EWSD Board
Marilyn McConnell joined the Essex Westford School District Board after being elected on April 14, 2026. Get to know one of the newest members in this quick Q&A:
Tell us a little bit about your background and what specific strengths you bring to the EWSD Board?
Marilyn McConnell (MM): “After college, I began my professional career in education, and was fortunate enough to work in a myriad of settings: paraprofessional in an experiential elementary school in Ithaca, N.Y.; substitute teacher for an out-of-control church sponsored nursery school of four year olds in Baltimore, Md.; VISTA volunteer setting up daycare and elementary after-school recreation programs in Johnson, Vt.; leader in a special public school for delinquent and troubled students unable to attend traditional classrooms in Montpelier, Vt; teacher in a special school for emotionally troubled youth in Burlington, Vt; and tutor in a technical skills vocational training program for disabled individuals looking for new jobs.
Through these experiences, I became acutely aware of the challenges faced by public school teachers whose classroom students had diverse backgrounds, including: various levels of educational proficiency in critical areas such as reading, math, and social & emotional skills; diverse family structures, cultures, native languages, and access to financial resources. This diversity made it difficult for kids to feel accepted by their peers, having missed exposure to a similar range of after-school experiences, and not receiving the special attention they needed.
Knowing I would need to expand my educational expertise in order to help children such as those I'd been working with, and having young children, I took a stab at private business. Fast forward a few decades, and with the help of a talented, professional, and dedicated team, I ended up running a 100% woman owned small distribution company serving domestic and international clients.
Throughout the years, I served on various boards of directors in multiple sectors, including ones governing community planning, state-wide juvenile delinquency programs, county mental health services, business roundtable advocacy, independent business publishing, and Lake Champlain's Community Sailing Center."
What motivated you to want to become an EWSD Board member?
MM: “I served on the Westford School Board several years before district consolidation became a priority. As the grandparent of a 9th grader, I read in the EWSD high school newsletter about a vacancy on the EWSD School Board for a Westford resident. Knowing how our business requirements and services have changed over the years and are now accelerating dramatically due to technological advancements, I realized similar impacts are likely to extend to every aspect of our culture. Given we're in the last stages of our succession plan, I was looking for opportunities to give back to the community, and running for the EWSD School Board seemed like a reasonable place to start.”
What is the most important responsibility of a school board?
MM: “Beyond the necessity to oversee stewardship of a community's financial investment to educate its students and to analyze and institute changes in curriculum to improve results, a board must assess future impacts of local, state, national, and world-wide change in order to ensure futures with increasing constitutional rights for all students."