Candidate Profile: BOE Candidate Cheryl McClellan (R)

The below information is a part of the Eye's Elections 2011 series to provide information to voting citizens and does not represent any endorsement by the Middletown Eye or any of its authors.

I was born in New Britain, CT. I went to New Britain catholic and public schools. I graduated from Central CT State University with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a master’s degree in Business Administration.

I served in the US Army on active duty for twelve years. I served in various staff positions in New Jersey, Germany, and Washington as Maintenance Officer, Maintenance Branch Manager and Training Officer among other duties. I worked for the Installation Commander during mobilization/demobilization for Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

After I left active duty, my family moved back to CT and adopted Middletown as our hometown. I worked in the Middletown elementary schools as a substitute teacher for ten years. My children attended Middletown public schools. I have been a member of various PTA’s as my children grew older and Booster clubs. I have been a member of Middletown Schools Association.

I am a member of American Legion Post 75 and serve as Finance Officer and Assistant Service Officer. Part of my duties as Service Officer is to be a representative for the Soldiers, Sailors and Marine Fund aiding veterans and their families in need with financial assistance. I also volunteer in the concessions at Palmer Field during the American Legion Baseball season and during high school football season. I also volunteer at my Church, St Pius X in the SHARE ministry.

I am running as a candidate for Board of Education because I want transparency in the Board’s budget process. The budget is tax payer money, and as a taxpayer I want to know how it is spent. There is a need for a change in the membership of the Board and a change in the attitude and priorities of the Board. The Superintendent of Schools should work for the Board of Education, not the other way around, as it stands now. There should be more involvement of the Board in the various PTA’s to get a better sense of what parents in the town want of their schools and how to help parents to help their children succeed in school. We want High School graduates who go to and graduate from college, community college, trade school, and Apprenticeships. We want our children to be successful. We as a community need to give our children the help to become successes.

http://middletownctgop.com/