SOUTH PORTLAND – The two at-large seats on the South Portland Board of Education are up this fall and voters have a choice between the two incumbents or a political newcomer.

Incumbents Karen Callaghan and Mary House are facing a challenge from Christopher Hershey on the Nov. 4 ballot. The Current asked each candidate three questions to help voters decide whom to support at the polls.

Karen Callaghan

Age: 57

Occupation: Library aide

Political experience: South Portland Board of Education, South Portland Comprehensive Plan, South Portland Democratic City Committee

Q: Why are you running for a seat on the school board?

A: I want to continue serving on the school board to see the completion of the high school project. I was also involved in the elementary school building committee and am proud to be part of the high school renovation. It is an honor to be of service to the community that I live in.

Q: What are the three biggest issues facing the South Portland schools?

A: Cutting the school budget to the bone is the biggest issue for us right now. The state has never lived up to its promise to pay its share of school funding, so we need to come up with more money each year. Costs rise each year but we need to keep taxes down, so consequently, we cut more out of our budget.

Another issue is the school grading system put into place by the Department of Education. Many policies have been changed, which means a massive amount of work for the entire school system and also means that we have to educate the public about the changes.

Q: What can the school district do to better the grades it’s received from the Maine Department of Education during the past couple years?

A: Our school district has been working diligently to bring about the policy changes that stem from the Department of Education’s new school grading system.

This year we received a large grant to help Kaler School improve its education process. This means longer days and more intense instruction, to help the school get better grades. We need to continually strive to hire the best teachers and use the best systems for teaching. We need open communication with parents and community members to help us.

Christopher Hershey

Age: 40

Occupation: Branch chief for special projects at the U.S. State Department

Political experience: Former chief of staff for the city of San Antonio, former executive director of Meals on Wheels, former special assistant to the Minister of Education in the city of Monrovia, Liberia

Q: Why are you running for a seat on the school board?

A: As a parent of three and someone committed to public service, I want to contribute to making sure our school communities in South Portland are preparing young people for a great start, a lifetime of learning and the solid skills to create good careers in the future.

In addition to 22 years of public service and leadership experience, I bring a high level of accountability and oversight experience as well as extensive practice in policy formulation, contract negotiation, day-to-day operational analysis, managing and motivating personnel and strategic planning and working with local government and political leaders.

I have also maintained a record of accomplishment, building and improving complex operations and have championed their growth and effectiveness.

Q: What are the three biggest issues facing the South Portland schools?

A: From my own experience and also based on conversations I’ve been having with residents of South Portland throughout the district, three major issues are transparency, achievement and accountability/oversight.

I know as a parent that my wife and I work tirelessly to make sure our children are getting what they need, and other parents in the district do the same. At the same time, all of South Portland’s residents have a stake in our school system and deserve to be heard.

I come with an open mind and I believe perhaps a fresh way of looking at these crucial issues, as well as extensive knowledge of local government and municipal experience to help turn the ideas and policies into results.

Q: What can the school district do to better the grades it’s received from the Maine Department of Education during the past couple years?

A: First it should be noted that the grades are certainly not the only important evaluation of a school and its students, teachers and community – one letter grade cannot possibly communicate to the public how a school runs, how much time and effort its teachers, students, and parents have put into creating a safe and productive learning space or how much the community has committed to the school.

It’s also important to note that the grades do not take into account the number of students in a given school who come from disadvantaged conditions. However, the reality of the current state report card system is that elements of the grades do matter and as students grow and advance, they will continue to be asked to perform – in school, in post-secondary education and in the workforce.

So in order to prepare them for that we need to identify and offer support systems for young people who need them; provide access to and education about proper nutrition because healthy lifestyle choices can make a big difference; and ultimately foster the curiosity of kids and their natural love of learning by creating a supportive environment in school, which necessarily includes community partnerships and family buy in.

Mary House

Age: 43

Occupation: Senior project manager at Woodard & Curran Political experience: South Portland Board of Education

Q: Why are you running for a seat on the school board?

A: As a long-term resident of South Portland and parent of two young children in the South Portland school system, I have a vested interest and full commitment to our schools.

I care deeply about the students of South Portland and want them to have the best educational experience possible. I am in touch with the schools and routinely spend time in many of them. My family is also involved in many community activities, spending time at sporting events, athletic fields and the Community Center talking with parents of students across South Portland.

I have a background in science, engineering and technology and want to continue to see these as important parts of our educational program. In my professional career I actively manage projects. I understand budgeting and how to be fiscally responsible. School safety and security are also very important to me.

My passion since I have been on the Board of Education is giving students an opportunity to build relationships through school educational and extracurricular activities that foster student engagement and diverse learning. I am confident I can continue to be available to South Portland parents and further contribute on the board.

Q: What are the three biggest issues facing the South Portland schools?

A: The biggest issue is providing opportunity for our students while being fiscally responsible. I want the most for our students, but understand there is a fixed budget the community can support.

Making responsible choices with regard to where money is spent is important and involves a careful balance of needs and cost. The challenges facing school systems in today’s world are enormous and involve meeting diverse student needs and ever-changing mandates issued by the state.

All this must be done without diverting from the core mission of educating our students. We also must keep the educational experience current and relevant to the students of today’s world. This too is an ever-changing challenge that can only be met by creating a dynamic environment, implementing new programs, providing students with technology and training teachers so their course work is relevant and prepares our students for the future.

Q: What can the school district do to better the grades it’s received from the Maine Department of Education during the past couple years?

A: The South Portland school system is strong and one that I am extremely proud of. We provide tremendous opportunity to our students in a variety of areas. The public needs to understand that the grades received from the Maine Department of Education are based on one data point – one standardized test.

The grades include all student groups, any one of which can lower the grade received. I think it is important to continually improve upon the education we provide, make course adjustments when necessary and enhance areas we know are working well.

One way to do this is to provide strong teachers and programs that keep students excited and challenged and create an atmosphere of continual improvement in which both the schools and community actively participate.

For each student the one or two things that keep each engaged and excited about school is different, which makes diversity so important. We need to strive to make our school system better for everyone and have done this by building new additions to the high school, adding new programs and continually finding ways to reach out to students.