WORCESTER—For Sue Mailman, serving on the Worcester School Committee draws directly from a lifetime in leadership.
The fourth-generation owner of Coghlin Electrical Contractors, she has spent decades advocating for workforce development, vocational training and equity in education. First elected in 2021, Mailman is now seeking a third term as one of two at-large incumbents on the ballot.
Mailman said she’s most proud of “strongly and loudly supporting the work of Dr. Rachel Monarrez in setting our district forward in almost every way,” citing improvements to student testing goals, culture and climate initiatives, stronger hiring practices, and building improvement plans for safety and repairs.
A longtime champion of vocational and technical education, Mailman said the next step is to “further implement project-based education models marrying hands-on and academic work more closely.” She hopes to strengthen partnerships with early college programs and Quinsigamond Community College while keeping expectations high at the city’s existing vocational programs. Though she believes Worcester could support another fully vocational high school, she said she will focus on ensuring that the new Burncoat building “offers strong arts and relevant Chapter 74 programs.”
Mailman also places early learning and literacy benchmarks among her top priorities, calling for library access in all elementary schools and expanding dual-language programming beyond Worcester Dual Language to Woodland and other schools.
A vocal advocate for pay equity, Mailman has raised concerns about the gap between school committee and city council compensation, calling it a lingering reflection of the idea that “education is women’s work.” She said reviewing the city charter and aligning school districts with council districts could modernize city government and help attract more candidates.
Mailman said maintaining strong funding streams is the district’s most urgent operational challenge. “We now must address special education funding and remaining disparities,” she said, noting that Worcester can help shape the next phase of state-level reform.
Her business experience, she said, informs her leadership style: “I’m not shy about using my voice, I’m fair, and I carefully listen to many stakeholders. Age softens the edges… I’m comfortable engaging in difficult conversations.”
Mailman supported the committee’s decision to forego a formal search and appoint Brian Allen as superintendent when Monarezz left to take a new position, maintaining he helped shape the current strategic plan and is best positioned to carry it forward. “I support full searches more often than not, but sometimes the answer lies within,” she said.
Asked about immigration-related concerns, Mailman said the district has “a role in making sure students and families are safe in our buildings and during all the hours that we are responsible,” and that she regularly discusses these issues with school officials.
She credited Monarrez with improving Worcester Public Schools’ reputation for collaboration. “This changed dramatically during the past three years, and it’s one of my top objectives to make sure we don’t fall backwards,” she said, adding that community partnerships are essential to sustaining progress.
Mailman said she’s running for a third term to build on that momentum. “Following the implementation of the work that has been developed over the past three years remains my top priority,” she said. “Other priorities include expanding vocational and career programs, continued investment in buildings, building the strongest educator workforce and fostering community partnerships. I will always advocate for those most vulnerable.”
This article is part of the Worcester Guardian’s 2025 election coverage. As part of our ongoing series, we are publishing individual candidate profiles and stories related to key issues facing the city ahead of the Nov. 4 municipal election. We have reached out to every candidate running for Worcester City Council and School Committee. If you are a certified candidate and would like to ensure you are included, please contact us at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org.
