7 Questions For John Reed, Worcester School Committee Candidate

WORCESTER, MA — Voters in southwestern Worcester will go to the polls Sept. 5 to vote for one of three candidates running for the Worcester School Committee District E seat — one of the five new school committee districts created after a 2021 lawsuit that challenged the city's at-large school committee election system.

The Sept. 5 preliminary will decide which two District E candidates move on to the November general election. The three candidates vying for a chance include Nelly Medina, John Reed and Kathi Roy.

Worcester Patch sent all three candidates a set of six questions probing various school issues, from police in schools to traffic safety. Here's how candidate John Reed answered our questionnaire.

Why are you running in 2023?

Worked as Lead Information Technologist support specialist for 37 Thirty seven years . The Internship program with Quinsigamond Community College was recognized by the National Science Foundation , and was Only Two year school in the US to do so.

What's one district policy you would change or update?

Phone use , students have enough distractions , I’d apply for State money immediately to cover costs .

Worcester has changed its use of police in schools recently, effectively eliminating resource officers. Has that benefited students?

I disagree with the change , I believe Worcester Police are our best trained to defend our schools from people inflicting harm on others . Best as well at stopping intruders , too many young children , students have died already in school shootings . Police put their own families 2nd , so they can making our families First , they have Earned my respect & support .

Is it safe for kids in District E to walk/bike/roll to school? Is there anything the school committee can do to make it safer?

I was an original lobbyist for bike lane on Mill Street & Worcester to Providence alternative transportation system .

Would you be in favor of school bus cameras if it was an option in Worcester?

yes, anything that increases safety , especially by adding cameras everyone benefits , no downside to doing it .

There's been a lot of news about book banning in other states, especially books that deal with race and LGBTQ issues. How do you feel about that happening?

I have a son who is Gay & I love him .Why isn’t the Republican Roy Not talking about book banning & poems like the Hill we climb ..for there is always light, if only we are brave enough to see it , if only we are brave enough to be it . Amanda Gotham is young women with a beautiful vision , she inspired me to Run , especially when they banned her poem .

Where would you suggest young people in Worcester go as a "third place" — not school, not home — that doesn't cost money?

I go to the Library , play chess with my son , to repopulate all our Cities We should lower the drinking age to 18 , retrofit empty Office space into housing for young people . If you are older enough to enlist (I served), the your old enough to socialize . When young people congregate with not only peers but also their elders ,everyone benefits .isolation and aloneness lead to bad mental health problems .