Meet Waltham School Committee Candidate Edmund Tarallo

WALTHAM, MA — Local elections in Waltham are less than a month away, and Patch is determined to help residents get to know their candidates for council, mayor and school committee.

Patch has sent candidate questionnaires to each of the candidates that will appear on the ballot in a contested race for each of those three positions.

In this candidate profile, learn more about School Committee candidate Edmund Tarallo and his reasons for seeking election.

Name

Edmund Tarallo

How old will you be as of Election Day?

41

Does your campaign have a website? If so, include the URL here.

https://tarallo.us

What city or town do you live in?

Waltham

What office are you seeking?

Waltham School Committee

If you are running in a district, you can specify the district here.

Please give us your party affiliation.

Education.

Master of Education in School Administration

What is your occupation?

Professional Public School Educator 17 years
*Dean of Students 6 years
*High School Math Teacher 10 years
*One-on-One Paraprofessional 1 year

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

My Wife, Lauren, and I have two young children.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

Current Member of the Waltham School Committee

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office?

As a current public educator, I understand today's students' needs, and I am not done fighting for the children of Waltham. I want to give back to a community that has given me so much.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is \_\_\_, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Finding the right Superintendent for Waltham.
As a School Committee, I plan to evaluate the candidates to determine who will best serve our community, students, and our staff and have a long-term impact on our schools.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am the only current educator. I have firsthand knowledge of what students need in a classroom and I am not afraid to fight for what students need.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

The School Committee must make a decision on the use of our existing high school. I will support a free citywide Pre-K program and a K-8 Dual Language School with four sections at each grade level.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Over the past twelve years, I have fought tirelessly to keep our class sizes low. I helped the School District through the challenging and difficult Covid years. I have used my near twenty years of experience in education to advocate for improvements that have helped make our school system better for our students.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

If not now, when. If not you, who. Step up for what you believe in and fight like hell to make it a reality.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

My years of experience as an active educator makes me uniquely qualified to know and understand what Waltham students need, and I will not stop advocating for EVERY student! With all the changes happening in our district, we need a consistent and passionate voice that knows and understands what Waltham students need.