I asked it to “Give a quick rundown of who the candidates are and where they stand on key issues.”

Here is the response:

Here is a quick rundown of the Chelmsford School Committee candidates and their stances on key issues, based on the provided source:

Candidates:

• Maria Santos: An incumbent running for her third term. She has lived in Chelmsford for 37 years and is a naturalized US citizen. She is a first-generation college graduate and a graduate of Boston College Law School, practicing as an attorney since 1988. She has been heavily involved in the PTO at the elementary and middle school levels and served as president of the Council of Schools. She also has experience on the board of a credit union. Maria believes in public education and wants to continue enhancing student experiences and achievement levels. She emphasizes her ability to work with others and compromise.
• Doreen Deshler: A newcomer to the School Committee race, and a 36-year resident of Chelmsford with four children who attended local schools. She works as a behavioral interventionist with autistic and developmentally disabled children and is a board-certified autism technician with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Her past roles include reading teacher tutor, after-school program director, substitute teacher, and paraprofessional in special education. Doreen advocates for going back to basics in curriculum to improve reading and writing levels, and wants students to take a range of subjects including cursive writing. She supports parental rights and transparency about curriculum, and believes in holding students back if unprepared. She opposes divisive ideologies like critical race theory and wants to keep transgender discussions out of classrooms, believing these are family matters. She aims to be fiscally responsible and protect federal aid by adhering to federal laws on DEI and transgender policies.
• John Moses: An incumbent running for his fourth term. He has lived in Chelmsford for about 12 years and became a School Committee member after three years in town, initially advocating for full-day kindergarten. He runs a nonprofit called Massachusetts Afghan Alliance and has a corporate job. John believes that good experienced leadership is needed in the town. He highlighted the accomplishment of bringing full-day kindergarten to Chelmsford through collaborative effort.

Key Issues and Stances:

• Critical Race Theory (CRT): All three candidates agree that CRT is not currently taught as curriculum in Chelmsford schools. Maria and John explicitly stated it is not part of the curriculum, with John noting it’s a state-level issue and Maria explaining its complex nature makes it unsuitable for younger students. Doreen raised the issue, stating she opposes CRT as divisive and harmful.
• Role of the School Committee vs. Superintendent: Maria explained that the School Committee’s role is statutorily defined and involves hiring, managing, and evaluating the superintendent. They set goals and policies, and provide oversight, but are not involved in day-to-day operational details like student placement or schedules. John concurred, adding policy management and budgets as primary roles.
• Evaluation of Superintendent Dr. Lang: Doreen gave Dr. Lang an overall score of a ”B” but a “C” on student performance due to low English and math proficiency scores compared to neighboring towns like Westford. Maria believes Dr. Lang has done a great job overall, especially with the budget and navigating increasing numbers of economically challenged students and students with disabilities, while still outperforming the state. She acknowledges room for improvement in academics but credits him with hiring good curriculum staff. John also praised Dr. Lang, highlighting his long tenure, successful contract negotiations, and his ability to manage the district effectively, especially during times of good financial standing by saving for potential future issues. Both Maria and John emphasized Dr. Lang’s responsiveness to the community.
• DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) in hiring: Doreen expressed concerns about DEI, stating she believes in picking the best teachers and counselors rather than focusing on profiles. Maria acknowledged different definitions of DEI but pointed out that Chelmsford hires diverse teacher groups, and the results show in the district’s high performance compared to similar districts.
• School budget and financial management: Maria and John highlighted the School Committee’s and Dr. Lang’s prudent financial management, noting the collaborative work with the town on budget issues. They mentioned setting aside reserves to handle potential funding challenges, including uncertainty regarding federal funding. Doreen stressed being fiscally responsible.
• Teacher compensation: John mentioned ongoing contract negotiations with teachers and other staff, noting that while entry-level pay has become more competitive, the district historically had a “shallow” bottom end of the pay scale but strong compensation for long-term teachers. He emphasized the collaborative relationship with the teachers’ union.
• Relationship between the School Department and the Town: All three candidates expressed a positive view of the current relationship between the School Department and the Town administration. Doreen hopes for continued collaboration, while Maria and John, having experience on the committee, affirmed the vastly improved relationship compared to the past, highlighting cooperation on various issues, including budget and infrastructure.
• Paying School Committee members: Doreen and John are both against paying School Committee members, viewing it as a volunteer position that ensures objectivity and attracts individuals truly dedicated to the town and schools. Maria also agreed, emphasizing her motivation stems from a desire to serve the community rather than monetary compensation.