The following letter to the editor was submitted by Andover former Andover School Committee member Joel Blumstein. 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.
School Committee members are often required to make difficult decisions. Inevitably, there will be some members of our community – some school families, district administrators, other Town officials, some taxpayers, or school staff members – who will disagree, and sometimes strongly so, with a decision. Having served on the Andover School Committee with Susan McCready for more than five years, I know that she is up to making these difficult decisions and doing so in the best interests of our students and the Andover community.
Susan fully studies the issues, considers all sides, and talks to anyone who wants to be heard, no matter their position. Importantly, Susan brings a critical level of independence to her decision making. Susan has not sought the endorsement of or contributions from any outside group. This is significant with respect to the Andover Education Association, the union which represents Andover teachers and some other staff.
The School Committee is responsible for setting the school budget, collective bargaining with the AEA, and hearing and deciding on the numerous grievances filed by the AEA. It is critical that School Committee members have the independence to perform these tasks solely on their merits, not impacted by allegiance to any party.
I have on many occasions seen Susan carry out these responsibilities independently and based only on the relevant facts and law. This strength is among the many reasons why I enthusiastically support Susan McCready’s re-election to the Andover School Committee on March 26th.
Joel Blumstein
Andover
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