School Committee should respect Town Meeting wishes

May 26, 2024

I have spent time learning and thinking about the naming of the new middle school. The School Committee has the authority and is now in a position to live up to the town’s name and to the place that Concord has had in history since 1635, formerly the Nipmuc and Massachusetts people’s land called Musketaquid. In 2025, our town will be celebrating Concord’s renowned history. It is one of democracy, liberty, and representation, and its name means harmony.

In Concord, Town Meeting is the legislative body for the town. Just two weeks ago, Town Meeting voted overwhelmingly to name the new middle school, which residents have very generously funded, Ellen Garrison Middle School. Ellen Garrison was born in Concord. Among other impressive roles in history, she was an educator, teaching recently emancipated free people to read. Residents of Concord expect to be proud of the new middle school itself and proud of the name of the school. Ellen Garrison Middle School will represent the values of our community and will show those values to the world.

I ask the Concord School Committee in its leadership role to respect the Town Meeting vote and to create unity, pride, and inspiration for our town and its residents by appropriately naming this new facility of learning Ellen Garrison Middle School.

Hope Rubin

Saw Mill Road