THROUGHOUT THE CAMPAIGN, candidates for the Cambridge School Committee have agreed on one important point: the city's school system has quieted down since the controversial firing of Superintendent William C. Lannon two years ago. In fact, the selection of an outstanding administrator to replace Lannon proves that when the School Committee wants to, it can overcome internal squabbles and needless delays to implement changes for local schoolchildren.

The problem, however, is that committee members often allow narrow special interests to guide important votes. And without Glenn S. Koocher '71 and Rena H. Leib--two important incumbents who dropped out of the race--the job of school committee member will become even more difficult in the coming term.

This years' school committee will face several controversial issues including the use of standardized testing, AIDS fears among parents, and bilingual education. The candidates who are best suited to tackle these issues are first-term CCA incumbent Frances H. Cooper and CCA challengers Sara O. Garcia, Richard Griffin '51, David P. Kennedy, and Larry Weinstein. Together, their experience in education can return the Cambridge public school system to the fore of urban systems nationwide.