To the editor:
The School Committee’s multi-year effort to draft a flag policy culminating with live edits seconds before their vote was something to behold. Some members suggested their plodding progress was partially caused by having to clarify concepts and refine language as community members lacked familiarity with terminology or misconstrued meanings.
The community was repeatedly advised that the School Committee was not writing this policy themselves but relying on legal counsel to draft it. We were told that if the School Committee ignored advice of counsel, they risked losing their indemnification. Committee members opined that as they are not attorneys, they couldn’t second guess legal opinions. While the School Committee did not persuade me of the rightness of their flag policy, they did convince me it would be good to have a School Committee member with legal expertise.
Marblehead, we are in luck! Kate Schmeckpeper is in the race for one of the two open roles. In addition to her experience as an attorney, Kate co-chaired the successful Vote Yes campaign to fund the construction of the Brown school. Kate currently serves as co-president of the Brown school PTO.
The School Committee struggled for years to craft a flag policy in order to avoid potential legal consequences of not having one. One member acknowledged that writing a policy acceptable to diverse stakeholders has proven difficult and time consuming. The ability to create solutions that reflect diverse preferences is a discipline known as human-centered design. Marblehead, we have a chance to catch lightning in a bottle twice this June! Our other School Committee candidate, Henry Gwazda, is an expert in human-centered design as well as a professional project manager. As a parent of two young children, Henry knows how fast kids grow up and he wants the School Committee to operate with the energy and empathy our children need.
I’m excited to vote for Kate Schmeckpeper and Henry Gwazda for School Committee.
Jeanne Lambkin
Devereux Street
