Jamisean F. Patterson, 27
Patterson has been active in youth athletic programs and is currently a youth counselor. His goals include equal resources for students and equality in regards to teacher treatment and race relations.
Candidate statement: "If I am elected I plan to be in all the schools all the time....I will be one of the hardest working and most accessible employees of our city. I'm a first-time candidate with energy and enthusiasm for our schools."
Nancy G. Walser, 40
Endorsements: CCA, Greater Boston NOW, Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus.
The parent of two children in the public schools, Walser wrote the annual Parent's Guide to Cambridge Schools (1997, 1998, 1999). She hopes to reform middle school programs, reallocate funds toward classrooms and students and away from mid-level administration, and do a better job of evaluating and supporting teachers.
Candidate statement: "As the author of the Parent's Guide for the past four years, I have been in every school in the city many times. I will work full-time as a representative for all of them--not just some....As someone who has written extensively about education, I will also do my best to make sure the School Committee makes policy decisions that are educationally sound."