This post expresses the views and opinions of the author(s) and not necessarily that of Westwood Minute management or staff.
Serving on School Committee requires a deep sense of responsibility, hard work, and respect for all members of our community. Joanna French and Amanda Phillips’s preparation, experience, and engagement in schools make them the best fit for this job.
- Preparation: The difference in preparation between the candidates was very clear at the League of Women Voters’ candidate forum. Incumbent Amanda Phillips was well-versed in every aspect of the school’s operations, budget, and processes. JoAnna French answered every question posed with outstanding depth, knowledge, and clarity. Her preparation reflects a willingness to do the hard work – the legwork – of getting to know teachers, administrators, and families. A particularly striking example was the question on the school budget. Both French and Philips understood a municipal budget and articulated where the gaps in the budget were, and what was actually actionable given the structure of the budget. This knowledge is clearly a product of Phillips’s service on the committee and French’s regular attendance at school committee meetings including her advocacy for Chapter 70 funding (which predates this election). On the other hand, Themistocle’s answers about “running profit and loss,” creating a “plan” and using “resources wisely”, sounded very vague and non-specific.
- Public Engagement and Experience: Local voting records and school committee minutes only reinforce that French and Phillips have been more engaged in civic life, even before running for this position. Since 2018, JoAnna French has voted six times, Amanda Phillips has voted nine times and Tom Themistocles has voted two times in local elections. A quick glance at Phillips’s and French’s resume and track records confirm that their contributions to the town are extensive and wide-ranging. Phillips has many impressive accomplishments on the school committee during an incredibly challenging time. French’s leadership at the middle school has been pivotal in a return to social events and normalcy for our middle schoolers. Themistocle’s has been active in town sports including being on the Board of the Westwood Boosters. Recently, it came to light that the Westwood Boosters Twitter feed is highly politicized including anti-vax and demeaning, transphobic content. This issue is sure to gain more attention in the coming days and it begs the question of what kind of Board oversight allowed unchecked and disrespectful social media content.
- Professionalism: Westwood has a highly effective and well-functioning school committee. Phillips is part of this cohesive team, and French’s knowledge, ideas, and professionalism would be a natural addition. As a testament to this, only these two candidates have been endorsed by different members of the current school committee and the Select Board. A particularly worrisome aspect of Tom Themistocles’ candidacy is the financial support he has received from members of One Westwood– the group whose extreme views have been outright rejected by our school administration and the WHS student community. This raises the serious question of whether such a candidate can work with our School leadership in a productive manner.
There is no doubt in my mind that all three candidates care about Westwood schools and students. But the job needs more than that: preparation, commitment to inclusion and respect, data focus, knowledge, and attention to detail. Even more so when a new Superintendent will be on-boarded. School Committee members must be ready for the job on Day One. All the information above plus my instincts as a parent, manager, and citizen tell me JoAnna French and Amanda Philips are who we should vote for– and hire.
Respectfully submitted,
Ishani Tewari, 45 Far Reach Rd
48° and Moderate rain
