Letter to the Editor...Endorsement for Lauren Liljegren

Letter to the Editor,

Lauren is a successful employee benefits consultant with budgetary experience and an understanding of labor law. Her commitment to in-school public education would be a welcome and diverse addition to the Medfield School Committee. I enthusiastically endorse her.

Lauren and I originally connected over our shared concerns about how the pandemic and lack of in-person learning were impacting our kids' well-being. Lauren quickly became an informed voice in our community, asking thoughtful questions about the remote learning model and whether it was working for our children.

With the singular goal of getting Medfield children back to school as quickly as possible, Lauren immersed herself in DESE regulations, other towns' learning plans, and the collective bargaining agreement between Medfield and the Medfield Teacher’s Association. Through that process, Lauren has made herself an expert on the competing laws and regulations. A fierce advocate for public education, Lauren is also a great listener, transparent, and open-minded.

As a clinical social worker, I have spent the past 16 years in higher education, focused on reducing high risk substance use and promoting mental health in young adults. Like me, Lauren is deeply committed to these issues, which, sadly, have been greatly exacerbated by the pandemic. In fact, Lauren is the only School Committee candidate who has made mental health and substance use prevention a critical part of her platform.

On March 29th, please vote for Lauren Liljegren for the Medfield School Committee.