To the Editor:
As a former member for 11 years of the Salem Board of Education (BOE), I can attest to the importance of BOE members being impartial and willing to look at all sides in any discussion or debate. They must be prepared to ignore any ideological differences among their members and make a careful, thoughtful and considered decision after a full examination of the matter at hand.
The four candidates endorsed by the Old Lyme DTC offer these attributes. Additionally, they all have considerable experience in the education or child advocacy fields: Martha Shoemaker, currently on the Region 18 BOE and a retired teacher with 35 years experience; Alexander Lowry, presently a middle school science educator with two young children in the Region 18 school system; Jason Kemp, armed with a law degree, now a family counselor with the Family Services division of the Connecticut court system; and Marisa Calvi-Rogers, with a doctorate in Educational Leadership, retired after 25 years as an educator, ending as a high school principal.
I have no doubt that these individuals will not only come to the BOE with a deep understanding of the needs of our children and the issues confronting Region 18, they will be prepared to consider all points of view as they make the decisions required to best prepare our students for the future. Please give them your vote on November 2nd.
Sincerely,
Christine Gianquinto,
Old Lyme.
Editor’s Note: The author is the Chair of the Old Lyme Democratic Town Committee.
These are the high quality people we need on the BOE who have built their professional lives around children. They are armed with extensive knowledge of how our educational system works and are ready to hit the ground running on Day 1, which is especially important given the number of experienced members who are exiting the BOE with this election.