Good governance in a democratic system depends on the collaboration of many independent voices and the existence of checks and balances among various branches of the government. When a single faction controls multiple branches of local government, it may work better for that faction, but the city as a whole is worse off.
Mayoral candidate Marc Laredo took the unusual step of endorsing a full slate of School Committee candidates without even speaking with all candidates. More concerning, his involvement goes beyond simple endorsements. Recent mailers and fliers promoting the “Laredo/Brezski slate” show in their fine print that they are funded by Mr. Laredo’s own campaign. Public OCPF records confirm that his campaign has spent several thousand dollars to boost this School Committee slate.
Newton’s City Charter gives the mayor sole authority over how much funding Newton Public Schools receive. In a strong-mayor system like ours, the School Committee must remain independent, not beholden to the mayor. The School Committee’s job is to advocate for the best interests of the Newton Public Schools, to serve as a check and balance on the mayor — not to rubber-stamp the mayor’s wishes.
I urge residents to evaluate each School Committee candidate on their own record and qualifications, rather than allowing a mayoral candidate to shape the outcome. Our democracy depends on checks and balances, and the strength of NPS depends on a truly independent School Committee.
Joel Ristuccia
Newton Centre
