Letter: Support Dan Caplinger for School CommitteeLetters to the Editor,
10:25PM / Saturday, May 07, 2016 | |
To the Editor:
As a former member of the Williamstown School Committee, I'd like to say that Dan Caplinger is an invaluable asset to the School Committee. Though Dan and I often differed as far as our personal policy preferences, I can say for certain that Dan always treated conflicting ideas with courtesy, respect, and thoughtful reflection. Without a doubt, Dan contributed more time to School Committee work than any other member (myself included).
It is vital for the School Committee to have a critical mass of "institutional memory." If Dan is not re-elected, the committee will have four of five members with one year or less experience. In the last year and a half alone, the school has had three superintendents, and two business managers. Dan has the personal memories that explain how we have arrived at where we are today, and that can inform how to proceed tomorrow.
It is not easy being a School Committee member. In addition to time (and more of it than you know), serving on the School Committee requires a member to act responsibly in situations that are personally "no win," such as in negotiations with school employees (who care for our own kids, and are friends and neighbors), or in balancing the competing interests of various stakeholders. Dan has handled the challenge of School Committee service quite well, and I'm sure he will continue to do so if re-elected.
Chris Jones
Williamstown, Mass.
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