Brookline School Committee Candidates Unanimously Reject Union Campaign Funding

BROOKLINE -- March 17, 2026, All three Brookline School Committee candidates at a March 17 forum pledged to refuse campaign support from the Massachusetts Teachers Association and the Brookline Educators' Union, citing conflict of interest in a contract negotiation year. Moderator Eric Hyatt hosted the forum at Brookline Interactive Group for Brookline for Responsible Government, with candidates Laura Baines-Walsh, Faiza, and Elit Schultz answering questions on the budget deficit, de-leveling, and the school calendar. Schultz, a physician and entrepreneur, said union money "is ultimately coming out of the taxpayer's pocket." Baines-Walsh, a history teacher and Town Meeting member, said accepting such funds would "jeopardize the trust that the community needs to have in their negotiating team." All three candidates also called for a transparent, data-driven framework to govern calendar decisions and said the school system's role is to teach students how to think, not what to think. Incumbent Suzanne Fetterspiel did not attend; two or three of the forum's participants will join the School Committee after the May 5 election.