WESTFORD — Two-term incumbent Gloria Miller is not seeking reelection to the School Committee this year.
Miller has served on the committee since 2017 and served as chair of the committee between 2021 and 2022.
Superintendent of Schools Christopher Chew expressed his gratitude for Miller’s work and commitment to Westford Public Schools.
“Personally, I am very grateful for your contributions to the committee. I enjoyed working with you as a principal and now a superintendent,” said Chew during an April 24 meeting. “You’ve always been a champion of the students, your commitment has made us better.”
Vice Chair Valery Young, who was elected to the committee in 2020, says Miller is a “welcoming figure” during her first campaign.
“You’ve been a mentor and a support for all of us, we’ll miss your off-camera sense of humor and your passion for creating an inclusive environment for students,” Young said.
Miller notes her two terms on the committee have been “invaluable and educational.”
“It has been a rewarding and interesting six years. I would not trade this experience for anything,” Miller said.
One of Miller’s takeaways from her experience on the committee, she says, is the value of a growth mindset and grit.
“Whether you’re a student, adult, in the classroom or out of the classroom, it is so invaluable to cultivate those skills for yourself. If you’re a terrible pickleball player, go play pickleball, go play some, and you’ll learn something about yourself,” Miller said.
She continued, “it’s wonderful to see how our students grow and change. If we can cultivate that growth mindset instead of that fixed mindset that they can always change and always grow and recover from bad days, I think that’s invaluable.”
Miller told WestfordCAT that she has no intention to run for other local offices in town.
“I’ve valued my six years on the Committee but decided it was time to move on. Since my own children are now young adults, it does become more difficult to stay connected to current school issues,” she told WestfordCAT.
She continued, “I look forward to remaining an active and engaged resident. I’ll be at the polls on Tuesday and you’ll definitely see me at future town meetings,” she said.
