Andrea Shepard spent over three decades teaching and guiding youth at Hampton Academy, and the former assistant principal is now eyeing a new way to improve local education.
Shepard has officially announced that she will file paperwork to run for Hampton School Board on Wednesday, the first day candidates can file. Shepard has been retired since leaving the school district during the 2013 school year, although she said Friday that she's "missed" having the ability to make "a difference in the lives of our kids."
"Once I retired, I said I wanted to continue to do things for kids in Hampton," said Shepard, 59. "I feel like I have a lot to offer and I want to make a positive difference somehow. I'd like to try to get on the board and do that with a different vantage point."
Shepard started out as a science teacher and spent the final four years of her career as assistant principal of the middle school.
The decision to seek public office is a first for Shepard, although she said a "whole bunch of people in town encouraged" her to run and that she has no shortage of experience or expertise in the local school system.
"This is a big leap of faith for me," said Shepard, a Marblehead, Mass., native who has spent the past 30 years in Hampton with her husband and children.
Among the top things on which Shepard said she'll focus if elected on town meeting day on March 11 is the students — "Whatever is best for our kids should be the first question," said Shepard — and getting "more information about from the school board to the people of the town" while "coming up with solutions to concerns in a more expedient manner."
"A lot of the students don't come from what you call 'ideal family situations,'" said Shepard. "I think we really need to consider every child every day. I want to make sure we really look at our programs carefully and tailor them to the needs of all of our students."
Shepard said her "expertise" in working with local children and educators, as well as her knowledge of the composition of the school district and the way it runs its programs, would be an asset to the Hampton School Board.
Shepard retired from the Hampton School District on June 17 as part of an agreement reached after she was placed on a paid administrative leave on May 28.
Shepard and district officials have declined to speak about the nature and reasoning behind the leave, stating that it was a personnel matter.
Parents and residents picketed outside of the school and unsuccessfully attempted last spring to persuade district officials to restore Shepard to her post.
A Facebook page has been created for Shepard's campaign. She said she plans to release more information about the campaign on Wednesday.
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