Newton Patch Candidate: Tamika Olszewski, School Committee Ward 4

NEWTON, MA — There will be several contested races in this fall's election, including for school committee, which is a citywide vote. Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

There are eight seats, one from each ward, up for election to the school committee. There are only three contested seats - in Wards 4, 5, 6. And there are 11 candidates vying for eight two-year term seats on the ballot.

Tamika Olszewski, 39 is running for the seat from Ward 4. She's facing off against Alex Koifman, for Diana Fisher Gomberg's seat. Gomberg was elected in 2011, but steps off the board as her term limit is up.

Olszewski tells Patch she moved to Newton in 2013. She and her college sweetheart have been married for 14 years and have 9-year-old twins in the fourth grade at Burr Elementary. She's the first person in her family to run for public office and this is the first time she will have held office if she's elected. She holds a bachelors from University of Pittsburgh and a Doctor of jurisprudence degree from University of Baltimore School of Law and she said she has 11 years experience working as an attorney.

She took some time to respond to Patch questions. Her answers have not been edited.

Read this, too: Newton Elections 2019: What To Know, Candidates, Polling Places

Got something to say about this election? Submit a Letter To The Editor. Here's how.

Are you running for office in Newton? Contact Jenna Fisher at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Newton Patch.

The single most pressing issue facing our (city, schools, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Currently, the most pressing issue is for the School Committee to settle the contract with the Newton Teachers Association in order to continue attracting and retaining the best quality educators. Additionally, I relish the idea of supporting our schools in the variety of policy and management duties that the School Committee performs. Over the past year and a half, while actively campaigning, I’ve attended SC meetings examining our budget, buffer zones, food services, naming rights of schools, enrollment, special education advisory committee reports, and so much more. All of those issues are important and integral to the effective management of our schools.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
I met my opponent for the first time during Sunday, October 20th’s Area Council Debate. Permitted to ask one question directly, I asked my opponent about his views and actions as a vocal supporter of the group alleging that NPS teachers are indoctrinating students with anti-Semitism. I strongly disagree with this position. My opponent affirmed his support for this group which calls for censorship of the way our teachers use primary source materials to teach about the political conflict in the Middle East. My opponent also failed to appreciate the scope of the variety of academic and social needs of our widely diverse group of students. I pledge to support all of our learners, ranging from those who love STEM to those who thrive in the arts and all in between. Further, I will work to meet the academic, social and emotional needs of all students.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)? If you're an incumbent, what is still on your to-do list?

I’m running for an open position currently held by Ward 4 School Committee member, Diana Fisher Gomberg, who is serving her last term on the Committee.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

The values that define this campaign are celebrating differences, community viewed as a strength and civic engagement as a necessity. With those values as the filter through which I would view my job as a member of our School Committee, I will ensure that we maintain a strong academic curriculum and a wide breadth of programming, as the best way to service the needs of our diverse group of students and promise to engage the community as we plan for necessary updates to school buildings. I will continue our work of creating inclusive and emotionally safe school climates for all students and evaluate and implement strategies to close the persistent achievement gap.

What accomplishments would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
I am particularly proud of spearheading community conversations as a board member of FORJ and as a member of Burr’s PTO, which further our ability to understand and appreciate different ethnicities, races and religions through effective collaboration with families across all 22 of our schools. As a member of our School Committee, I would ensure that parents and guardians feel that their perspectives are not only valued, but are actively solicited.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Be yourself. Always. In every room you find yourself and in every interaction that you have. Be confident in the right of your voice to add to the conversation and the strength of your perspective to make positive change.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

When I say that I will support our students, our schools and our community, you can simply look to my record to see my commitment. I am an actively involved parent leader in the schools, Vice Chair of the Burr School Council, a former member of the Burr PTO Board, Board Member of FORJ Families Organizing for Racial Justice, a community organization that collaborates with NPS to educate families about race, culture, and identity, a Newton Human Rights Commissioner, a Harmony Foundation Board Member and many more. I freely give my time, my ability and my skills to support the things I care about: our community and the schools which I view as the backbone of our community.

Your public social media info (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook)
Facebook @Tamika4schools, Twitter @OlszewskiTamika

My favorite aspect of this city is...
I love our villages and neighborhood schools. It’s been wonderful making friends and meeting neighbors over the years walking our kids to and from school.

What's your take on all the development projects across the city?

As a public school, we are required by law, to provide all school aged children with a free and equal public education. This is our mandate and as such, it’s important for the School Committee to plan accordingly in order to maintain reasonable class sizes and capacity. I believe that the School Committee has embraced this duty by trying to anticipate and plan for additional students by hiring a demographer to study the potential impact of development on enrollment in our schools.

More on Newton Elections 2019:

• Newton Election Calendar
• Newton Elections 2019: What To Know, Candidates, Polling Places
• Newton's Biggest Issue, According to City Council Candidates

• Humphrey, Winters Win Preliminary Election In Newton's Ward 5
• Rick Lipof Is Running Unopposed
• Mark Laredo- unopposed
• Becky Grossman, At-Large Ward 7
• Got A Newton Election Related Letter To The Editor?

More candidate profiles:

• Kathryn Winters - Ward 5
• Bill Humphrey - Ward 5
• Rena Getz - Ward 5 (write in)
• Andreae Downs - At Large Ward 5
• Deb Crossly - At Large Ward 5
• Brenda Noel, Ward 6
• Vicki Danberg - At Large Ward 6
• Emily Norton (Incumbent)- Ward 2
• Bryan Barash - Ward 2
• Jake Auchincloss(Incumbent) - At Large Ward 2
• Susan Albright (Incumbent) - At Large Ward 2
• Tarik Lucas -At Large Ward 2
• Jennifer Bentley, At Large Ward 2
• Andrea Kelley - At Large Ward 3
• Ruth Goldman - School Committee*
• Kathleen Shields - School Committee
• Bridget Ray-Canada -School Committee*
• Alex Koifman - School Committee
• Galina Rosenblit - School Committee