• Jennifer Schaeffner - CHAIRPERSON

    Jennifer Schaeffner - CHAIRPERSON

    schaeffner.jennifer@marbleheadschools.org

    Jenn was raised in Marblehead, attended Marblehead Public Schools and graduated from Wheaton College. She moved back to town in 2003 with her husband Bob and their young two children, who each attended Marblehead Public Schools and have since graduated from college. They are enjoying being empty nesters!
    Jenn worked for over 22 years in the investment and banking industry. Since leaving the corporate world in 2004, she founded her own real estate business on the North Shore focusing primarily on residential real estate ownership and property management.
    Jenn was an active parent leader in the Marblehead Public Schools for many years and served two terms as an elected member of the School Committee from 2016-2020. She is currently a member of the Board of Commissioners of Marblehead Housing Authority, which owns and manages affordable housing to eligible low-income elderly, families and disabled persons.
    Jenn is an active parishioner at Our Lady, Star of the Sea church and member of the Clifton Heights Improvement Association. Previously she has been a volunteer at North Shore Elder Services and the City of Boston’s Office of Financial Empowerment.

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  • Alison Taylor - VICE CHAIR

    Alison Taylor - VICE CHAIR

    taylor.alison@marbleheadschools.org

    Alison grew up in Marblehead and attended Marblehead Public Schools. After graduating from Syracuse University she lived (and worked) in a number of other states and countries. Ultimately, she settled back in Marblehead where she works as a Senior Manager of Customer Success and plays taxi for her son with his seemingly never-ending activities. More often than not, their polar bear sized dog is in tow. Having managed multi-million dollar projects and implementations, her focus on detailed planning and attention to detail comes from her training as a Civil Engineer. Her desire for transparency and accountability stem from more than a decade of building successful customer management divisions. Alison was elected to the School Committee in June 2022 and will serve as Secretary for FY22-23. Her term expires in June 2025.

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  • Al Williams - SECRETARY

    Al Williams - SECRETARY

    williams.al@marbleheadschools.org

    Al grew up in New York City but has called Massachusetts home for over 15 years. In addition to being an IT executive for many years, Al has taught high school math in the Philadelphia public school system and has taught college classes at Massasoit Community College, Brandeis University and Benedictine University. Al recently retired after working for 10 years for the Commonwealth of MA. One of those roles served was in the IT department of the Executive Office of Education. Academically, Al has a BS in Computer Science from Lehigh University, an MBA from the University of Baltimore and a doctorate in education from Benedictine University. Al has been married for over 38 years and has two adult children - one who resides in Marblehead and one who lives in NYC. He also has two granddaughters who reside in Marblehead. Al and his wife Donna enjoy traveling, kayaking and pickleball. His term expires June of 2027.

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  • Sarah Fox

    Sarah Fox - COMMITTEE MEMBER

    fox.sarah@marbleheadschools.org

    Sarah is a lifelong active community volunteer. Most recently she has focused her volunteer efforts on education, notably through the Marblehead Public Schools and Aspire North Shore Early Intervention. Originally from upstate New York, Sarah relocated to Massachusetts to study interior design at Wentworth Institute of Technology. As a professional interior designer, Sarah focused on large scale project management and budget tracking. She is married to a Marblehead native, Matthew Wolverton, and is the proud mother of six young children. Sarah joined the committee in 2019 and has served her first two years as secretary. She will serve as Chairperson for the 2022-2023sy. Sarah’s term expires in June 2025.

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  • Brian Ota - COMMITTEE MEMBER

    Brian Ota - COMMITTEE MEMBER

    ota.brian@marbleheadschools.org

    Brian has been in the field of education for over twenty years holding a Master’s Degree in Special Education and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. Brian early career work was in the technology industry. After working many years as a  program manager in a fortune 100 company he returned to teaching as a special education teacher. Brian taught behaviorally challenged students in a middle school and he moved from the classroom to become a middle school administrator on Cape Cod. In the second half of educational career, in 2011 he became the Assistant Principal at the Village School and then in 2015 was promoted to the Principal of the Glover School.  Brian is the father of three adult children who have gifted him with five wonderful grandchildren. He is a Viet Nam Veteran Marine and is a volunteer at the Marblehead Historical Commission.  After retiring from education in 2022, Brian wanted to continue his involvement in education by serving on the School Committee. Brian is excited to use his experience as a teacher and school administrator and private sector program manager to help address and resolve many of the complex issues facing the School District today. 

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  • Subcommittees & Liaisons

    The Marblehead School Committee breaks out into subcommittees to tackle the major responsibilities of the group. Subcommittee meetings are open to the public and published on our Calendar.

     Budget Subcommittee

    The Budget Subcommittee, chaired by Sarah Fox and Jenn Schaeffner, reviews and monitors issues concerning the implementation of the school district budget and recommends adjustments and modifications to the school district’s budget. Members encourage cost-effective and efficient projects and initiatives which optimize the district’s financial resources to meet the district’s goals.

    Collective Bargaining Subcommittee

    The Collective Bargaining Subcommittee, chaired by Sarah Fox and Jenn Schaeffner, supports negotiations with legal representation for new union contracts.

    Curriculum Subcommittee

    The Curriculum Subcommittee, chaired by Brian Ota and Jenn Schaeffner, supports the many aspects of teaching and learning across the district by acting as a resource to the administrators making curriculum decisions.

     Facilities Committee

    The Facilities Committee, chaired by Sarah Fox and Allison Taylor, oversees an annual review of the yearly facilities plan, capital outlays and long-term facilities needs.

    Policy Subcommittee

    The Policy Subcommittee, chaired by Alison Taylor and Jenn Schaeffner makes recommendations to the full board about changes to current policies, addition of new policies and deletion of outdated policies based on changes in law, audits, and recommendations from the Administration. The committee also monitors changes and trends affecting public education and considers new policies to address those changes. More information on School Committee Policies is available here.

     

    Joint School/Town Committee Representation

    • Selectmen MOU Committee: chaired by the Chairperson as needed-Meet with Board of Selectmen, Town Administrator, Finance Committee, and other town officials, as well as the Superintendent and School Finance Director to collaborate on long-term municipal financial goals and efficient use of town resources. 

    Superintendent’s Advisories

    • Safety Advisory: Work with Superintendent and Town Officials to develop and maintain district safety plans. (School Committee Representative: Brian Ota)

    • Health/Wellness Advisory: Overview of the Wellness Policy and building-related procedures. (School Committee Representative:Allison Taylor)

    Liaisons

    • METCO: TBD

    • SEPAC: TBD

     

    HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED BECOMING A MEMBER OF THE MARBLEHEAD SCHOOL COMMITTEE?
    TOWN ELECTIONS OCCUR EVERY YEAR, THE SECOND WEEK IN MAY AND THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE IS ALWAYS ON THE BALLOT, WITH AT LEAST ONE OPEN POSITION.
    THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE HAS FIVE MEMBERS, ELECTED ON A ROTATING BASIS FOR THREE YEAR TERMS. IF THERE HAS BEEN A RESIGNATION, THERE MAY BE AN OPEN POSITION ON THE SC FOR LESS THAN 3 YEARS.