Frustratingly persistent problems remain for the city and its schools, but there’s a fundamental difference between the situations of the City Council and School Committee — one that matters a lot as Election Day nears.

Born and raised in London, Osborne moved to New York City with his family when he was 10, then attended Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., before joining the first Teach for America corps as a teacher in Los Angeles in 1990. Four years later he moved …

A Chicago native and later a resident of Stamford, Conn. – where Title IX legislation made her the first girl on the school’s cross-country team – Nolan went to Harvard and “fell in love with Cambridge.” She went on to the Yale School of Management and …

Harding is a lifelong Cantabrigian and Cambridge Rindge & Latin School graduate with a degree from Fitchburg State College. In addition to his work on the School Committee, he runs the Men of Color Health Initiative, is a program consultant to the …

Fantini, 64, a lifelong resident of Cambridge and graduate of Cambridge Public Schools, is serving his 15th term on the committee. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from Bentley College and a master’s degree in management from Camb …

Kelly, a Mid-Cambridge resident for more than 20 years, earned a master’s degree in business administration from Simmons and a dual master’s degree in social work and pastoral ministry from Boston College. She works as a small-business consultant for a …

Elechi was born in Tanzania, East Africa. He came to Cambridge when he was 4 and got his entire elementary and high school education in the Cambridge Public School System. He attended the then Joseph Maynard Elementary School, Mariah Baldwin School and …

Holland, a graduate of Somerville High School, has lived in Cambridge for 11 years with his wife, Susan. They have two children. He is manager for talent acquisition for Staples, and before that performed the role for the Merck Group. He also has held …

Joyce Gerber and her husband, Rick, fell in love with Cambridge more than 20 years ago, early in their marriage, and decided it was the place they wanted to establish roots and raise a family. They have a son in his freshman at Cambridge Rindge & L …

Fran Cronin is a single parent who moved to Cambridge after the death of her husband, a Cambridge native, and raised two children on her own – one honors, one special needs. She has served as co-chairwoman of the Parent Advisory Council for Children wi …