Endorsement for Leo Brehm for School Committee

As we quickly approach the Monday, March 29th election date, we wish to take a moment to express our support for Leo Brehm as he runs for re-election. We are fortunate to have three candidates willing to serve our community. Leo is the best candidate for the School Committee as he holds the necessary attributes: he is knowledgeable, accessible, experienced, and tested.

As professionals in educational fields (Mary is an Associate Professor of Sociology and fellow with the Association of College and University Educators, and Eliza is a former teacher and curriculum developer who holds a Masters in Childhood Education and Curriculum Development), we understand how education works on a practical level, as well as what best practices can and should look like. Personally, we are parents of children in the Medfield public schools, currently enrolled in Blake and Dale and, coming this fall, Memorial. It is through the lens of educators and parents that we think about what it means to be a decision maker in education. In the best of times, making impactful choices for children is an incredibly consequential task, and much more so during a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, one that has deepened existing inequities and created learning gaps for children across the globe. Experts in child development, education, and curriculum have been scrambling to find ways to best address this problem, the enormity of which will continue to present challenges in the coming years.

Just as we rely on medical professionals and scientists to find the ways to keep us safe and protected from infectious disease, we must also rely upon experts to help us move forward in the field of education and to restore what has been lost. These experts understand how students learn at each developmental stage, the different modalities of learning, and the complexities experienced by those with disabilities. They understand social and emotional processes, and the role of assessments in education. This is not the sort of knowledge you can just pick up on on the side. This is a complex and nuanced field.

This is why expertise matters. We want experienced and knowledgeable people in decision-making positions. In fact, expertise is undoubtedly required for best outcomes in any field, from medicine to carpentry, from education to real estate. Leo Brehm brings more than two decades of educational experience and credentials to the position, having worked in and with public school districts in the area during his entire career. Leo understands education. He understands public schools.

Equally significant, Leo understands the position of a School Committee member and the great responsibility the role carries for our children and community as a whole. Leo is tested and proven. This last year has been, to use an accurate but abused term, unprecedented. Leo worked, collaboratively and collegially, with the rest of the School Committee, teachers, and administration to steer Medfield schools through an incredibly challenging time. Medfield schools have managed to walk a fine line, balancing the health and safety needs and the educational needs of our children. Leo has been a critical part of this positive outcome.

Finally, Leo has consistently demonstrated his accessibility and willingness to hear from parents and other constituents. “School Talk with Leo” offered a previously unavailable level of access to a committee member (or, sometimes, more than one committee member). In our own experience as parents, long before this race was on the horizon, Leo was incredibly responsive to email, and always willing to hear you out when you had a problem or concern. Leo listens to all of his constituents. He answers the tough questions. This is the sort of School Committee Member we need in town.

Medfield is at a critical junction; an inflection point. As we transition out of this pandemic, we need to be sure we have the right people at the wheel. We need someone who has projected respect towards our teachers and administration even when in disagreement, as it offers our excellent teachers reason to stay, proves we value the professionals they are, and helps to attract future qualified teachers. We need someone who understands the field of education and the best practices required to offer our children a path forward, remediate any losses, promote social and emotional growth and maintain a critical eye with the town budget. We need someone with educational expertise in order to make cost-effective, value-driven, educational decisions. In order to spend our money wisely, members need to truly understand the practical value and real-life implications of these line items before they can take a red marker to them. It all counts when it comes to our children’s futures. We must provide our district with the means to continue to build our system as a statewide leader in education and learning.

We decide on the 29th whether we want Medfield to continue as the strong, well-regarded district we’ve always known it to be, or if it is to become known for putting small-town politics over the serious work of educating children at a time they need it the most. We cannot afford three years of misguided leadership. Leo Brehm is the right choice for Medfield, and the choice that our children deserve.

-Mary MacInnes, 47 Saw Mill Ln
-Eliza Perez, 9 Delaware Rd