Imagine you’re a doctor and your board of directors at the hospital are all lawyers. Or you’re an investment banker and your executives are all nurses. Imagine your frustration as you try to explain aspects of the job and the needs of the people who learn and work there to people who have never done the job.

This is what it’s like sometimes to be a Newton teacher under the current School Committee.

I’ve been teaching in Newton for over 25 years, and I’ve seen a lot. I think about all the school committee members and city councilors who stood by as positions were cut, supports for students removed, and valuable programs were eliminated. I remember so many who told the city how much they value our schools and care for our children and watched as the problems grew larger every year. I grimaced as elected officials charged with making vital decisions about our schools asked questions grounded in an obsolete understanding of education from 30 years ago.

If we want different results, we need to elect different people with more relevant experience. I’m excited to be supporting Jenna Miara, Mali Brodt, and Jim Murphy in this School Committee election. They are a breath of fresh air–people who get it. They understand education and schools, are eager to listen and collaborate, and they will fight for our students. Please get out and vote for change on or before Nov. 4!

Elizabeth Ross Del Porto
Educator, Newton Public Schools