Several parents in Pelham have reached out to me about a newly elected school board member who ran on a platform of improving public schools. Pelham students have been struggling academically for years, and teacher retention continues to be an ongoing issue. I know this personally—former teachers have contacted me directly to describe the poor working conditions they experienced.
That’s why I was encouraged to hear that many parents see hope in new board member Krista Garcia, who is committed to improving both academics and school culture. At this month’s school board meeting, Garcia presented a motion to establish a committee made up of all school board members. This committee would then work collaboratively with experts, administrators, and others to uncover the underlying issues and develop a plan for meaningful improvement.
You can watch this short clip from the School Board meeting here:
Garcia called for a Root-Cause Analysis and a multi-year strategic plan. Importantly, she framed this not as a message of despair but as a call to action. She is not pointing fingers but acknowledging that the district is falling short of its potential—and insisting that the community must understand the “WHY” before they can fix the problems.
She highlighted some of the concerns former teachers had anonymously shared with the former Board Chair, describing the work environment as:
*Unsupportive
*Hostile
*Toxic
*Disrespectful
*Fearful
If this is indeed the current school culture, it raises important questions: How long has this been going on? Has anything been done to address it? Issues like this rarely disappear on their own, and they often contribute directly to teacher turnover. The Pelham teacher I personally spoke to never once mentioned salary. Her primary concern was the disrespectful environment.
Garcia’s solution is straightforward and professional: establish a subcommittee tasked with conducting a comprehensive Root-Cause Analysis of the district’s underperformance, examining factors such as:
*Teacher retention
*Work environment
*Salary competitiveness
*Curriculum alignment
*Resource allocation
*Institutional accountability
This is exactly what professionals do—they don’t scapegoat individuals but instead focus on the systemic issues that demand an honest evaluation and a clear roadmap forward.
Despite Garcia’s thoughtful presentation, and her assurance that the teachers’ letters had names redacted for privacy, the motion has been tabled for now. That’s unfortunate, because the evidence is clear that this work cannot be delayed any longer.
Superintendent Chip McGee has been in Pelham for five years. It is the school board’s role to hold the district accountable and to ensure progress is being made. Collaborative, transparent work with teachers, administrators, and community members can lead to the kind of improvements Pelham families deserve.
As someone who served on a committee in Bedford while McGee was superintendent there, I know he is familiar with this kind of process. But Bedford also had an engaged parent community that insisted on higher academic standards—and they got results. Pelham parents would like the same, which is why Garcia received the most votes in the last election.
Here are the latest proficiency scores in Pelham. They speak for themselves. Pelham’s children and parents deserve the same level of commitment to excellence as Bedford families. Teachers, too, deserve to work in an environment that is supportive, professional, and respectful.
I hope the rest of the School Board sees the value in Garcia’s proposal and moves swiftly to support this initiative. Pelham can no longer afford to wait.
