I’m a dad and a former teacher/school leader with the experience and passion we need to move Somerville schools past the damage of COVID and to rebuild a system for ALL students.

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I’m Dan O’Connell, and I’m running to represent Ward 3 on the Somerville School Committee. I’ve spent most of my professional career fighting for educational equity. Here's a little more about me!

 

Proud Father

Kennedy, our spirited two-year-old who attends daycare right here in Ward 3, is my motivation for entering this race. The next two years and Somerville schools' pandemic recovery will determine the direction of Somerville schools. I can't sit on the sidelines knowing the stakes for Kennedy's education here in Somerville.

 

Former Science Teacher

I entered education in New Orleans as a science teacher at Booker T. Washington, a middle school for over aged students returning to the city after Hurricane Katrina. My students were amazing, resilient kids, but they had been consistently failed by the systems meant to support them. My time in the classroom showed me that providing the education my students deserved meant changing these systems to serve their needs.

 

School Leader & Finance Director
As Director of Finance of Success Preparatory Academy (SPA), a New Orleans public elementary school, I helped lead the transformation of one of the lowest-performing schools in the district to the 6th-highest of the city’s 46 elementary schools. We earned a Top Gains award from the state three years in a row for our ability to close academic gaps. We did this while increasing teachers' salaries and benefits, adding extracurricular activities, and still maintaining a balanced budget.

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Talent & Strategy Specialist

My time at SPA showed me what was possible, but I knew expanding this impact would require learning more about scaling our solutions. I left New Orleans to earn my MBA at Wharton and MPA at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and am now a People Analytics Manager for Keurig Dr Pepper in Burlington. From this training and experience, I know how to set an effective strategy and ensure budget and talent decisions allow an organization to implement that strategy, all creating a unique set of skills and experiences to help drive Somerville schools forward. 

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As a School Committee Member, I can use this experience to ensure ALL Somerville students receive a high-quality education, but only with your help! Donate &  volunteer today, and VOTE for me on November 2nd!

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