With three seats up for grabs, May 7 election could remake School Committee

A parent of two Brookline Schools students, Miriam Aschkenasy is a self-identified progressive and 20-year resident of Brookline. She’s running for School Committee after a three-year term on the Select Board and two terms as a Town Meeting member.

If elected, Aschkenasy said she hopes to use her time on the School Committee to raise awareness and work on policy around the challenges facing families with neurodivergent children in the Brookline schools. While raising her children, Aschkenasy noticed a stark difference between the experiences of her older child, who is neurotypical, and her younger child, who is neurodivergent.

“Going through the process with a neurodivergent child was unexpectedly surprising. That was when I said ‘I’m going to run for School Committee,’” Aschkenasy said. “I just see a need and I think I can offer something.”

She pointed to her time on the Select Board as an example of her ability to collaborate with people who do not share her views. Her work in the equity sphere and experience as a parent will also inform her work on the School Committee, she said.

Professionally, Aschkenasy is the director of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institutional Antiracism and Accountability Project, which researches antiracism and equity initiatives.

Aschkenasy said she hopes to develop and expand the high school’s alternative learning programs such as School Within a School. SWS was a transformative experience for her older child — and with hundreds of students entering the lottery for the program each year, more cohorts should be added, she said.

In regards to unleveling freshman English, Aschkenasy said there is not enough data to justify the expansion of a ninth grade pilot program, but added that she’s glad that the course exists as an option. She emphasized that truly tackling Brookline Schools’ “equity problem” requires work on a larger scale.

“Tracking is a symptom of a bigger problem,” she said. “It’s no surprise that when you take away the symptom, the illness remains.”

Aschkenasy, who is running her campaign in partnership with Select Board candidate Alec Lebovitz, said on her campaign website that she has otherwise “chosen not to collect endorsements for this race.”

Jesse Hefter is a 40-year resident of Brookline and currently has two grandchildren in Brookline Schools. A self-described moderate, he hopes to improve communication between the School Committee and parents, he said.

Hefter has spoken to parents who have expressed frustration about the “lack of transparency” from the School Committee — particularly regarding the school’s budget and workforce, he said.

“It’s not always easy to get those answers,” Hefter said. “The School Committee needs to ask critical questions.”

Hefter worked for 35 years as a technologist at Verizon. He also led the effort to create the Greater Boston Eruv, a ritual enclosure that allows him and fellow Orthodox Jews to carry items  — ranging from prayer books and keys to pushing strollers and wheelchairs –on the Sabbath, activities typically prohibited outside the “private domain.” The project took years of work with dozens of other people and companies to complete, and Hefter said it shows his commitment to collaboration.

Since retiring from Verizon in 2019, Hefter has joined Brookline’s Pedestrian Advisory Committee and served on the PFAS Moderator’s Committee, which researched “forever” chemicals declared carcinogens by the EPA and proposed ways to reduce their presence in Brookline.

Sustainability and safety are important, especially in schools, Hefter said. He hopes to make the new Pierce School completely PFAS-free and one of the most environmentally sustainable schools in Boston.

Hefter also said that he feels inclusivity should be a priority for Brookline Public Schools. He criticized the school administration’s initial response to the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, which did not directly condemn Hamas or offer to support Jews or Israelis impacted by the attacks. Since then, Hefter said he has heard about Jewish students being bullied and feeling fearful in school. Hefter wants to create more discussion and rules surrounding hate speech and antisemitism, as part of an overall effort to make Brookline Schools safer and more effective, he said.

Hefter said he is eager to work with other committee members, and that his professional background and his volunteer work have prepared him to collaborate with coworkers, parents, and voters. He added that he hopes to set an example for other moderates by joining the School Committee.

“I have this ability, this strength, to work with lots of different people,” he said. “I bring that approach to everything I do.”

Hefter has been endorsed by, among others, outgoing School Committee Chair Pearlman, Select Board Chair Bernard Greene and members John VanScoyoc and Paul Warren, and Brookline Pax.

Sarah Moghtader was appointed to fill a vacancy on the School Committee in November, and previously taught middle school for 20 years in the Brookline Schools while raising three children. Before moving to Brookline, she lived and taught languages in London, Colombia, and France.

Moghtader said an effective School Committee needs educational experience, and her work as a teacher makes her a valuable candidate. She wants the School Committee to be proactive with budgeting and make the most of its allotted funding rather than trying to trim it down, she said. One area of interest for Moghtader is class size — limiting lower elementary grades to 18 to 22 students and upper elementary grades to 24. By keeping class sizes small, the School Committee can ensure that each child receives the attention and instruction they deserve, Moghtader said.

“The most important thing in education is the relationship between the teacher and the student,” she said. “It’s the basis of all learning.”

Moghtader emphasized that the School Committee should stay within its three focus areas: hiring and oversight of the district superintendent, developing school policy, and managing the school budget. Educators who are the experts should take the lead in managing the schools themselves, Moghtader argues.

“We are in the job of leadership and governance of the school,” she said. “The School Committee defines the priorities. The job is not about managing the schools.”

Like other candidates, Moghtader says she has noticed a lack of communication between schools, parents, and the School Committee. She pointed to the high school’s unleveling initiative, saying she had spoken to some teachers whose goals may not have been shared effectively with parents and voters. (Moghtader was in the 7-2 majority which voted to continue testing a ninth grade pilot program rather than expand it). She said her work as a teacher and experience as a parent prepared her to bridge the gap between the School Committee and stakeholders.

“Bringing up my own family in Brookline while teaching in the schools has given me the opportunity to understand how to educate learners,” Moghtader said.

Moghtader expressed disappointment regarding the district’s decision to cut world language programs for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, a decision she voted against. However, she felt the program had already been challenged by serious cuts before it was fully eliminated and had not been operating at the highest capacity for some time, she said. As a speaker of several languages and former French teacher, Moghatder said she believes language is an essential part of education.

Moghtader’s endorsements include those from all seven other sitting School Committee members, Select Board members Paul Warren and Miriam Aschkenasy, the Brookline Equity Coalition and Brookline Pax.

Carolyn Thall has lived in Brookline for 14 years and raised two children in Brookline Schools. She became involved in town government quickly after moving to Brookline, getting elected to Town Meeting and appointed to the Advisory Committee. She is also a past member of the board of the Brookline Education Foundation and has worked at organizations including FairTest, an educational nonprofit organization that works to make standardized tests more equitable.

Thall’s involvement in town government taught her important collaboration and communication skills, she said, and allowed her to ask questions and think critically. She said she is not running for School Committee to push a political or ideological agenda.

“I don’t see everything through any one lens. I need to see everything in 360 degrees,” Thall said. “I need to understand the various perspectives.”

She added that she developed a deep understanding of the school budget during her time on the Advisory Committee, which she joined in 2022. The committee dives deep into the budgets of town departments every year. She believes the budget should prioritize academics, teaching and learning.

Thall also stressed the importance of the School Committee’s role as a liaison between schools and stakeholders. Recently, she helped lead a group of parents who were concerned by the district’s plan to unlevel ninth grade English. She helped organize the group’s communications, encouraging them to ask the School Committee their questions and participate in civil discourse — something she noted that she values highly in town government.

Thall said the concerns raised by parents were heard by the School Committee, which voted down the expansion of an unleveling pilot program. She recognized that she had experienced the same frustrations and heightened emotions as many other parents.

“I’m good at helping people bring their thoughts and concerns forward in a way that can be heard,” she said.

Last year, Thall led the SpendSmart Brookline campaign opposing a property tax increase to raise money for the Pierce School demolition and rebuild. She said the project as it was proposed was too costly, calling it last year “unhealthy and unsustainable for Brookline.” Now, she says she’s glad the project is going forward.

“I’m glad that the Pierce School is being built and that everybody is able to have this conversation and question what we’re building,” she said. “The focus now is on spending money to build the school.”

Thall’s endorsers include School Committee chair David Pearlman, Select Board Chair Bernard Greene and members John VanScoyoc and Paul Warren, and Brookline Pax.