Submitted by the Committee to Elect Jennifer Kelley
Bedford resident Jennifer Kelley announced Thursday that she intends to campaign for the School Committee of the Bedford Public Schools. Kelley is seeking the open seat becoming available following Vice-Chairman Abbie Siebert’s announcement that she would not seek re-election after twelve years of dedicated service to the Bedford Public Schools. “I enthusiastically enter my name for consideration and respectfully request your support at the polls on Saturday, March 14th as we strive to keep Bedford and its excellent schools on their path of success,” Kelley states.
Jen is a Greater Boston native whose family relocated to Bedford over three years ago. “Having come from another local town with a top rated school system, and being a former teacher myself, education was, of course, a top priority in choosing a community in which to settle,” Kelley points out. She and her husband, Jeff Dreyfus, chose Bedford “not only for its schools, but also for the simple fact that this town seemed to have so much to offer families, all while managing to be extremely well run. We could not be happier with our decision.” Kelley has three children in the Bedford Public Schools, twin boys at Davis, and a daughter at Lane.
Kelley graduated with a B.A. in East Asian Studies from Middlebury College in 1990, spending much of her undergraduate years studying the Japanese language, including a year abroad in Kyoto, Japan. Upon graduation, she first translated her passion for the study of world cultures and languages into the field of International Finance in New York City. She eventually returned to Boston, shifting professional gears to work in Education. Kelley attended graduate school at Tufts University, earning a Master of Arts in Teaching in 1996. She then spent over 10 years teaching Middle School Social Studies and English, as well as High School History, in this area’s public schools, with the bulk of her career being spent in the Belmont Public Schools in Belmont, MA. “I feel it is extremely important for any School Committee to have the perspective of those who have worked in a classroom, and have thus experienced first-hand the challenges of meeting the varied needs of our children. As we strive to be even better as a town and school system, we must continue to acknowledge and support our students and their schools’ teachers. I believe that my 10+ years of teaching will further assist the Bedford School Committee’s commitment to these ends.”
Since stepping away from teaching after the birth of her daughter, Kelley spent several years working as an Independent Consultant for a direct marketing company, as well as consulting as a Business Analyst. Most recently, Kelley obtained her Real Estate license and has been an associate with The Higgins Group in Bedford. “Becoming a local business person has only further enhanced my involvement in, and attachment to, this community. I have been so fortunate to see the multitude of ways in which this town works together.”
Kelley has dedicated considerable time over the past three years volunteering in and for the Bedford Public Schools. Most recently, she stepped in as one of the coordinators on the BEST Box Top Committee for Davis, helping to raise funds that directly impact students. In addition, she serves on the board of the Bedford Education Foundation (BEF), “[w]orking to fund direct teacher grants that have greatly enhanced the innovation and creativity our children experience as a part of this school system.” She is also a Girl Scout volunteer and an active member of First Parish Church here in Bedford.
“As anyone involved in Education today is aware, our schools, teachers, and students face a multitude of challenges. We have before us ongoing work from changing evaluation systems and new high-stakes tests, to the daily work of curriculum, instruction and assessment. As a community, we are charged with providing all of our students with their varied learning needs with an excellent education, all while striving to keep the Bedford Schools a welcoming and safe community. I believe that the combination of my expertise as an educator, my practical experience in other goal-oriented professions, and my dedication as a parent and involved community member put in me a unique position to assist the Bedford School Committee in these endeavors.”
This year’s Bedford Town Election will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2015 at the John Glenn Middle School. Polls open at 8:00am and close at 6:00pm.
The Committee to Elect Jennifer Kelley
Jeffrey Dreyfus, Treasurer
Tel: 781-275-1512
Email: [email protected]
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