The Importance of The School Committee Election

Seekonk has a very important election coming up. There is a lot in play here as to our town's direction and our efforts to keep our boards free from "Special Interests."

We have seven people running for school committee, people that will control $22 million dollars of Seekonk's budget and set the direction for our children's education.

Recently, the Seekonk GOP came out and endorsed Evan Berwick and Kyle Rose. On the surface, that may seem benign. But once you look behind the curtain of the endorsement it gets scary.

The current head of the Seekonk GOP is Peter Hoogerziel, a teacher. The second in command of the Seekonk GOP is Simone Feaster-Armour, the president of the Seekonk Educators Association (teachers union). You don't have to connect too many dots to see what's in play here—control of the school committee and the purse strings of the school budget by the teachers union is the endgame.

We cannot let special interests of any kind infect any of our boards especially not our school board. Do not believe for one minute that our children's education is at the forefront of the SEA's agenda. It isn't! The union cares for the jobs of its membership first and foremost. If we allow them to control our school board, we will essentially be placing the future of our children in the hands of a self-serving union.

I state this without any doubt, as I was the head of that union years ago. And as the head of any union, your responsibility is the security of your membership's jobs—PERIOD!

If you care about the direction of our schools and our responsibilities to our children and to the taxpayers, then I urge you to vote for Don Kinniburgh and Jeffrey Starr Mararian. Mr. Kinniburgh and Mr. Mararian will make decisions that are in the best interests of our children and Seekonk residents. They haven't any special interests backing them up.