PreK-12

Ensuring high-quality public education for K-12 students in Plymouth is a true passion.  The Plymouth Public Schools helped to make me who I am, and afforded me opportunities to learn and grow.  I will work to ensure students can find their passion and become informed citizens who are full participants our society and  workforce.  It is important that we fund our schools to ensure that all students are met where they are, are included, and can excel and gain the skills needed for the future.  I will ask the questions and work to make sure that legislation that affects our schools is supported with the resources necessary to appropriately execute all mandates.  We cannot add to the ever-growing list of unfunded mandates facing the Plymouth Public Schools and all public schools in Massachusetts.  These unfunded mandates take away necessary funds from our students, teachers, and staff.

In Plymouth we have invested in our partnership with the police and fire departments to ensure that our schools are as safe as they can be.  With the safety issues facing our schools I will work on Beacon Hill to secure funding to ensure that our schools remain safe and our public safety partners have what they need to keep our schools and community safe. We need to broaden this work so that every school district can afford to have school resource officers to create relationships with students and keep us safe. 

On Beacon Hill I will work to look beyond our traditional K-12 model and invest in early childhood education. Investing when students are younger reduces the long term cost to taxpayers for government funded programs supporting these students as adults.

Higher Education

 As someone who has worked at private and public higher education institutions, I know it is crucial that we make college more affordable and accessible.  We are fortunate to live in Massachusetts with a variety of educational opportunities, but higher education is still not accessible for all students.  

It is important to think creatively on this issue but also not add to the administrative burden of the staff who are executing the programs.  With the addition of the MassReconnect program in fall of 2023, opportunities for higher education have become more of a possibility for those over the age of 25 who qualify.  We need to expand this program  to provide opportunities for sectors of the economy that struggle to fill their vacant positions in order to create opportunities that afford generational change.

As someone who grew up to middle class parents and understands the struggle of being able to afford to live in Plymouth while paying off debts, I know how important affordability is. It is important that Plymouth is affordable for all our residents. I will advocate for legislation that creates more housing opportunities to allow people who grew up in this community to stay and thrive, attract new people to Plymouth, and allow retirees to be able to stay in their homes. The allowance of Accessory Dwelling Units and other creative approaches to the housing crisis can make the difference in allowing people to afford a place to live and helping our older adult residents be able to live in their homes for as long as they want

The COVID-19 pandemic brought mental health to the forefront of many of our lives.  We see, daily, the impact and level of the crisis on loved ones and community, at work, and in our schools.  The mental health crisis facing Plymouth and the rest of the state needs to be addressed with the necessary resources for people of all ages and needs.  To do this work correctly, it is important that we work to end the stigma with education in our schools and our community.  

We need to work with those in the profession and higher education partners to increase the number of available practitioners and access to those practitioners to better help our families and communities struggling with mental health issues. 

Plymouth has seen the benefit of the inclusion of mental health clinicians in our police department.  I will work to expand this program on the state level.

As with mental health, we need to work to educate our students and community about the long term consequences of substance abuse. We also need to ensure our schools and other community organizations have the means to implement an update to the Health Curriculum, which would be the first update since 1999- and make sure we do not go another 20+ years without investing in a proper update to the education of our students.

Climate change is an ever present threat to Plymouth and Massachusetts at large.  Over 28% of Plymouth is protected open space and we have countless miles of trails where we have the opportunity to explore and experience the natural beauty of our community, and it should be a priority to protect this beauty for coming generations. As climate change worsens, however, weather is changing and becoming more severe, sea levels are rising, erosion is evident across the town, and our oceans’ levels of acidification continue to rise. 

As the real-world impact of climate change becomes apparent, the state has put into place incentives that I support for homeowners and businesses to address these issues. For example, during my time at Massachusetts Maritime Academy, I learned a great deal about the offshore wind industry and other alternative energy sources.  

I will work on behalf of all of you to ensure our beloved environment is at the forefront of all that we do in order to preserve the community we love.

The safety of our community is essential. Traveling in Plymouth must always be safe, including safe roads to drive on or ride a bike, available funding for necessary upgrades to make it safe to drive.

We must ensure the necessary funding for police and fire to ensure quick response times. 

We also want to ensure that our students are safe everyday at school, and that our schools have the resources to maintain/continue to build out the School Resource Officer program in Plymouth.

I will advocate to make sure safety is on the forefront of policy discussions, to ensure Plymouth continues to be a desirable place to live for generations to come. 

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging are at the core of who I am. I have always believed that we need to celebrate our differences and work together to truly understand each other to make our society better.

This is why I got involved in Plymouth No Place For Hate when I finished graduate school. With the changing demographics of Plymouth, we need to ensure that our community has the tools needed to support our aging community, and that our migrant, immigrant, and English language learners of all ages have access to the resources they need to be full participants in our community. 

We are lucky to live in Massachusetts and have access to the high quality health care we do, but too many members of our community struggle to pay medical bills even with coverage.

It is hard to find a doctor (I have had to search extensively myself to find a doctor that was accepting new patients), and paying for coverage is hard for small businesses and those whose companies do not provide healthcare.

I will work hard to find solutions to our healthcare to take that stressor off the residents of Plymouth. 

Supporting our veterans is crucial. We need to prioritize honoring their sacrifices made by ensuring all resources are readily available to them.

I will work to support legislation such as Governor Healey’s proposed HERO Act to expand benefits, and will support the general modernization of veteran services.

40% of Plymouth's population is over the age of 50, and that number is expected to grow in the years to come.

Our seniors need transportation and healthcare, and they should be able to stay in their home for as long as possible.

I will commit to ensuring that our seniors have access to all the services and benefits that they need. 

It is important that we are fiscally responsible in all that we do while also continuing to provide the highest quality of life to the residents of the 1st Plymouth District. 

I will work on these and other issues with the same  solution-oriented approach that I have used as a school committee member, by making sure that as new programs are implemented we look at how the change impacts other existing programs and keep in mind any potential costs or cost saving measures.

It is in the best interests of Plymouth residents that one of the top priorities be the decommissioning of the Holtec power plant. She is committed to ensuring transparency throughout this process, advocating for residents to ensure that the wastewater is not discharged into the Bay. Michelle recognizes the importance of community engagement and communication as this complicated issue unfolds.

In Plymouth, we have seen the impact of strong leadership in addressing Holtec's plans to discharge wastewater into our bay by both local, state, and federal levels. Prioritizing the health of our communities and the environment is essential. It is imporant that this issue be a focus and the work be done diligently to hold companies accountable and ensure that our local ecosystems and public health are protected. She understands the concerns many residents have about evaporation, storage options, and the next steps with Holtec, and she is committed to being a strong advocate for Plymouth as we navigate these challenges together.