Sarah Neville has announced her campaign to serve as the Chelsea School Committee member for District 2.
“This fall, my son Robi will be starting school at the Early Learning Center,” says Neville. “Over the past year, I’ve been navigating getting him the services he needs, from speech therapy, to Early Intervention, and finally an Individualized Education Plan from the Chelsea school district. I’m excited to be joining the Chelsea Public Schools community as a parent. I believe we have to do everything we can to elevate the voices of families with kids in special education on the School Committee, and to advocate for solutions to all of the issues pressing our students, educators, and families.”
Sarah is the mom of a nearly-three-year-old boy and a dedicated community volunteer. She runs infant and toddler playgroups for Chelsea Community Connections, founded the Chelsea Research Festival, and enjoys getting her hands dirty in GreenRoots’ urban gardens. She is also a child welfare researcher at Brown University, and the wife of outgoing School Committee member Roberto Jimenez-Rivera.
“I’ve been able to see the work of the Chelsea School Committee up close over these last four years, and I’m excited to contribute my own experiences. I spend a lot of time in the playgrounds talking to other parents, listening to their challenges and priorities. In Chelsea, parent engagement is a monumental task, and our families are grappling with more stressors than ever. I believe the School Committee needs to use their position not only to help solve small problems for individual students, but also to empower families to create whole-scale change and address larger issues affecting the Chelsea Public Schools community.
“As a mom of a child with special support needs, I am unapologetic about advocating for students to get the services they deserve. I want families to know they can come to the School Committee to advocate for their children, and to work to change policies that affect all students.”
Sarah’s professional experience is highly relevant to Chelsea Public Schools. She recently finished a PhD in social work and also holds degrees in child development.
“As a School Committee member, I will be able to draw upon my expertise in social work and mental health,” says Neville. “I had the privilege to work with many high schoolers and hear their priorities through my work on the Chelsea Research Festival. Our students are telling us that they are experiencing an unprecedented mental health crisis. We need to keep pushing for more social workers and mental health supports to ensure our students are in a position to learn and thrive.”
Sarah also intends to make early childhood education a key priority in her School Committee work.
“I had a rough start to motherhood, with Robi being born in July 2020. For many months we were isolated and there weren’t places we could bring him. My dream is for every new parent to feel connected, supported, and confident, and for all families to know how to find support groups, play groups, and early childhood activities in our community.”
To read more, visit sarahforchelsea.com or connect with Sarah at [email protected].