Daniel Schapira
School Board Candidate
2-year Term
Bio
I am the parent of two students who have been in Hartford schools since kindergarten. They love their school, but we recognize that it is not without significant challenges. Our family has roots in the Upper Valley for more than 50 years. I started my career in management consulting, earned my MBA from NYU, and spent almost two decades at large multinational corporations in sales, marketing, and brand strategy. I now advise small business owners on business and marketing strategy, including finance and operations, so they can run their businesses more efficiently and profitably.
Q & A
1. Why do you want to be on the School Board and what skills would you bring to the role?
About a decade ago, Vermont ranked top 10 in fourth-grade reading on the NAEP (Nation's Report Card). It has since plummeted and today is below the national average. Meanwhile, Mississippi surged into the top 10, vastly outperforming Vermont. And this happened while Vermont spends among the highest nationally per pupil – and about double compared to Mississippi (near the bottom). They succeeded through strong accountability, high expectations, and data-driven focus. I want to bring my business experience to help the school board deliver the outcomes our students deserve with smarter spending. We all want tax dollars maximized for efficiency and impact on our kids.
2. How would you define a successful School District?
- All students have the quality education, including extra-curriculars, that they need to be successful members of the community and live meaningful, fulfilling lives. - Teachers have the resources they need to educate and support our children. - Facilities are safe, welcoming, and conducive to supporting education. - The needs and wants of the town are known and respected in Montpelier. - Parents, guardians, and town voters feel proud of their schools and the success of those schools is reflected in student achievements, school ratings, and our property values.
3. What do you think are the top three issue areas in the School District and what ideas do you have to make progress in those areas?
We’re spending top dollar, but not always seeing the educational outcomes that match this spending - particularly at the elementary school level. We’re fortunate to start from a strong position. Hartford schools have many great assets and we have the amazing Upper Valley to draw from. With focused and difficult strategic choices, we can put our resources toward evidence-backed approaches to strengthening reading, math, and science. We can grow our capacity to support non-traditional learners. We can get a better return on the investments we’re making with our school dollars. We need to manage a complex community conversation about how we navigate state efforts to consolidate - an issue magnified by physical problems (like PCPs) in some of our buildings.
4. What strategies would you support to manage School District costs while maintaining strong educational outcomes?
We can use what’s been shown to work in other states. Mississippi engineered its dramatic educational turnaround by instituting evidence-based "science of reading" protocols. I'd champion similar high-ROI reforms. We can make evidence-backed shifts that prioritize outcomes over outputs, that free funds from inefficient programs and drive excellence. We can explore partnerships across our region that can result in greater efficiency, without sacrificing local control.
5. How do you think the School District can effectively respond and adapt to the state's school consolidation efforts?
Vermont has a long and proud tradition of home rule. “Local” has always been important in education, as any parent, guardian, or potential home buyer or renter knows. With funding for our schools so tied to decisions in Montpelier and impacted by unfunded mandates, our commitment to local rule is more complicated than ever. The state has a role in setting minimum educational standards, as all Vermonters should want our students to exercise their right to a high-quality education. But beyond that, the particulars of how any particular school district wants to operate, to spend money, should be subject to the will of its local voters. A lot of legal, executive, and legislative power is in Montpelier. But the Hartford school district, along with countless others in the state, can and must make our wants and needs known to our elected representatives in the state capital. Nobody should be punished for exceeding minimum standards, especially when that’s what voters choose. And we need to follow the money closely to ensure prudent decision making in all operations.
6. How do you think the School District should approach investing in buildings and infrastructure while balancing cost and sustainability?
Ensuring that our students, faculty, and administrators spend their days in buildings that are safe is non-negotiable. Doing this when all expenses are high demands maximum fiscal prudence, careful oversight, and a willingness to explore a variety of options. With my MBA and years of corporate financial experience, I'd apply proven business analysis to school infrastructure. Our financial plans and statements can’t be designed for short-term optics that inevitably spark crises later. Using corporate-level discipline – which I’ve exercised allocating multimillion-dollar budgets – is the way to ensure fiscal health, sustainability, and mission success without unnecessary tax hikes or waste.
7. What are some School District initiatives or services that you would like to improve or change?
Unfunded mandates are crippling our budget. I’d work with our elected representatives in Montpelier to bring state resources towards helping with things like PCP remediation and exploding pension costs. I’d also like to make sure our metrics reporting and tracking support outcomes. Just because we can measure something, doesn’t mean it’s important. We need to track and show parents, guardians, and taxpayers how their investments in education are leading to graduates who have the education they need to live meaningful, fulfilling lives in the adult job market.