To the editor:
I am writing in full support of Phil McQueen for re-election to the Lynnfield School Committee.
As one of his former students, I have had the absolute pleasure of sitting in a classroom with him as he demonstrated a profound passion for not just writing but for further education.
Though our time together was only for one year and only 48 minutes a day, it became evident to me that he is one of the few teachers that possesses the skills of a natural-born leader and educator.
One of the most important pieces of advice that he had given me was to “question everything.” This was in regards to several lessons in class where he would challenge us and our abilities to distinguish fact from fiction in sources so that we can reach a plateau in researching and establish a stronger sense of critical thinking.
A Lynn Classical High School Class of 2020 member, I am a first-year undergraduate student at Tufts University — a higher-level research institute — where I am excelling academically due to my researching and critical-thinking skills that I had gained through Phil McQueen’s course.
Subsequently, Phil McQueen has impacted the way that I learn and continue to grow both academically and in society.
Additionally, he has impacted his colleagues and co-workers at Classical High School as the English Department Head. Every English teacher that I have come across in my four years at Classical High School have each left wonderful remarks about Phil. They have alluded to his persistence as a department head and his passion as an educator, which has resulted in them saying that Phil is a source of motivation behind them reaching their full capabilities as educators.
Not only does Phil excel in teaching, but he demonstrates a sense of compassion and active listening outside of the classroom. Last June, he aided myself and other colleagues in gathering signatures for a petition and writing a private letter to the Lynn Public Schools committee to combat implicit biases in the school district through cultural competency training sessions. Phil was actively involved in the process, serving as a mentor to us and reminded us once again to “question everything.”
Phil McQueen has equipped myself, other students and his fellow colleagues with the proper skill sets to achieve in their respective areas through his passion, wisdom, and leadership. I anticipate that he will implement those characteristics along with his ideas, in order to set attainable goals and standards to propel the school community of Lynnfield.
Please join me in voting for Phil McQueen on April 13.
Eddinson Cespedes
Lynn
