Publication does not reflect any endorsement, The Eye welcomes statements or opinion pieces by or about any and all candidates for municipal election. Submit to middletowneye@gmail.com--------------
I have been a resident of Middletown for over 11 years, and I am a father of two children attending Middletown elementary schools. When my oldest started kindergarten five years ago, my wife and I were concerned about the reputation of Middletown Schools, but we quickly learned how unfounded and undeserved that reputation has been.
Anyone who spends time in the schools and interacting with our professional administrators, teachers and staff can easily see that they are among the most dedicated, hard working and passionate individuals in their fields. Over the last few years, we have witnessed how well our children, and our friends and neighbors' children, have thrived both academically and socially within Middletown Schools.
Inspired by these personal revelations, I have been committed to supporting and improving both the effectiveness of our schools on behalf of all children, as well as the reputation of our schools and our community as a whole. I became involved in the Spencer School PTA and served as an officer on its executive board for three years. I began attending Board of Ed and Common Council meetings and speaking out about issues that are important to our schools and our children. I have served as a parent representative to the Board of Education’s ad hoc Redistricting Committee, and I currently serve the community as vice chairman of the Middletown Citizens Advisory Committee.
In addition to these other experiences, I believe that my professional background as an attorney and public servant will be helpful in serving as a Member of the Board of Education. Our school system operates within a complicated legal and political environment, and I can draw from my professional experiences to navigate this often difficult landscape.
My vision for Middletown Schools is simple to recite, but difficult to attain. I want to ensure that our schools receive a fair and efficient allocation of resources to provide for a quality and equitable education for all students. This will require adequate resources to prepare young students for school so they are ready to learn when they enroll. It will also require sufficient resources to support students who are not ready or who fall behind. These strategies will be key to closing our achievement gaps among students of different races, cultures and economic backgrounds. These strategies are also necessary to ensuring that the reputation of Middletown Schools truly reflects the hard work and dedication of our educators and the potential of our children.
If elected, I will be prepared to work closely with our new superintendent, as we both ascend the steep learning curves we will face, in order to tackle some immediate priorities like the 2018-2019 budget, and hopefully, the process of building our new middle school.
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