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Joy Senecal

by

Running forWard 10 School Board
in 2023

Running as Non-Partisan Election

Background info

My name is Joy Senecal. I’m running for School Board in Ward 10. I’m proud to say that I’ve been a Manchester resident for the majority of my life, both my daughter Ella and I graduated from Memorial High School. I’m a single Mom to an amazing teenage daughter who is working full-time while navigating her next steps in education. She and I moved to Ward 10 from the East side of Manchester eight years ago… We fell in love with our community so I bought our house 3 years ago. I am a driven entrepreneur who is blessed to own 2 small businesses in Manchester. Ive been a Stylist for 32 years (self employed for 21) as well as a Fitness/Sports Nutrition Coach. I love helping my clients achieve better health by creating measurable, achievable goals while helping them stay disciplined and encouraging their commitment to positive lifestyle changes. As a former fitness competitor, I understand the importance of maintaining a passionate commitment to my goals. In addition, I am the Strategic Developer/Board Member of a startup company in Massachusetts. I also love supporting small, local businesses and building a sense of community by attending local events and aiding network connections. I am currently working with a friend and small business owner in the African community to host events at his restaurant to bring the different communities in Manchester together. Managing my career, a home and my friendships while raising my daughter solo hasn’t always been easy but I’ve learned that multitasking effectively is vital… watching her succeed is incredibly rewarding. Together we’ve learned strong, confident, independent women can and DO make positive changes in the world. When I have free time, I love going to the beach and traveling with my daughter and girlfriends as well as spending time in Boston.

WebsiteJoy Senecal for School Board

Why are you running for this office?

Oh my gosh, I get this question alot… especially now that my daughter graduated Memorial High School 2 years ago. I believe that I’m a trustworthy, honest, passionate, outspoken and dedicated Manchester resident who wants to see our community thrive with better educational standards. I want parents to be excited to send their kids to the elementary school in our district. I did have the pleasure of visiting and speaking to the principal at Parker Varney recently and I have to say, they are doing an Amazing job! I am a great listener and look forward to hearing the concerns that my constituents have because I genuinely care about our public schools and want to make a positive impact. The Families in my Ward need a Strong & Positive voice that promotes action, student success, parental rights, fiscal responsibiity and integrity!!! I know I’ll be a Strong voice in City Hall because our Kids are our future!!

What are your thoughts and plans for the number of public schools needed in Manchester (with breakdown of elementary/middle/high schools in that number?)

Currently there are 23 public schools in Manchester. I do agree that the buildings need to be updated and some may need to be rebuilt but I think there needs to fiscal responsibility. I don’t believe we should vote Yes 14-1 in favor of a new project without a detailed plan in place including making sure students are not severely affected by the changes.

What are your thoughts/plans on improving grade-level proficiency scores?

I am in favor of doing whatever we can to increase all of our students proficiency scores. I believe we need to limit 3rd party sources and after speaking to my friends who teach in our high schools, I’m not a proponent of the de-leveling system. I think it’s damaging to the at-risk populous as well as the students who excel. Also, I’ve been told that it puts a lot of strain on the teachers who have a classroom with levels 1-4 and ELL students (often without an interpreter) in it.

How would you address student equity?

I believe equity begins with our students feeling safe. Schools that promote protection for all students against violence, threats/bullying, mental and psychological abuse which affects our students academic performance and staffs ability to educate. It’s our district’s responsibility to provide access to mental health professionals while partnering with parents to ensure every child has the tools needed for a quality education.

What are your thoughts on extra-curricular offerings in Manchester public schools?

Every child should have access to extracurricular activities. It provides connectedness and social/emotional support in our schools. Students often feel a sense of purpose while understanding teamwork, success/failure, time management and the ability to build positive relationships with other students as well as feeling like they belong and are valued which often motivates a student to do well in school.

What are your thoughts on attracting and retaining high quality Manchester School District staff?

Our school district should ensure that the teacher’s salary is similar to other professions with the same level of education while providing them with necessary teaching resources. I believe that the best way to attract and retain strong educators also includes professional support and quality working conditions which could eliminate obstacles for hiring and retention of staff.

What are your thoughts on the Manchester School District's relationship with private schools, charter schools and other school districts that have tuition agreements with Manchester?

My objective is to provide our students with quality education and a feeling of safety so that our families want to stay in our public schools. If they choose to go to a private or charter school, these schools should be held to the same standards of accountability, equity and transparency proven to increase student learning.

What are your thoughts on and plans on school safety?

Our students should feel safe and should be encouraged to report any troubling behavior that they see. Often students refrain from doing so because they are afraid of negative backlash. We could offer an anonymous tip line where students could confidently share their concerns about any threatening behavior which would help those who may be in psychological or emotional distress.

What are your thoughts on and/or plans for addressing remote learning/other uses of technology in local education?

Most students rely on the structure and support of in-person learning to help them stay on track with their assignments, and remain engaged with the curriculum. As we saw with the COVID restrictions, remote learning does not promote socialization which is needed for a child’s development and their physical and emotional wellbeing. Also, It is far more difficult for teachers to ascertain if a child is going through challenging times at home through remote learning.

What are your thoughts on or plans for addressing vocational and career-focused educational initiative?

I believe that Manchester public schools need to prepare high school students who may not wish to attend college to be workforce-ready and ready for the job market by promoting vocational and technical education, partnerships with local industries, and promoting apprenticeship programs.