Still, the effects of the abolition of rent control following a 1994 state referendum have remained a concern for some voters.
"The big challenge in Cambridge...is dealing with the reduction in diversity," said Chris T. Carter, father of a King Open School nine-year-old. But Saundra M. Graham, an activist, former Massachusetts state legislator and longtime observer of Cambridge politics, said the current School Committee is well-equipped to handle diversity challenges.
"I think they have more progressive attitudes around quality-of-life and school issues," said Graham.
Teachers' Union
One incumbent, Segat, has distinguished her-self with a progressive and autonomous reputation. But her outspoken views have drawn criticism. "Claiming independence doesn't do anybody any good if you can't reach consensus," parent Patterson said.
Critics have also complained about Segat's allegiance to the teachers' union. But, according to Simmons, it is this tie that may have earned Segat her large proportion of the vote.
"She has a lot of very strong union connections, and it may have boded well for her," Simmons said.
Graham said she worries that teachers unions, including the CTA, are "too big for their own good." She targeted the recent introduction of faculty peer review, which she said is too teacher-friendly.
But Bill Morris, a film teacher at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, said the policy is fair.
"We adopted it, but it was proposed by the [outside] administration," Morris said.
O'Sullivan, the CTA's president, said the peer-review plan was primarily a collective-bargaining issue. The unions had to become involved, he said, because peer review is a condition of employment for the teachers.
In addition to union conflicts, the newly elected committee will face another challenge in adapting to the Massachusetts 1993 education-reform inititiative.
This measure gave school committees the man-date to raise test scores but denied them power to carry out this task.
"They stripped them to a point where some towns have cut their school committees," said voter Paul A. Walsh.