Dear Friends:
I am
writing to inform you of my candidacy for the Middletown Board of Education and
to request your support for my re-election to this important position.
When I ran in
2005 as a first time candidate and again in 2009, as an incumbent, my focus was
on:
· Promoting and improving positive
public opinion of the Middletown Public Schools
· Promoting parent involvement
· Promoting positive morale among
staff and students
· Promoting student learning so as to
improve overall student performance
· Promoting quality education with
sound fiscal management
For eight
years, I have continued that focus and have prided myself on being fair-minded,
listening to the concerns of students, parents, staff and administration, as
well as my fellow BOE members. It has been my mantra that we use politics as
our vehicle to the table, but once at the table, we focus on what is in the
best educational interest of the children, not politics. I feel I have upheld
that commitment and hope you do, too.
During my
tenure on the Board of Education, there were periods of dissension and discourse.
There was a level of mistrust, low morale and lack of transparency on many
levels, including the budget process. With the last election, two years ago, a
new and improved Board was formed and
we have worked hard to create a kinder
and gentler Board and District. I initiated the first ever BOE driven district
survey that resulted in very telling outcomes. Those outcomes were used to
drive the Board’s decisions in moving the district forward.
We now have
a new administration and the school district climate has improved. We continue
to scrutinize the budget for ways to maintain quality while being fiscally
responsible. There is more work to be done, and that work is being conducted in
a transparent manner and in a climate that is conducive for positive results.
So, I ask
that you re-elect me to the Board of Education for another term. Your vote will
allow me to continue working on your behalf and push the above-mentioned items
of focus. Please vote on Tuesday, November 5th!
I currently
serve as the BOE Vice Chair, a position rarely held by a minority party member
of the Board.
I am chair
of the Policy Committee, secretary of the Middletown School Readiness Council
and sit on the Negotiations Committee, Curriculum Committee, District
Leadership Team, District Data Team, and Opportunity Knocks. I am the Board
representative to MHS and Wesley School. In the community, I am a member of the
Middlesex Coalition for Children, Middlesex Hospital Patient-Family Advisory
Council and recently sat on the Live Auction Committee for Gilead Services.
I thank you,
in advance, for your support. Please feel free to share this letter with your
family and friends.
Please
contact me if you have any comments, concerns, questions or suggestions so I
can better serve you and the City of Middletown. I look forward to hearing from
you.
Full name: Sheila C. Daniels
Education
(colleges/degrees): BS in elementary education from Central
Connecticut State University.
Work: I work as an educational grant assistant here
in Middletown.
Why do you
want to hold public office in Middletown? Growing up in a politically involved and civic-minded family and
marrying into the same, I followed the example set by my parents and extended
members of my family and my husband's family. I aspired to be on the Board of
Education as my aunt was when I was in high school. My passion for education
and the overall well-being of young people also contribute to my desire to
serve Middletown on the Board of Education. Currently the Vice Chair and
in my 8th year on the Board of Education, I am very pleased with the positive
direction the Board has taken in the past two years and look forward to
continuing to work with my fellow Board members and collaborate with the
current administration and staff in their efforts to support the students and
families of Middletown.
What
experience do you bring to the table? As stated above, I am the
Vice Chair of the BOE, currently in my 8th year and bring that experience to
the table. I am a former member of the Communications and Naming committees and
currently a member of the following committees: Executive, Policy, Curriculum
and Negotiations. I am the BOE representative to the District Data Team, the
District Climate Committee, Middletown High School, Wesley School, the
Middletown School Readiness Council, Opportunity Knocks and belong to the
Middlesex Coalition for Children.
My background includes holding a bachelor's
degree in education and working in the field. That work includes my current
position and previously working in both private and public schools as a
paraprofessional, substitute, long-term substitute, and teacher. I was also a
child-care provider and offered field trips to our family farm. I belonged to
and served as an officer on PTA/PTO organizations at Farm Hill, Keigwin, WWMS,
MHS and on the MSA throughout my daughters' educational journeys. Prior to
and while serving on the Board, I have worked with 4 superintendents and their
assistants, several mayors, other politicians, many teachers, school staff
members, students and their families, as well as people in the community.
What do
you think the town's most pressing issue is? Middletown's most pressing issue is one that challenges nearly
every city and town in the state - being able to serve the citizens under very
tight budget constraints. We must consider the entire city from the educational
needs of our youth to the needs of the elderly and everyone in
between.
What do
you love most about Middletown? What I like most about Middletown is its central location
and diversity in landscape and population.
What do you like to do
for fun? I enjoy spending time with family and
friends, antiquing, reading, and traveling.
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