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The union that represents the Andover Public Schools’ teachers and instructional assistants endorsed two first-time candidates for school committee in the March 26 local election.
Lauren Diffenbach and Shauna Murray “are skilled educators from surrounding districts, and parents of students in Andover Public Schools,” Andrew Gray, a Doherty Middle School teacher and Andover Education Association’s Political Action Chair, said in a Facebook post. “They will be able to bring the concerns of the classroom to the policy decision table in a way that only a practitioner could.”
Incumbent Susan McCready said she did not seek AEA’s endorsement to maintain impartiality in her work on the school board. She, Andover High School senior Christopher Shepley, and Jayashree Mohandas are running against Diffenbach and Murray for two open school committee seats. The other incumbent, Chair Tracey Spruce, is not running for reelection.
AEA also endorsed Kevin Coffey and George Thorlin, who are running against Ellen Keller and Ellen Townson for two open seats on the select board.
AEA said Coffey was “committed to transparency…and disrupting the status quo,” while Thorlin is “committed to working with all stakeholders.”
Candidates needed to submit responses to a questionnaire and interview with AEA to be considered for endorsement.