To the editor:
I’m writing today to express my support to re-elect Kristen Grieco Elworthy to the Lynnfield School Committee, where I believe her continued leadership will contribute to an already positive trajectory for the district. I am a former educator and parent of a student at LMS who moved to Lynnfield a year and a half ago because of its strong school system. I’ve also been friends with Kristen for 25 years since we met as freshmen at Boston College.
As a new parent to the district, I was concerned by the events in December 2023, when hundreds of parents and teachers gathered in the LMS auditorium with testimonials about what was happening in the schools. I was not surprised to see Kristen speaking out during those meetings, as she’s never been the type to sit back and watch things unfold. And while I know the School Committee was not in her sights back then, I was also not surprised to see her step up when seats opened up to make good on her insistence that Lynnfield can do better.
Over the past year, I’ve watched as the School Committee has taken step after step to reorient the district to focus on teaching and learning. As a former teacher myself, it’s been meaningful to see the committee build policies meant to allow teachers to deliver the best education possible to students, such as removing cell phones from classrooms. Considering where the district was when my son started in September 2023, I have been relieved to see continuous reporting and monitoring of the superintendent’s performance as well as reviews of curriculum and programs of study.
Kristen’s leadership has been professional and efficient – which are two traits I’d use to describe her if asked by anyone. In short, she gets things done. She never sacrifices quality or a full exploration of options, but also understands when the time to talk is over and the time to act has arrived. Knowing Kristen for as long as I have, I can say without a doubt that she’s opinionated and doesn’t mind expressing it – but that she also has the rare ability to listen to people and change her mind. She is also excellent at drawing the line between where her personal opinion ends and her professional obligations begin.
In the end, we don’t know what decisions will lie ahead in the next three years. My vote will be with someone who has the integrity that’s necessary to view the full picture of all learners in the district and make the right decisions to keep the focus on students and learning. I hope you’ll join me in voting for Kristen on April 8 and continue the forward motion of Lynnfield Public Schools.
