School Committee candidates John Giantis and Martha Driscoll Cesarz said it is “upsetting to hear what’s going on within the committee and the community about the school budget,” citing miscommunication and the need for “proactive communication.”
“I’d rather have those conversations before something blows up and deal with it rather than after,” Giantis said.
The candidates addressed a question submitted by the Swampscott Tides about misinformation and the former School Committee chair stepping down during a debate on Tuesday hosted by the Daily Item. Swampscott’s local election will be held Tuesday, April 28, when residents will elect candidates for positions including the Select Board, School Committee, Town Moderator, and Town Meeting Members.
School Committee candidate Katie Arrington was unavailable to attend Tuesday’s debate due to scheduling conflicts. She will appear in the Swampscott Tides’ videos published ahead of the election, where she will introduce herself and answer questions.
“I think one of the reasons why I really wanted to be part of this was to see if I could make a difference,” said Driscoll Cesarz, who is running for a two-year term. “We need to respect differences, and that difference is not necessarily just the color of skin. It’s also a difference of opinion. In my opinion it may be different from yours but that doesn’t mean that I’m going to criticize you for your opinion. It just means we have a difference of opinion, and I think there were things said at different times, at different meetings, that really were not respectful and did not show our best side in the community. I’m hoping that I can help bring them back.”
Driscoll Cesarz spoke about “differences” as well in a response to a question around racism students have discussed feeling within the school and whether it’s a bigger, nation-wide issue.
“I’ve worked in the school system with the METCO program and always felt that there were some parts of it – in the community and in the schools – that we weren’t responding to the kids and their needs,” Driscoll Cesarz said. “I know when I was in the school it was something we weren’t aware of, how we don’t accept differences. I think as a community it’s something we miss as well. I think we claim that we are a welcoming community but I know plenty of people who have not felt well for different reasons.”
She said “one good thing” is that when she walks by the Swampscott Elementary School she sees “so many different kinds of children playing on the playground, and to me that’s a sign of a new future.”
Giantis spoke highly of the METCO program and its outreach within the community. He brought up a racially-based incident that recently occurred in Lynnfield.
“It just shows that it’s not just here. This is a much broader thing than the Swampscott community. We’ve been very cognizant of any issues,” Giantis said. “I think our expectation is that if there are issues or questions that they’re addressed promptly and satisfactorily.”
The two candidates also answered questions around the budget and revolving funds. Giantis said that with budget constraints, the “goal has been to focus on strong educators and strong student outcomes.” He also called the need to have supplemental money in reserves a “for budget stability.”
“It just really helps when the school is putting together the budget with the administration,” Giantis said. “It just helps us have a little more certainty than we might have.”
Driscoll Cesarz noted that there’s “always going to be a challenge in public education between wants and needs” within a school budget.
“My philosophy has always been that if we had to cut back, we should cut back at the places furthest away from the children in the classroom,” Driscoll Cesarz said. The most important thing we ever preserve is how we teach those children.”
