The Valley Patriot

It Pays to have Friends in High Places
Bill Kelly

I write to comment on the recent appointment of Timothy Pybus to fill the seat vacated by North Andover School Comm-ittee member Darlene Torosian. I am a person who has an active interest in the public schools of North Andover and I offered myself as a candidate for appointment to the board.  

I felt the selection process would be difficult for the members of the Board of Selectman and the School Committee to choose the best person in their collective view to fill the seat. The eight candidates that stepped up to serve brought a variety of backgrounds that presented a true choice for members of both boards
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In the weeks preceding the scheduled meeting I spoke with each of the Selectman and School Committeemen to give them my views and goals for our schools. All were polite and most were non-committal telling me they needed to hear from all the candidates. I was also told by some, but not all that a view had developed by the board, that the person appointed would be one who served out the remainder of the term and did not seek to run next year. The idea was not to give an unfair advantage to any candidate for the election next year. In particular one who had never run or served on the board before.  

As the days got closer to the meeting I began making some more calls and still got the sense that minds were not made up and it would be a tough decision and there was even the possibility a consensus could not be reached. The daily papers quoted various members who stated the need for somebody who was up on the issues, somebody who could hit the ground running and even a female perspective to mix up the male dominated board. I felt that these were all fair, sound concerns and I would not feel slighted if a more “experienced” person such as a former School Committee person were selected over me.  

I was also hearing unofficially that Tim Pybus was going to be the appointee and the selection process at this point was merely a formality. This begs the question as to why Tim Pybus and not somebody else?  

I am told he is a close friend of a number of the School Committee members and the Board of Selectman. I know from personal experience that he actively campaigned for Dan Murphy in the 2003 election. Perhaps this gives somebody a political edge but does it make him or her the best choice for the school children of North Andover?  

If we go back to the sentiments expressed in the daily papers by the board members for what they sought in an appointee, Tim himself admits, he "is not fully up to speed on every academic issue now being debated by the School Committee”. He also did not state in the public hearing whether or not he intended to run for election to the seat next year. Nor was he asked to do so.
 
I write not to cast dispersions on Tim Pybus. I am sure he is a decent and honorable person who wants what is best for his community of which he is a lifelong resident. I just wish that the process was truly open and the selected candidate not a foregone conclusion.   In the end what I care about, and hopefully what both boards care about, is what is best for the children of North Andover. Not about helping political friends and choosing those we are most comfortable and like minded.

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