Andover Educators Endorse School Committee, Select Board Candidates

Information via Andover Education Association

ANDOVER, MA - The Andover Education Association announces its endorsement of Lauren Diffenbach and Shauna Murray for the School Committee and George K. Thorlin and Kevin Coffey for the Select Board for the Andover municipal election on March 26.

Diffenbach, a former teacher from Lawrence Public Schools, and Murray, a teacher from Nashua, New Hampshire, have collectively spent decades educating students in their respective districts. Their ability to articulate concerns and feedback will be an asset to the Andover School Committee. Both candidates have children in the school system and are invested in transparency and honesty.

“We could not be more ecstatic that Lauren Diffenbach and Shauna Murray are running for the School Committee,” said Andrew Gray, a special education teacher at Doherty Middle School, an Andover resident/voter, and the union’s political action chair. “These two individuals are extremely skilled teachers from surrounding districts. They will be able to bring the concerns of the classroom to the policy decision table in a way that only a practitioner could.”

Thorlin and Coffee are engaged citizens in Andover and will bring a diverse voice to the Select Board. Through the AEA’s endorsement process, they underscored many points that resonate with the district’s educators. Through near-consensus, the rank-and-file members chose to endorse these candidates.

“While not politically aligned in every category, George Thorlin and Kevin Coffey will bring a refreshingly different perspective to the Select Board,” said Tamar Driscoll, a teacher at Wood Hill Middle School, an Andover resident/voter, and political action committee member. “The town of Andover will not be able to maintain the quality of our schools if the elected representatives are all part of a homogeneous echo chamber. The members of the AEA have decided that it is time that we have representatives who will insist on government transparency and accountability. I look forward to voting for them in a few weeks.”

“The AEA endorsements followed a transparent and member-driven political endorsement process," said Kristin Costagliola, a teacher at West Elementary School and political committee member. “We sent candidates a written questionnaire, held in-person interviews, and asked the entire membership to vote. I feel confident in these candidates and look forward to helping them win!”

The Andover Education Association encourages all stakeholders and voters to review the endorsement process documents on its website at andovereducators.org/political-action-endorsements. The AEA will be taking steps to help our endorsed candidates win and look forward to engaging with the community over the next few weeks.

Editor's Note: Opinions expressed in letters submitted to the editor are the author's own and do not reflect the opinions of Patch staff.