Nadia Wetzler

Posted

My name is Nadia Wetzler, and I would appreciate the opportunity to serve the residents of Manchester By The Sea on the MERSD School Committee. 

In August 2016 my family and I decided to move back to the U.S. from Germany and selected Manchester as our new home, based on the reputation of its schools, in addition to its proximity to my employer’s offices in Gloucester. 

My husband and I have three children in the MERSD—a son in the High School, a daughter in Middle School and another daughter at the Manchester Memorial Elementary School.  Providing our three children with outstanding educational opportunities is one of our key priorities.  More broadly, ensuring all Manchester residents have access to a high-quality education is critical to the future of our town.

I grew up as the daughter of Argentine immigrants in the Washington, D.C. area.  During my childhood I attended public, parochial and private schools in Maryland and Switzerland, where my family lived for several years.  Although the schools I attended differed in their approach to learning, all emphasized the importance of a well-rounded education, including foreign languages, the arts and athletics.  I strongly believe these are critical to our children’s futures and their ability to succeed as residents of our state and the global community. 

My parents’ emphasis on cultivating my foreign language skills have offered me personal and professional opportunities I would not have had as an English speaker only.  If elected to the School Committee I will do my utmost to ensure we do not shortchange our children.

For the past 18 years, I have been working as in-house counsel at Applied Materials, where I provide legal support on a myriad of issues, both compliance and commercial transactions. On a daily basis I navigate competing priorities to support our company’s interests within the confines of the business and legal environments.  At the latest Town Meeting we heard about the pressures on the School District’s budget.  The skills I developed in my professional life will put me in good stead as we look for ways to ensure our children continue to receive a solid education despite the budget challenges.

The COVID pandemic and the school closures that ensued highlighted for me the importance of in-person learning. It was frustrating to see area private schools resume in-person learning while our School District only slowly transitioned to hybrid learning for younger kids and even more slowly for the older ones.  Watching our son struggle as he started High School remotely is an experience I never wish to repeat.  Some families that could afford to do so moved their children to private schools.  I sympathize with their intentions and understand what drove them to make this change, but I believe our Town deserves better. Whether your child is able to develop their full potential should not depend on whether you as a parent can afford private schools.  And in the long term, communities that fail to invest in their public schools become less attractive to home buyers, potentially resulting in lower property values.  To thrive, Manchester needs to continue attracting families who are looking for a community where to raise their children.

If elected to the School Committee, I promise to listen to the community, which includes our teachers and students, and to work in partnership with our School Superintendent Pam Beaudoin, the Manchester Select Board and the Town of Essex, whose buy-in is critical to the strength of our Regional School District.

Thank you for your consideration.

manchester memorial elementary school, nadia wetzler, regional school district, manchester select board, superintendent, pam beaudoin, school committee