Meet the New EWSD Board Members!
April 29, 2021
EWSD Board
Liz Cady (Essex Town) and Scott Cooledge (Westford) have both joined the Essex Westford School District Board, after being elected on April 13, 2021. Get to know each new member a little better in this quick Q&A:
Tell us a little bit about your background and what specific strengths you bring to the EWSD Board?
Liz Cady (LC): “My career background is in writing and editing for marketing agencies and magazines. Due to my husband's military career, we have lived in every region of the United States, as well as overseas in Korea and Japan. Traveling and experiencing the world has allowed me to gain a better perspective of how places compare, where things can be better, and where we should uphold what we have. As a mother of two young children, I am invested in ensuring that our public schools provide an excellent education for our community, while also not burdening our taxpayers with increased costs. If we want people to remain within our community, both of those above statements need to hold true.”
Scott Cooledge (SC): “Prior to the EWSD merger I served on the Westford Vermont School Board. I have enjoyed working for 30 plus years in public and private secondary schools in both Vermont and Massachusetts, with a focus in identifying, developing, and implementing transformative educational opportunities. I am particularly interested in creating equitable situations for students that close achievement gaps and engagement activities that increase the quality of learning experiences for all students. I have one child who has graduated from EHS and two more children who are currently enrolled in EHS.”
What motivated you to want to become an EWSD Board member?
LC: “I was motivated to run for the school board, because I want to restore community engagement and input with our school board and have the community actively involved in determining the goals for our district. Community engagement is essential to ensuring our schools reflect the community's portrait of a graduate.”
SC: “I believe that public schools significantly influence the quality of life we enjoy in our local communities. I appreciate the chance to contribute to the evolution of our schools that provide meaningful and relevant learning opportunities for students while at the same time being fiscally responsible to the taxpayers.”
What is the most important responsibility of a school board?
LC: “In my opinion, the most important role of the school board is to represent the community's desires and goals for the district. In order to achieve that, it again goes back to putting an emphasis on community engagement and restoring that link that has been missing these past few years.”
SC: “To create, maintain, and evaluate policies that support the mission and vision of the EWSD. To ensure that our schools are well run.”
