Josh Amaral
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Josh Amaral is an at-large representative on the New Bedford Public Schools school board in Massachusetts. First elected in 2013, Amaral won a new term in the at-large general election on November 7, 2017.
Amaral participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 school board candidate survey. Click here to read his responses.
Biography
Amaral graduated from New Bedford High School and pursued a degree in political science and crime and justice at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.[1] Before declaring his candidacy, Amaral operated a blog focused on education in the New Bedford area.[2]
Elections
2017
Three of the seven seats on the New Bedford Public Schools School Committee were up for nonpartisan general election on November 7, 2017. The mayor of New Bedford, who served as an ex-officio member of the board, was also up for election, but that election was not covered by Ballotpedia as the city fell outside of municipal elections coverage.[3] Incumbent Josh Amaral and newcomers Colleen Dawicki and John Oliveira won the election, defeating Rich Porter.[4] Margaret Amaral initially filed to run in the election, but she withdrew from the race.[5][6]
Results
| New Bedford Public Schools, At-large General Election, 4-year terms, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Josh Amaral Incumbent |
31.41% | 7,942 |
| John Oliveira |
25.86% | 6,539 |
| Colleen Dawicki |
22.45% | 5,675 |
| Rich Porter | 20.07% | 5,075 |
| Write-in votes | 0.21% | 53 |
| Total Votes | 25,284 | |
| Source: City of New Bedford, "Summary Report," accessed November 28, 2017 | ||
Funding
The New Bedford Election Commission does not publish and freely disclose school board candidate campaign finance reports. If you have any information regarding the campaign finance disclosures in this race, please contact the school board elections team at editor@ballotpedia.org.
2013
Josh Amaral, Jack Nobrega, and Lawrence J. Finnerty defeated Brian Pastori, Christopher A. Cotter, and Maria H. Mojica-Mosquea to win three at-large seats in the general election on November 5, 2013.[2] Another challenger, Michael Janson, finished in last place in the primary and did not continue on to the general election.
Results
| New Bedford Public Schools, At-large General Election, 4-year terms, 2013 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Lawrence J. Finnerty Incumbent |
19.3% | 4,489 | |
| Nonpartisan | Josh Amaral |
19.3% | 4,472 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jack Nobrega Incumbent |
16.9% | 3,921 | |
| Nonpartisan | Maria H. Mojica-Mosquea | 15.9% | 3,687 | |
| Nonpartisan | Christopher A. Cotter | 15.1% | 3,514 | |
| Nonpartisan | Brian Pastori | 13.4% | 3,107 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in | 0.1% | 33 | |
| Total Votes | 23,223 | |||
| Source: New Bedford Guide, "2013 New Bedford Election Results," accessed November 6, 2013 | ||||
| New Bedford Public Schools, At-large Primary Election, 4-year terms, 2013 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Lawrence J. Finnerty Incumbent |
19.9% | 2,682 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jack Nobrega Incumbent |
18.5% | 2,486 | |
| Nonpartisan | Josh Amaral |
16.2% | 2,183 | |
| Nonpartisan | Christopher A. Cotter |
13.8% | 1,856 | |
| Nonpartisan | Maria H. Mojica-Mosquea |
13% | 1,750 | |
| Nonpartisan | Brian Pastori |
11.7% | 1,569 | |
| Nonpartisan | Michael Janson | 7% | 938 | |
| Total Votes | 13,464 | |||
| Source: New Bedford, Massachusetts, "Preliminary Election," accessed October 9, 2013 | ||||
Funding
Amaral began the race with an existing account balance of $1,937.91 from his previous campaign. He reported $1,095.00 in contributions and $1,561.97 in expenditures to the City of New Bedford, which left his campaign with $1,470.94 on hand in the election.[7]
Endorsements
Amaral was endored by The Standard-Times.[8]
Campaign themes
2017
Ballotpedia survey responses
Josh Amaral participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates.[9] In response to the question "What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board?" the candidate stated on September 11, 2017:
| “ | I hope to continue advocating for New Bedford students on a local, state and national level. I hope to continue to be a good steward of tax dollars -- putting those resources to good use in our classrooms. I hope to expand the programming that works here in New Bedford. I'd like to rebuild the reputation of our flagship high school. We must repair the morale, as we will only truly move forward when a culture of mutual respect and collaboration exists across the district. This starts with respect for educators and ends with better outcomes for students. New Bedford has made some progress over the last few years, but we have a ways to go to get to where we need to be. I hope to be a stabilizing force that can contribute along the way.[10][11] | ” |
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues based on how they should be prioritized by the school board, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. Each ranking could only be used once.
| Education policy |
|---|
 |
Click here to learn more about education policy in Massachusetts. |
| Education on the ballot |
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Improving relations with teachers | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Improving post-secondary readiness | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
| “ | With the exception of expanding school choice options, all of these issues are very important to me and were nearly impossible to put in a ranked order. I believe students and the quality of their education come before all else.[11] | ” |
| —Josh Amaral (September 11, 2017) | ||
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer eight questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. The questions are highlighted in blue and followed by the candidate's responses. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions. The candidate was also provided space to elaborate on their answers to the multiple choice questions.
| Should new charter schools be approved in your district? (Not all school boards are empowered to approve charter schools. In those cases, the candidate was directed to answer the question as if the school board were able to do so.) |
|---|
| No. Charter schools draw a disproportionate amount of resources from local school districts and, by and large, do not educate the same students. Despite having more resources than local public schools, they tend not to educate nearly as many students with special education or English language needs. In some cases, charters "counsel out" unruly or underperforming students, sending them back to the local schools who gladly accept all students, meet them at their level and educate them regardless. New Bedford cannot afford more charter schools. Additional charter schools would likely lead to the closure of district schools as enrollment would drop and funds would not sustain the existing schools. |
| Which statement best describes the ideal relationship between the state government and the school board? The state should always defer to school board decisions, defer to school board decisions in most cases, be involved in the district routinely or only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. |
| The state should only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. |
| Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement? |
| No. The proliferation of standardized testing in education in Massachusetts and across the country has been a form of educational malpractice. I frequently hear from families that express their frustration with a system that boils down their child's educational achievements to a simple, imperfect score. Research has been conclusive that standardized tests are a better predictor of socioeconomics and zip codes than they are of college or career readiness or educational attainment. There are better systems of charting student achievement available -- see the work of the Massachusetts Consortium of Innovative Education Assessment, for example. |
| How should the district handle underperforming teachers? Terminate their contract before any damage is done to students, offer additional training options, put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve or set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district? |
| Offer additional training options. Offer additional training options. Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district. |
| Should teachers receive merit pay? |
| No. I think teachers are generally underpaid, but I have serious concerns about what metrics or factors would be used to determine whether pay is merited or not. Existing merit pay systems (in use in some schools in MA and across the country) have serious flaws and I would not consider replicating them as currently constituted. |
| Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program? |
| No. Absolutely not. I am a proud product of public schools and a supporter of public education. A voucher system only seeks to de-fund public education and drain more money into the hands of corporate entities. Private schools are not held to the same standards as public schools and should not receive public funding at the expense of public schools. |
| How should expulsion be used in the district? |
| Under Massachusetts law, students are only expelled if they have committed a felony, assaulted school staff, or are known to have possessed a weapon or drug. While I generally think districts should be given more latitude in meting out discipline for unruly and uncooperative students, our district has an alternative program that works with those students. I see no need to expand expulsion, understanding that if a student poses no risk to others, we should do our best to educate them (perhaps in an alternative setting) so that they can become productive members of society and not travel the "school to prison pipeline." |
| What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration? |
| Parent involvement. 90% of a child's brain development occurs between birth and five years old, and much of their learning after that takes place not in a school, but at home and in the world. It's critically important that parents have the tools they need to provide positive experiences for their children. You can't legislate parent involvement, but districts can embrace strategies that bring parents in. Again, it's hard to choose just one factor for success in the classroom when it involves a variety of factors. Students must start with a healthy home life, and then are hopefully learning under a great teacher, learning a robust curriculum, all which is made possible by a school administration that has created the systems and culture for such success to occur. |
Candidate website
Amaral highlighted the following issues on his campaign website:
| “ | Tireless advocacy for our students, our schools, and our city.
If you've attended a School Committee meeting or heard me speak, you know I have not been shy about expressing my opinions on what matters most. I have ardently advocated for equal opportunities for all our students including increased access to arts, music, and phys ed. I have argued against a system of education that relies too heavily on standardized testing. I have opposed the growth of charter schools that hinder our progress and drain funds from our schools. I have worked to organize unprecedented unity on important issues with other School Committees in Massachusetts I have been a staunch supporter of fixing the formula that the state uses to determine school funding -- a formula that underfunds New Bedford by at least $20 million. I will continue working with my colleagues, other Massachusetts School Committee members, and other officials throughout the state and country to improve our schools and fight for the issues that matter most. Smart financial management that puts our resources in the classroom. I have been on the School Committee for four years, and in that time, the finances of the New Bedford School Department have been managed well, avoiding crisis and making key investments in the classroom to update curriculum, technology, an experiences in arts, music, STEM, and other specialty areas. When I was a UMass Dartmouth student I wrote my thesis on New Bedford Public Schools management and discovered that there were 11 budget shortfalls, miscalculations, misappropriations, or crises in the 22 year period from 1991 to 2012. From 2014 to now? None. Each year during the budget process I review every single line-item of the $130+ million budget to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and in the best interest of our students. The school department has increased its capacity to track spending and manage the personnel issues that led to prior shortfalls. We have developed strategies to better plan for future needs and have transitioned on and off of grants with ease. Most importantly, the School Committee has greatly increased transparency. Thanks to the efforts of our Finance Subcommittee, the School Committee has improved policies and now approves district warrants on a weekly basis and meets with City Council members quarterly to provide updates and discuss the budget. Additionally, we have been able to leverage millions to build a new Taylor School, the Irwin Jacobs Elementary School, and dramatically overhaul the technology at New Bedford High School. Expanding district programming to better meet our kids' needs. I will work to create and expand district programs that we know work, and help us meet our students needs and our families' and community members' expectations. For example, an idea was hatched during the FY18 budget process to create an in-district therapeutic day program for elementary age students (similar to Trinity Day Academy). This would allow us to better meet our students needs, keep students in-district, closer to home, and it would likely be cheaper than paying other providers as we do now. Those resources could be used more efficiently. Likewise, we will explore the addition of certified vocational programs so that New Bedford High students who want to learn a trade can take advantage of those opportunities at New Bedford High School rather than a regional vocational school. We should also expand our Student Success Centers and alternative programs to ensure that students who act up and disrupt others in class have a place to go where they can learn without disrupting other students. We have already seen positive results from the expansion of art, music and phys ed in 2016, when we eliminated early-release on Fridays, adding more time for the specialty subjects our students love. For the first time in 41 years, New Bedford elementary students have full days of school on Friday. We know these programs work and we should implement more. Rebuilding the reputation of New Bedford High School. In 1984, New Bedford High School was recognized by the National Commission on Excellence in Education "for putting good educational practices into effect." In the last decade, the school has come under increased scrutiny and its once positive reputation has suffered. As a proud alumnus of New Bedford High (2011) I find this to be unacceptable. New Bedford High provided me with a top-notch education -- one that allowed me to earn a full year of college credits before I even graduated high school, placed me in valuable internships, and gave me the opportunity to learn from some of the best teachers around. In response to some of this scrutiny, the school has reinvented itself and has as much to offer as any high school in the region. The graduation rate, which has historically hovered around 50%, is up over 70% now. Yet, the school's reputation hasn't caught up. If re-elected, I will work with our administration to ensure New Bedford High School offers our kids all the best opportunities that come with receiving a high-quality education in a safe and diverse school environment. I'll engage our community to make sure that everyone knows what New Bedford High School has to offer, and we'll make sure that a strong plan is in place to not only restore New Bedford High's excellence but that it is sustainable and will not waver again. Once a Whaler, Always a Whaler! Providing knowledge and leadership in times of transition. One of the most powerful factors in my decision to seek another term is that I want to put the knowledge and experience I have gained to good use. When I first got involved over five years ago, I studied our schools as a UMass Dartmouth student writing a thesis, "Improving New Bedford Schools". When I launched my first campaign, I promised to bring the unique perspective of a recent student (I had graduated from NBHS two years prior) to the board. I learned so much from the many educators, parents, and students that I talked to on the campaign trail. And once elected, I realized that even with all this background knowledge, the learning curve for a new School Committee member is steep. I got involved with the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, soaked up any available training offered, and built a network of contacts across not just the city, but also the state, where I serve as the Vice-Chair of the Urban Division of MA School Committee members. I have learned our budgets, policies, and issues inside and out. I want to use all that I have learned to ensure that the next four years go well for our schools and our students. There have been lots of changes from 2013-2017, and I anticipate many more from 2017-2021. I want to make sure those decisions are made thoughtfully and in the best interests of our students. Four School Committee seats are open in this 2017 election (three SC, plus mayor who serves as ex officio chair). The average tenure of a superintendent in Massachusetts is five years. Massachusetts will choose a new Commissioner of Education in 2017. I will bring stability, institutional knowledge, and a steady approach to make sure the people are represented, and that we are getting things done. I promise to bring that to the table. Repairing and improving NBPS staff satisfaction and morale. I have been very concerned about our educators' job satisfaction and morale. The scrutiny our district is under by the state's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has created immense pressure to raise test scores -- pressure that is felt from the top of the organization down. School turnaround practices and the increased stress that comes with some of them make the already difficult job of our teaching corps even harder. The comments made by members of our staff are meetings and when I see them in the community are cause for alarm. While our DESE-calculated turnover rate is commensurate with other similar urban districts, it is clear that some teachers that we'd prefer to keep have instead chosen to find work elsewhere or retire. If we want the best for our kids, we have to do all that we can to attract and retain the best teaching talent there is. America is facing a major teaching shortage, no doubt related to all of the increased mandates and burdens put upon educators in the classroom, including the mass expansion and overanalysis of standardized test data, which should not be considered the "end all be all." The job is getting more and more difficult, and New Bedford should be a place where teachers want to work, have a myriad of opportunities to develop professionally, and can put down roots and contribute to the community. This has to be a priority for sustainable success in our schools and I will do my part in making sure we head in that direction.[11] |
” |
| —Josh Amaral (2017)[12] | ||
2013
Amaral's campaign website listed the following campaign themes for 2013:
| “ |
|
” |
| —Josh Amaral (2013)[13] | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Josh Amaral New Bedford Public Schools school board. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- New Bedford Public Schools, Massachusetts
- New Bedford Public Schools elections (2017)
- New Bedford Public Schools elections (2013)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Facebook, "Josh Amaral," accessed August 19, 2013
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Natalie Sherman, South Coast Today, "Observers point to possibility of turnover in New Bedford School Committee election," July 13, 2013
- ↑ New Bedford Public Schools, "School Committee," accessed August 14, 2017
- ↑ South Coast Today, "Nomination paper deadline sets scene for New Bedford elections," August 15, 2017
- ↑ New Bedford Election Commission, "2017 Preliminary Election Candidates," accessed September 5, 2017
- ↑ New Bedford Guide, "New Bedford Election Results – 7 November, 2017," November 7, 2017
- ↑ City of New Bedford, "Campaign Disclosures," accessed February 11, 2014
- ↑ South Coast Today, "Our View: School Committee endorsements," November 3, 2013
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2017, "Josh Amaral's responses," September 11, 2017
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Josh Amaral for School Committee, "The Issues," accessed November 1, 2017
- ↑ Josh Amaral for School Committee, "My Plan," accessed August 19, 2013
| New Bedford Public Schools elections in 2017 | |
| Bristol County, Massachusetts | |
| Election date: | November 7, 2017 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Josh Amaral • Colleen Dawicki • John Oliveira • Rich Porter |
| Important information: | What's at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
| ||||||||||
