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| Candidates for RSU 14 Board of Directors include clockwise from top left, Jessica Bridges, Barbara Bagshaw, Jennie Butler and Michael Pasquini. SUBMITTED PHOTOS |
BARBARA BAGSHAW
Barbara Bagshaw
lives in Windham and has more than 25 years of experience in local education.
She has taught at levels ranging from grade school to college, including 13
years of teaching Adult Education, predominantly in RSU 14. She has taught art
on all levels and at the college level she has taught Introduction to
Phlebotomy. She is an artist and a nanny as well. Her passion for the arts,
children and serving communities has taken Bagshaw to 24 countries. She is an
international speaker on the arts and has spoken in most of these countries,
and/or volunteered in orphanages. Bagshaw served as the president of an arts
non-profit for 10 years and was the event planner of its international annual
event. She oversaw their budget, as well as handling the organization’s
fundraising. Her work has been featured in books, magazines and licensed for
use in a European school curriculum.
Why did you
choose to become a candidate for the RSU 14 Board of Directors this year?
Bagshaw: “I chose to become a candidate for
the RSU 14 Board of directors because of my experience, my love of and
dedication to children and teaching.”
What do you
feel is the most significant issue facing RSU 14 town over the next three years
and how do you feel you can help address this issue adequately for residents?
Bagshaw: “I feel the most significant issues facing RSU 14 over the next three years are the curriculum and policy leading to a proper education. I also feel that children’s mental and physical health and their ability to learn and grow in a safe supportive environment is vital. Parental input is needed in all of this.”
Can you describe what you like the most about the quality and caliber of education students receive in RSU 14?
Bagshaw: “One of RSU 14’s core beliefs is
community engagement. I think it’s very important that RSU 14 is trying to
attain the best environment for every child’s education. It is always looking
to improve but carving out a partnership with the families will continue to
move the district forward in accomplishing crucial educational goals.”
What’s the most important thing you’ve
learned about RSU 14 since you have declared your candidacy for the RSU 14
Board of Directors?
Bagshaw: “The most important thing I have
learned about RSU 14 since I declared my candidacy is the parents, students,
and teachers deserve a voice and advocates.”
MICHAEL
PASQUINI
Michael
Pasquini is a proud Windham resident and parent to three children. His personal
passions range from family, food, and sports. He loves to cook for friends and
family, especially using fresh ingredients from his garden. Sports have always
been a large part of his life. He’s a huge hockey and football fan but loves
golf above all. He said he had a blast coaching in Windham Little League this
past summer and is looking forward to doing so for years to come. His
professional life has been diverse to say the least. His experience ranges from
teaching and playing the game of golf for a living, to operating his own
distribution company, to currently serving communities across five states as a
licensed life and health insurance agent. He said he has learned a great deal
from each venture, both successes and failures that he consistently applies to
his everyday life.
Why did you
choose to become a candidate for the RSU 14 Board of Directors this year?
Pasquini: “My decision to run for a seat on the RSU 14
school board of directors was primarily based on having three kids in the
district school system. I want to effectively represent their educational needs
and those of their peers and families. I would describe myself as a
levelheaded, critical thinker that likes to educate himself on topics prior to
passing judgment or opinion. I feel that these are qualities that will serve
our board well.”
What do you
feel is the most significant issue facing RSU 14 town over the next three years
and how do you feel you can help address this issue adequately for residents?
Pasquini: “Whether we like to admit it or not, the pandemic
has changed our lives in a variety of ways. There are tensions in the air that
simply did not exist two years ago. We all love our children and I firmly
believe we all want the best for our neighbors. What we need right now are
elected officials that can help pull our community together for the better
through application of logical thought, transparency, integrity, and open
discourse. The choice is ours and that has never been more apparent.”
Can you
describe what you like the most about the quality and caliber of education students
receive in RSU 14?
Pasquini: “There are reasons why we all live in Windham. The
reputation of the school district was paramount for us. I’ve had the pleasure
to meet and engage with so many upstanding young adults in this community. As a
whole, their character, intelligence and drive to succeed speaks volumes about
the quality of our educators. Further, many of the older kids in our
neighborhood are proving to be exemplary role models for my kids! As a member
of the board, I would strive to support the RSU 14 mission “success for all”
students to the best of my ability.”
What’s the
most important thing you’ve learned about RSU 14 since you have declared your
candidacy for the RSU 14 Board of Directors?
Pasquini: “There is no denying that there is currently a
great divide in thoughts and beliefs within our community. Given that fact, the
most important thing I’ve learned about this district since declaring my
candidacy has been the resilience of the kids and the engagement of the
parents. I’m a firm believer that when something seems out of place, one should
question why. Especially when it has a direct impact on the education of our
children and family lives. I have been engaged in many civil and constructive
conversations. I am proud of our community and look forward to being an active
member for years to come.”
JESSICA BRIDGES
Jessica Bridges has lived in Windham for 11 years. She has
two daughters, one in first grade and the other in third grade. She has worked
in the healthcare community for about 18 years and grew up in a small town with
a very small school system. She said it was a great place to get an education,
get extra help and really thrive learning and wants this for our kids. She said
Windham’s school system is quite large and her dream is that each kid is
allowed to grow and learn to their potential, and she wants to be a part of
that. She said advocacy is one of the only ways to get the education for our
children that they need. She hopes to be able to listen and advocate for the
parents but also for the teachers and students, with its number one priority
being the education of our future. She supports RSU 14's mission in providing a
safe, supportive, and inclusive environment for all students; supporting the
mental, emotional, and social health of students and staff; and accessible
education for adults and students.
Why did you
choose to become a candidate for the RSU 14 Board of Directors this year?
Bridges: “I
made the decision to run for the RSU 14 Board of Directors for numerous reasons. First and
foremost, as a parent of two school aged children; I have a vested interest in
preserving and improving the quality of our school system. I have been involved
in the school community as a parent volunteer as well as a member of the PTA
and I am seeking a new and challenging role in which I can further contribute
and help improve our community. I believe in quality public education for our
current and future students and in order to achieve this; our district needs
school board members to collaborate as a team to accomplish the district's
goals. I feel that being on the board would allow me to share my life
experience as a parent and health care worker to benefit the community.
Additionally, as a board member I can help influence the fiscal health of the
district. Many constituents have expressed concerns about how their taxpayer
money is spent and as a member of the board, I would have the ability to help
influence the district's budget.”
What do you
feel is the most significant issue facing RSU 14 town over the next three years
and how do you feel you can help address this issue adequately for residents?
Bridges: “Windham's population is rapidly growing and with population
growth comes higher student enrollment. The challenges that face our district
is attracting qualified educators, staff, and bus drivers to ensure that each
and every student's needs are met. As a board member, I would ask our
superintendent for a risk assessment on how future enrollment changes may
impact our district's academics, finances, and operations. It would be my
responsibility as a board member to have an in-depth understanding of the
dynamics at play in our community. Additionally, I would encourage our district
leaders to take a proactive stance toward enrollment management. This would
provide both stability and sustainability to the mission of the board. In
addition, I would love to see our pre-k program expand to serve more children
and families in our community.”
Can you
describe what you like the most about the quality and caliber of education
students receive in RSU 14?
Bridges: “Every RSU14 administrator, teacher, staff member, and
transportation department employee that I have ever come into contact with is
genuine and passionate about serving our community and enhancing the lives of
our district's children through quality education offerings. This commitment
was exemplified with the onset of the pandemic and demonstrated through
creative and adaptive teaching. Our teachers simultaneously taught their own
children at home while logging on to their computers to teach our students. Our
school's librarians took email requests for books and left them on tables in
the school's vestibules, our kitchen staff continued to prepare healthy meals
and our administrators kept steady hands on the helm - encouraging all of us.”
What’s the
most important thing you’ve learned about RSU 14 since you have declared your
candidacy for the RSU 14 Board of Directors?
Bridges: “Since declaring my candidacy; I
have gained better understanding of the numerous challenges that are affecting
our district now and what hurdles may come in the future. I believe that a
school board must be responsive and receptive to students, parents, educators,
staff, administrators as well as the community at large. The board sets the
standard for communication within the district, and it is my job as a board
member to ensure that I am open to a thorough discussion about the topic at
hand. Every stakeholder truly has the best interest of our district's students
at heart, and it is my job to listen, learn and use my voice to uphold the
mission of the board to provide a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment
for all students.”
JENNIE
BUTLER
Jennie
Butler is married to Brian Butler, and they have two adult sons who are Windham
graduates. She grew up in Bath, Maine and is a Morse graduate. She earned her
BA in Mathematics from the University of Maine and MS in Education from USM.
Jennie taught high school mathematics for 31 years until her retirement in 2014
to become the primary caregiver for her mother. Jennie teaches math part time
at USM. She volunteers with several organizations including the Windham
Recreation Department Advisory Committee and Age Friendly Windham. For the last
24 years St. Ann’s Episcopal Church in Windham has been her Church home. Her
hobbies include sailing, skiing, and Irish or tap dancing.
Why did you
choose to become a candidate for the RSU 14 Board of Directors this year?
Butler: “I am running for
re-election and want to serve my community as an active member of the School
Board. It can be difficult, but it is rewarding to see how well RSU 14 is
respected in Maine.”
What do you
feel is the most significant issue facing RSU 14 town over the next three years
and how do you feel you can help address this issue adequately for residents?
Butler: “As it is every year, we
need to be fiscally responsible balancing the needs of staff and students. We
need to keep tax increases at a minimum for the community especially with a new
middle school in the works.”
Can you
describe what you like the most about the quality and caliber of education
students receive in RSU 14?
Butler: “RSU 14 has very dedicated
staff that put students first. The staff does their best to meet the students
where they are so they may grow in all aspects of their education.
Additionally, parents in RSU 14 want all students to have a wide variety of
opportunities not only in academics but also in sports, the trades, and the
arts.”
What’s the
most important thing you’ve learned about RSU 14 since you have declared your
candidacy for the RSU 14 Board of Directors?
Butler: “I taught in Windham from
1987 until 2014 and have been on the Board since 2019. I have always tried to
keep up with what is happening in RSU 14. However, it concerns me how
widespread the internet issues were within the district this fall and how long
it took for them to be corrected.” <
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