Kathleen Kelley ArnoldMunicipal Primary Election 2021 WinnerMunicipal General Election 2021 Incumbent
Running forWard 2 Board of School Committee
in 2020
Running as
I served as an at-large (citywide) School Board member from 2002 until 2012. In 2019, Alderman Will Stewart nominated me to fill a School Board vacancy to represent our ward. Voters in ward 2 elected me to a full term later that year.
Current jobI have been a licensed insurance producer and broker for 20 years, and I have owned and operated a Manchester-based insurance agency for more than a decade.
I am a graduate of Manchester public and parochial schools and I attended George Washington University.
Best way to contact candidateConstituents can always reach me via phone at 661-9445, via email at KathyArnoldMHT@gmail.com, or through my School Board Facebook page.
Why are you running?
We face serious challenges as our community continues to recover from and deal with the pandemic. I’m running for re-election because experience matters more than ever. I’ve seen Manchester’s challenges. I also know our success stories and I know we can successfully confront the challenges we face. It’s a team effort, and not something that will be accomplished by any one political campaign or ideology.
What uniquely qualifies you for the Board of School Committee?
Experience is what uniquely qualifies me for the School Board. I’m the only candidate in this race to have been a mom at Smyth Road, Hillside, and Central, and be involved in the community as a coach, business owner, and elected policymaker. As a fourth-generation Manchester native, I care about the success of our community outside political ideologies and campaigns. I’ve been a coach for North Soccer, East Little League, and Memorial High School, and I’ve helped organize several parish events at my church.
How would you rate the school district's current curriculum and why?
Our district is filled with educators and administrators who want to help students develop skills and reach their greatest potential. Over the last two years, we have emphasized competency-based skills and programs to better prepare students for success in careers and life. As chair of the Teaching & Learning Committee, I’m especially proud of the School Board adopting a standard schedule for textbook and curriculum assessment to measure effectiveness of current teaching tools, ensure consistency in procedure, and help us to continually improve best practices.
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?
Regarding our current facilities, I was proud to recommend allocation of federal ESSER/CARES Act funds to improve safety and upgrade infrastructure in our neighborhood schools, including more than $1M expected to be invested each in Smyth Road, Hillside, and Weston. Regarding grade levels in each school, I would prefer to keep the current grade levels in our schools. However, this year, two of our city’s middle schools will have the 5-8 model, and I don’t believe we should have two different pathways depending on the neighborhood you live in. Regarding proposals for merging schools, I welcome bold proposals for us to consider, but the idea of a mega-high school as recently envisioned seems too costly with not enough community buy-in.
Do all students in the city have the access to a quality education regardless of where they live? Please elaborate on your answer.
We have a diverse community – it’s one of the things that makes our city great. Though our ward’s neighborhood schools are top-notch, there is nonetheless an opportunity gap in our city. The pandemic worsened this gap and highlighted places we need to do better. In response, the school board has worked to engage stakeholders over the last year at all levels of the community to reduce the opportunity gap and build a better culture of inclusion in our district.
Should the Manchester School District be autonomous from the city government, a department of the city government or something else entirely?
Our public school system is not autonomous from city government. We’re all on the same team, and most of us want to see our neighborhood schools thrive. The voters will ultimately decide whether the school district is autonomous. Either way, elected officials must be responsive and accountable to their constituents and taxpayers of the city.
What are your thoughts on the Manchester School District’s financial decisions in recent years?
Under the current system, the policy decision-makers don’t control purse strings. Depending on the year, this can lead to a budget process that is challenging at best and dysfunction at worst. I’m proud of the School Board’s efforts to secure federal funds to improving neighborhood schools, and also efforts to partner with community stakeholders to make smarter investments in the district programs.
What is your perception of Manchester Proud's recent Community Partnership proposal?
Though I may not agree with all the recommendations Manchester Proud has bought forward, I appreciate the hard work they have invested in this community effort. Some recommendations are being implemented, and some are not. One of the things that makes Manchester great is the willingness of people to stand up to discuss ideas for overcoming challenges.
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?)
What you call it matters less than what it does for students and families of our city. What’s important is that we elect experienced, accessible representatives who are responsive to the concerns of constituents as they work to move our community in the right direction.
Anything else you'd like to add?
Thanks to the Ink Link for the opportunity to communicate with voters through this survey.