Cynthia Love McCollum (D): Old Lyme Candidate for Region 18 Board of Education

Biography: 

Cynthia Love McCollum has been a resident of Old Lyme since 1983 where she and her husband raised their four children, all of whom attended Lyme-Old Lyme public schools. A graduate of Connecticut College and the University of Connecticut School of Law, she served as senior assistant public defender for the Connecticut Office of Public Defender Services until 2024 when she retired and started her own private law practice. Cynthia is a dedicated public servant who looks forward to a new opportunity to give something back to our community. She and her husband enjoy cycling, gardening and travel, especially to remote regions of the world. Most of all, they treasure the time they share with their eight grandchildren.

1. Why are you running for the Region 18 Board of Education, and what skills or experiences make you the right candidate for that role?

I believe that education is our connection to the future, and that good public schools benefit everyone. Having recently retired from the CT Division of Public Defender Services as a senior assistant public defender, I look forward to an opportunity to serve my community. I am a decades long resident of Old Lyme who believes that the public schools are an essential component of what makes Old Lyme special. My experience as a parent, grandparent, attorney, small business owner, and student advisor in higher education will, I believe, give me a holistic perspective in looking at the issues that will come before the Board.

2. In order of importance, what do you see as the top three challenges facing Region 18 over the next four years?

Generally speaking, I would note three particular areas of concern. Theses include the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and determining its proper use in the curriculum by both students and teachers; the successful culmination of the present building and renovation projects in the town schools; and continuing to build school budgets that responsibly maintain quality education for our children with an eye toward affordability, particularly in light of the volatility of the federal budget process that could reduce present levels of funding and grants available to public schools.

3. How can the school board help keep costs under control while maintaining the district’s reputation for academic excellence and extracurricular opportunities?

I appreciate the dedication of our town citizens who have, over the years, demonstrated their faithful stewardship for quality schools by passing the budgets that sustain them. The essential function of town government, establishing and maintaining an affordable quality of life for all of us, can be a challenging one. We have finite financial resources and many diverse interests and opinions on how those resources should be allocated. I think part of the answer is seeking input from these constituencies so that, in the larger picture, these interests can be prioritized. Another is asking ourselves how we can maintain our quality schools in ways that may not always involve increased funding.

4. Amid the ongoing national debate over parents’ rights, how should the Board of Education handle conflicts between parents and the district over curriculum, instruction, learning materials or student support?

The present board has done a very good job navigating these challenges. In my experience as an attorney negotiating outcomes, the preferable approach is for each side to begin with the assumption that people are faithful actors, the understanding that reasonable people can disagree, and that civility, respect and the resolve to listen are essential. Balancing diverse beliefs is always challenging. For me, the mission statement of Lyme-Old Lyme Public Schools succinctly sums it up: Every student in every classroom should feel accepted for the person they are, and challenged by opportunities throughout their schooling to fulfill their academic, athletic and human potential.