John McDaid (D), candidate for Portsmouth school committee with former Hathaway principal Dr. Christina Martin. Photo by Andrew Katzman.

Dr. Christina Martin, recently retired principal of Hathaway Elementary school, announced her support for John McDaid in the Portsmouth School Committee race. The ten-year veteran of Portsmouth's schools issued the following statement:

"John McDaid is a perfect candidate for the Portsmouth School Committee. He is truly schooled in the strengths and challenges of the school department, the sort of in-service training that all school committee members need to make informed decisions."

"During the last four years I have seen John's commitment to the education of his son, Jack, a student at Hathaway, and to all Portsmouth students."

"He is a proven communicator who has covered Portsmouth on his local news blog, where I've often read his coverage of school committee and town council meetings."

"John is a knowledgeable and committed participant in the process of leading our schools into the future. He was a participant in the Future Search workshop -- held at Hathaway -- which developed a strategic vision for the schools. As an appointed member of the facilities committee, he came to Hathaway with the engineers and we toured every corner of the building as they were developing their recommendations."

"His service on the district technology committee shows his dedication to the improvement of our schools. He worked with many teachers -- not just at Hathaway -- to assist in implementing the district's new web site. And I worked with him directly on the search team for our technology integration specialist and found him to be a thoughtful and engaged participant."

"Elected officials are charged with making decisions that impact the lives of all of us, so they need to really know the nuts and bolts of the organizational life intimately. John brings a deep understanding of the challenges and an admired dedication to the schools — he will make a great school committee member."

"I am honored to receive this significant endorsement," McDaid said. "Dr. Martin has been a leader in Portsmouth education for a decade, and as principal of Hathway, her tireless efforts on behalf of our children have earned her the respect of students, parents, and the community."

John McDaid is running as an endorsed Democratic candidate, on a slate with David Croston, Andrew Kelly, and Marge Levesque.

Related links
John McDaid campaign Web site: http://johnmcdaid.com
See the announcement on Portsmouth Patch

Full disclosure: It's pretty clear that I'm in candidate mode from here to November. And yes, this one is from a press release.