This month, Andover News is publishing profiles of the candidates running for select board and school committee in the 2024 Andover Town Election on March 26 to help voters make decisions. You can also view all Andover News election coverage.
Responses are from a questionnaire sent to all candidates in February and, in some cases, have been edited for length and clarity. Today’s profile is from Susan K. McCready, who is the lone incumbent among the five candidates running for two open seats on the school committee.
All Andover News coverage of the town election on March 26 will be available free to non-subscribers as a service to Andover voters. Please consider supporting local news by subscribing to Andover News.
The Basics
Family: husband David, daughter Kate, dog Gracie
Education: BA-Economics, MBA, MS-MoIS (Management of Information Systems)
Previous Candidate Profiles
- Ellen Keller, select board
- Ellen Townson, select board
- George Thorlin, select board
- Shauna Murray, school committee
- Lauren Diffenbach, school committee
- Susan McCready, school committee
Qualifications for Office
What prompted you to run for elect office?
I first ran for the Andover School Committee in 2015 after spending a number of years as a parent volunteer at Sanborn Elementary. I was concerned about the aging school facilities without a path to address them, the number of fees that families were paying on top of property taxes, and the need for improvements in the communications and engagement with APS families.
I am running for re-election because, while we have made good progress on school facilities, a solution for Andover High School remains a big concern and I want to contribute to the short and long term solutions for our town’s flagship school. I’m proud to have served our students and families to improve communication, reduce or eliminate APS fees, build a new West Elementary and Shawsheen PreK, and hire Dr. Magda Parvey as our Superintendent in 2021. I want to continue my partnership with Dr. Parvey, district leaders, faculty, staff, and families to:
1. Ensure educational equity for all students;
2. Address the AHS facility both in the short and long term;
3. Increase the consistency and cohesiveness of our curriculum as advised by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and requested by parents & families;
4. Continue to improve communications and engagement; and
5. Develop a culture of lifelong learning and continuous improvements to education delivery.
APS is a great school district with dedicated educators and a major reason that families move to Andover. But, for any successful entity, getting there is easier than staying there. I bring history, strong governance experience, municipal finance knowledge, reasonableness, and openness to differing perspectives. Most importantly, I highly value quality education and supporting our educators and staff to consistently deliver that to Andover’s children.
On the Issues
What are the most important issues facing Andover Public Schools that the school committee will need to address in the next three-year term?
1. Increasing the consistency and cohesiveness of our curriculum
2. Ensuring educational equity for all students
3. Increasing the diversity of our faculty and staff
4. Determining a short term facility solution for AHS and a path to a new high school
5. Balancing the FY25 budget and subsequent budgets
6. Continuing to strengthen our communication and engagement with APS families and community members
What other issues do you feel are important in this election and/or your specific race?
There is much to learn educationally, financially, procedurally and legally in the early years of service on a School Committee to serve our students and community well. Maintaining some history, experience, and leadership on the Committee is an asset to the Committee as it serves its primary constituency – Andover’s students. I bring significant knowledge, history, relationships, and leadership experience having served 3 terms as a member working within APS and with other town boards and committees, 3 years as Committee Chair, 2 years as Vice Chair, and 8 years understanding and modifying district policies.
What differentiates you from your opponents?
I have nine years of experience serving on and leading the Committee, including an understanding of effective governance and how that differs from the daily operations of the district, extensive knowledge of our policies and the laws that shape those policies, municipal finance knowledge and experience with the town’s annual operational and capital improvement budgeting process, and a solid understanding of school building projects and the MSBA grant program.
I serve without special interests, evaluating and making each decision based on input from subject matter experts, with the best interest of students always at the forefront.
I have devoted and will continue to devote the necessary many hours beyond the Committee’s twice monthly business meetings to maintain quality education in the Andover Public Schools.
What else should voters know about you and your campaign?
I’m a graduate of the Andover Public School system, the mom of and AHS student and a 4th generation Andover resident, who cherishes the great history of our town but also embraces our increasing diversity and our commitment to high service delivery across our town and schools. I’ve been supporting the Andover Public Schools for the last 13 years as a room parent, literacy volunteer, financial literacy volunteer, PTO president, Andover Coalition for Education volunteer and supporter, and School Committee member. I am committed to actions that support strong fiscal health and sustained high quality school services for Andover’s children.
The School Committee as a body holds the authority and thus the accomplishments for our students. Members of the body must understand and champion in partnership with our Superintendent those efforts that will bring the most benefit to our students. As a member of the Committee during my current term, I have been this champion for:
The necessary evaluation and changes needed to ensure an equitable educational experience for all students; improved communication and engagement with APS families; building a new West Elementary and Shawsheen Pre-K; creating a solution to support 21st century learning at AHS; reducing or eliminating APS student fees; increasing athletics and arts budgets to reduce reliance on parent booster groups; long-range financial planning to ensure the sustained delivery of quality education; and appointing Dr. Magda Parvey as the district’s superintendent, educational leader and School Committee partner to serve Andover’s students.
Key Dates For The 2024 Town Election
The town election is scheduled for March 26. The last day to register to vote in the 2023 Andover election is March 16, 2023. You can register to vote online or by visiting the Town Clerk’s office.
March 16: Deadline to register to vote in the March 28 election.
March 26: Election Day. Polls open 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. (completed mail-in ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on election day).
More election information from the Town of Andover.