Newton School Committee Race 2017: Who Is Running?

NEWTON, MA — Just about everyone knows there's a mayoral race happening Tuesday, November 7 in Newton. But there are a couple other races worth watching as well, not least of which involves the schools.

Among other things the school committee appoints a superintendent and gives his annual performance review, they appoint the other officers and employees connected with the schools, fix their compensation and define their duties; make rules concerning their tenure and discharge them; furnish all school buildings with fixtures, furnishings and equipment; and provide ordinary maintenance and repairs on all school buildings up to a maximum expenditure equal to 2 percent of the school department's operating budget adopted for the preceding fiscal year. Whew. That's a mouth full. The school committee also holds weekly public meetings and will hear complaints from parents about a wide array of things. They also negotiate with the teachers union on salary when the contract is up.

There are eight slots and 12 people running for those slots. Per the city charter, one school committee member must be elected from each of the eight wards in the city. So there are contested races in Wards 1, 2, 3, and 8. The incumbents in Ward 4, 5, and 6 are standing for reelection unopposed. Ward 2's Margaret Albright is the only incumbent who has a race this year.

(For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Newton Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

School committee members are elected to serve a two year term beginning on the first secular
day of January after their election and until their successors are qualified. And the max a person can serve the committee is five terms.

So, who is running? Here they are in the order they will appear on the ballot. Bold text indicates incumbent.

• Kathleen Marchi — Ward 1 — kathymarchi.com
• Bridget F. Ray-Canada — Ward 1 — bridgetraycanada.com
• Margaret L. Albright— Ward 2 — margaretalbright.org
• Cyrus Vaghar— Ward 2 — cyrusvaghar.com
• Anping Shen — Ward 3 — www.anpingshen.net
• Eileen A. Sandberg — Ward 3 — eileensandberg.org
• Diana Fisher Gomberg — Ward 4 — diana4schools.org
• Steven Siegel — Ward 5 — stevesiegel.org
• Ruth E. Goldman — Ward 6 — Ruth's LOWV answers from last time she ran
• Kathleen Burdette Shields — Ward 7 — KathyShieldsForSchoolCommittee on Facebook
• Matthew B. Miller — Ward 8 — matt4schools.com
• Gail S. Spector — Ward 8 — voteforgailspector.com.

Photo of the 2015 Newton School Committee and vote sign photo by Jenna Fisher