I have been part of the Wilbur McMahon School community for 50-plus years — as a parent, as a teacher, and now as a grandparent. I have seen more administrators and school committee members than I can count.  

I have supported local candidates of both parties. School committee elections were often about school finances. Teachers and parents worried about teacher layoffs and class size. The Taxpayer Association worried about the bottom line.

I fear this election is different. I worry that the school culture which has been nourished and grown more inclusive over the years is at risk. Some of the rhetoric I hear comes from Moms for Liberty and other very conservative voices. I urge you to do your homework before you vote.

I want our future leaders to learn real, not white-washed, history. I want them to know that science can change with new discoveries. I want the children who feel different — the nerd, the boy on the spectrum, the child questioning sexual identity, the girl with a stutter — to have a safe place in our school and community. I will be voting for Susan Chase and Amy Gleicher.

Carol Belair
Little Compton