Rachel Weinstein should be reelected to the School Committee, because she has what it takes to get things done and the right ideas to fix some of the problems facing Cambridge Public Schools. She’s running to increase racial equity in the district and to give opportunities and resources to students who do not have them instead of just to the privileged. Weinstein is qualified because she is running for a second term, which means she has the experience other candidates would still need to earn, including on dealing with the pandemic. Not only is the candidate unique because she attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin School herself, but she has a daughter enrolled at CRLS, so she not only has insight into what it is like to be a student at the school, but knows how the school has changed over time.

Her policies and plans to improve the district are just what the schools need, from safety against Covid to closing the achievement gap and making sure every voice is heard:

• Rachel is the No. 1 supporter for a vaccine mandate and indoor masking, which can achieve a environment safe from the virus. 
• One of the reasons there is such a large achievement gap is because many students do not have someone who guides them and believes in them. “They fall through the cracks,” Weinstein said Sept. 27 on Cambridge Community Television. This is why Rachel wants to give every student a “champion” – a coach, teacher or anyone working at the school whom the student trusts. These champions will give students the help they need, shrinking the achievement gap because students will have a reason to keep going and have less to worry about.
• Many parents feel that their voices are not being heard because they are immigrants who cannot vote in the School Committee election. Weinstein took a stand to help those voices be heard during the past term, when an interim superintendent needed to be appointed. Committee members have the authority to just appoint an interim, but Weinstein listened to upset parents and convinced her colleagues to have a community process, which was how Victoria Greer was appointed. 

Weinstein should be reelected to the School Committee because she proved to be the perfect fit in her last term and accomplishes her goals.

Charlotte Von Rosenstiel, Cambridge Rindge and Latin School