Chelsea school committee candidates outline plans on teacher retention, student input and phone policy

Candidates for Chelsea school committee seats at a candidate forum on Thursday outlined strategies to address teacher recruitment and retention, described multiple channels for student and family input, and defended a recently adopted phone policy while acknowledging students' safety concerns.

The forum, organized and moderated by Amala Wido, drew candidates and youth questioners from across the city. Incumbent Jonathan Gomez Pereira said the committee has pushed for compensation and recruitment practices that reflect Chelsea's multilingual population. “We've been able to successfully implement a bilingual bonus for teachers who speak multiple languages,” Gomez Pereira said, adding that he is also lobbying at the state level for additional funding to meet special-education and English‑learner needs.

Why it matters: Chelsea Public Schools serve a multilingual and high-need student population; candidates said stable funding and staff diversity are essential to maintain services and manage class sizes. Youth attendees repeatedly pressed candidates on concrete steps to solicit student input and to keep families informed.

Candidates described differing emphases but overlapping approaches. Challenger Catherine Valencia said she would bring education and classroom experience to the committee and “make sure every child in Chelsea has the support they need to be seen, supported, and safe.” Gomez Pereira urged students to use existing school structures—student liaisons and public comment at school committee meetings—and said he is seeking data to measure recent policy pilots' effects on achievement.

On the school phone policy, candidates and students debated safety versus classroom focus. Gomez Pereira said the district has a process for safety exceptions: “Students can reach out to a teacher and they would be sent to the office and they would have their phone unlocked,” he said, adding that schools run drills and have security procedures for emergencies. Other candidates and students asked the committee to keep monitoring unintended consequences and to accept direct feedback from students.

Several candidates said they would expand outreach to parents and families who speak languages other than English and Spanish, through email, social media, text messaging and in‑person office hours. They urged students and families to use school committee public comment and to meet with committee members directly.

The forum also included closing appeals that urged turnout for the Nov. 4 municipal elections.

Evidence from the forum: youth asked multiple questions about teacher retention, student input and phone access; Gomez Pereira and Valencia provided the cited statements during the district school committee segments of the event.

Looking ahead: Candidates said they will pursue state funding and local outreach to address staffing and communication gaps while preserving school safety procedures.