The following letter to the editor was submitted by Andover resident Dara Obbard. The views expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Andover News. You can learn more about our policy on opinion and commentary on our Mission and Policies page.
As an Andover voter for over a decade and the mother of two children in the Andover Public Schools, I’m writing in support of Emily DiCesaro for Andover School Committee.
Since first meeting Emily in 2018 I’ve watched her volunteer her time and seemingly boundless energy to the Bancroft PTO (planning family cultural events that celebrated our town’s diversity), the Andover DEI Commission (where she served on the Racial Climate and Reporting working group, helping to facilitate data collection on incidents of discrimination), the Andover Youth Services Steering Committee, and the Doherty PTO. I was proud to vote for her for School Committee in 2022 and thrilled when she won.
Emily approaches her service on the School Committee with the thoughtfulness and seriousness of purpose that students, parents, and teachers deserve. She navigated a steep learning curve, complicated negotiations (with both the teachers’ and food service workers’ unions), and fraught public discourse with patience and grace. She has proved a responsible steward of our town’s resources, while acknowledging that better management and planning is essential to maintaining a strong school system for our students and a healthy relationship with our teachers. And when Emily felt she had more to learn, she did not hesitate to seek out opportunities to do so, from soliciting and internalizing public feedback to attending the Andover Leadership Academy training program for a 360 degree view of town governance.
It would be a mistake to lose the experience and knowledge that Emily has developed over the past three years on the School Committee, not to mention the empathy and independence she brings to the role. I urge everyone to get to know her better (visit https://www.dicesaroforandover.com/) and to vote to reelect Emily DiCesaro to the School Committee on Tuesday, March 25th.
Dara Obbard
Andover
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