About Me Part One: Background

At my mother's teacher retirement party

Over the last month, I have attended Democratic caucuses in our four towns. I was asked to supply some background information and information on some of the bills I have sponsored. So thought I would also post it here. You can always contact me for more information at mmann@metrocast.net.

Background:  My father died when I was a child leaving my mother with five children under the age of 10.  I still have memories of the first year after he died when my previously stay-at-home mother applied for job after job only to be told they would not hire a woman with children as she would probably stay home from work if the children were sick, or not concentrate on her work, etc.

Finally she got a teaching job at an elementary school. You can be damned sure someone was almost dead before she missed a day at work. Two of the issues when she started teaching were that HS teachers received more than elementary teachers and men more than women. Through the union this was changed and she always spoke of how important union support was to her. The stability of her teaching job gave each of her five children the opportunity to pursue higher education but she particularly stressed it for me, the only girl, as she knew how importance independence and self-support were for women.

Through her experience I learned about the importance of equal treatment for women and other minorities, and the need to allow workers to organize.

When I graduated from college I had been accepted to graduate school but loved student teaching. So when I was offered a job at that school I took it. The first thing my mother said was to join the union. I ended up being a member of the contract negotiating team for many years.  I continued my education getting a M.Ed and went on for 45 credits beyond.

An initiative was passed in Massachusetts where I taught called Proposition 2 ½.  It decimated public education and one-third, about 11 teachers, were immediately let go from my Department. Because the person below me on the salary schedule was the brother of the chairman of the school committee I had a job but only a part time schedule which just covered health care. I had earned my RE broker license in the past so I went to work selling real estate.

I was quite successful and after a few years, still teaching two periods a day, I opened my own company with three other women.  It was a 24-hour-a-day job.  I continued doing this for about 10 years until we merged with another company. At that same time the union had made a decision not to allow part-time teaching so I decided to go back to teaching full time, and train new sales associates and do real estate part time.

I took early retirement when we moved to New Hampshire in 2000. Because I was used to reading a daily local newspaper, as well at the Boston Globe, I found it hard to get information about what was going on locally. So in 2005 I wrote the grant which resulted in The Forum. It has received several awards as well at the Knight Foundation award for citizen journalism. I have served in just about every position in the Forum.

My first real job, during high school, was in a library although I had done babysitting and was a Jr.  Counselor in a girl scout camp, etc prior to that. I have always loved to read and worked in the library [and dishroom and cafeteria] to help earn my way through college. I have been a Friend of the Library and volunteer wherever I have lived.

My first effort in Deerfield was to become a library volunteer and help revive the Friends of the Library. I have also served as a library trustee for several terms. I have volunteered with the Deerfield Community Church, supported the Nottingham UU Church, been a member of the MBC, a member of UNH Cooperative Extension, in charge of chowder for the Deerfield Fair, cooked and volunteered for Senior Lunch, and volunteered in several other capacities in the town. In 2006 I was given the Sherburne Award for service to the community of Deerfield.

In 2007 when the Honorable Robert Johnson resigned his state representative seat I was asked to run. I was successful and was elected again in 2008. I lost in the veto-proof Republican landslide in 2010, was re-elected in 2012 and lost again in 2014 to Brian Dobson who resigned the first day of the session to take a job with Congressman Frank Guinta. I served on the Committee on Public Works and Highways during all my terms, and was Committee Clerk during the last biennium.