In a statement sent to friends and supporters, Ward 5 resident and Zervas parent Ben Schlesenger announced his candidacy for Newton School Committee in the upcoming November election. The current Ward 5 representative, Emily Prenner, has announced that she will not run for a fourth term.
On his campaign website, Mr. Schlesinger cites his own civic activities across Newton Public Schools and Newton youth sports, along with those of his parents. He notes in his announcement that he helped “organize the Zervas community to preserve teacher jobs and class sizes during a difficult budget cycle” and “served on the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee for the Zervas principal search.”
Notably, Mr. Schlesinger is presently the only Newton School Committee candidate to cite certain Massachusetts Teachers Association curriculum materials as influencing his campaign’s platform to “be vigilant about keeping the ugly rising tide of antisemitism out of our schools.” The MTA has provided materials to its educator members about the Israel-Gaza war that have been criticized by many groups, including the Anti-Defamation League, as anti-semitic.