manchester School District's governing body (currently known as the Board of School Committee, but proposed to be renamed as the Manchester School Board). Do you support this? If so, why (or why not?)
Considering many people now already call the Board of School Committee, the School Board, I don’t think it matters what the name is at this point. Although it might help clear up any confusion when people refer to it as the BOSC.
Anything else you'd like to add?
Since my wife is a teacher in the district, I will abstain from any votes that affect our household when it comes to income and healthcare benefits.