Marblehead Current Candidate Questionnaire Responses 

Name: Kate Schmeckpeper

How long have you lived in town? 11 years

Profession: Attorney

Elected & appointed positions: Brown School PTO Co-President, 2022-2025

Please limit the following responses to 150 words each. 

What are your goals for the next three years should you be elected?

My goals are to: stabilize district leadership by empowering administrators to operate our schools without school committee overreach; repair and rebuild the relationships between educators, administrators and the school committee; refocus our energy and attention on student success; and restore school committee credibility, particularly around fiscal and facilities management practices.

After the turbulence of the last three years, what issues would you have handled differently, and how?

Superintendent search: After hiring Theresa McGuinness, I would have advocated for starting the permanent superintendent search. Because the committee did not do that, it was too late for a robust search when McGuinness decided to leave. Rather than move quickly to formulate and execute a plan to secure a strong leader for the district, the committee wasted time jockeying for control over the search committee and process. Stable district leadership should have been prioritized over internal school committee politics.

MHS Roof: Following approval of funds in 2022, I would have advocated for a building committee of construction experts to manage the project. Following denial of MSBA funding, I would have directed the building committee to take steps to begin the project in earnest by the end of the year. Regular meetings of the facilities subcommittee, rather than taking a 15-month hiatus, would have also kept the project on track.

What skills and experience would you bring/add to the committee?

I am a calm leader and good at keeping teams focused on priorities. This is helpful in building consensus, which is much needed on the school committee and in the community. As an attorney, I am skilled at gathering and analyzing facts to guide decision-making and strategy. My 20 years practicing law include eight as Assistant General Counsel at Suffolk University, where I advised on education policy, governance, employment matters, and special education.

Given orders from the federal government to restrict DEI, where do you stand on diversity, equity and inclusion curriculum and programs in Marblehead schools?

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) have become politically charged terms, but at their core, they reflect the basic goal of helping every student feel seen, respected and valued. DEI curriculum and programming belong in the Marblehead schools. Our administrators and educators are experts in their fields who select and design lessons that expose students to a wide variety of perspectives and experiences, making the curriculum both a place where students see themselves reflected and a tool to help them better understand others. I believe that Marblehead should retain local control over its curriculum, free from politically motivated directives from the federal government.