The School Committee (SC) races underway feel particularly contentious, and I think that’s understandable: for the first time in a year and a half, the SC has to listen to us. That is an exciting prospect, particularly after the frustration of feeling voiceless since the beginning of the pandemic. We stood on the sidelines and watched the SC make repeated, unforced errors that could have been avoided had they only listened to people, had they only collaborated with people. Instead, they took unilateral action without consideration for consequences, backpedaled frequently, and lauded themselves for what the community considered to be spectacular failures. Parents, students, and teachers saw the problems coming, offered solutions, and were brushed aside. In light of that, this election has a sense of urgency to it. There’s a chance to course-correct, to finally, finally have our voices heard. There’s a fear, based on the last 18 months, that this might be the only chance to have our voic