To the Editors of the Swellesley Report,
It is with great confidence I write to you regarding the candidacy of Craig Mack for Wellesley School Committee. My husband and I have been honored to be friends of Craig for many years. His daughters have attended Schofield Elementary, Wellesley Middle School, and Wellesley High School with our own children.
Without exception Craig has been an engaged, vibrant, and warm presence in school activities and committees. Journeying with his four daughters throughout their matriculation in Wellesley Public Schools, Craig is a constant presence. From attending movie nights, school dances, road races, PTO meetings, and back-to-school nights, he is hard to miss, as his stature and presence are as solid as his passion for the Wellesley Public educational experience.
Craig uses his lifetime of professional higher education acumen to conceptualize a high standard for our public schools. He works collaboratively alongside teachers, parents, and students to meet and exceed those standards.
Above all, Craig has a commitment to productive and respectful dialogue. Craig listens attentively, and seeks to respond in decorous and fruitful ways. This skill is highly undervalued and desperately needed as we navigate a difficult and divisive landscape.
It is with the utmost of conviction I recommend Craig Mack for School Committee. His presence will benefit students and staff alike.
Sincerely,
Kelly Meraw
Director of Pastoral Care
St. John – St. Paul Collaborative
Organizational affiliation shown for identification purposes only; no endorsement by the organization implied.
Michael Meraw
Head of Undergraduate Opera Studies, Professor of Voice
New England Conservatory of Music
Kelly Meraw has used her title as Director of Pastoral Care of the St. John – St. Paul Collaborative in her endorsement letter for Craig Mack. Mrs. Meraw is free to support whomever she wishes as a private citizen, but her highly visible position on the Collaborative should not be leveraged as political support for her candidate. To do so misusesthe trust that Wellesley’s Catholic community has placed in her.
It is also misleading. Many members of the Collaborative are supporting Neal Glick for the open School Committee position. We believe that Neal Glick would serve as an important agent for positive change on the Wellesley School Committee.
The St. John – St. Paul Collaborative is politically diverse, but united in faith. Under the leadership of our pastor Father Jim Laughlin, the Collaborative has remained neutral on political matters affecting our Town. Mrs. Meraw, as his second in command, would do well to follow his example.