Wellesley letter to the editor re: Neal Glick, School Committee candidate

February 8, 2022

To the Editor:

I write to endorse the candidacy of Neal Glick for the Wellesley School Committee.

I am not a parent, and until recently, had not paid attention to leadership in Wellesley’s public schools. One might fairly ask—why now?

For two years, I was involved in the campaign to preserve Columbus Day and Wellesley’s Italian American heritage. During this time, we experienced the systematic and repeated theft of our campaign signs, ethnic slurs, and being called “racist.” More than a fair share of this activity came from students at Wellesley High School and Wellesley College. For example, one group of high school girls, apprehended by the Wellesley Police for sign theft, said that they were only acting on what they were learning in school.  What they were being taught at WHS was a politicized view of history that encouraged intolerance and misguided activism.

Now that my eyes have been opened, I am paying attention. As citizens and tax-payers, you should be paying attention, too. Our students are our future—our future parents, legislators, doctors, lawyers, military officers, and creative artists.  Their leadership will impact the direction of our nation and its place in the world.

I support Neal Glick because I believe:

  • the focus of Wellesley’s public schools should be on excellence in the three Rs
  • childhood is a special and fleeting time of life that should be free from the burden of guilt and political bias
  • values should be learned at home and as part of a family’s faith tradition
  • learning how to think critically and rationally is more important than being taught what to think

If elected, Neal Glick promises to bring a fresh perspective on education in our public schools, with a renewed emphasis on excellence and accountability.   If you believe, as I do, that politics have no place in the classroom, then Neal Glick is the candidate for you. Moreover, Neal has promised to listen to the community and to serve as a positive agent for change.

Thank you for considering a vote for Neal Glick and for the kids of Wellesley.

Donna Maria Ticchi
Thomas Road