Sarah is currently the special education coordinator for Regional School District 17, serving the schools of Haddam and Killingworth. She received her Bachelor and Master degrees from George Washington University and completed her training at Sacred Heart University. She has worked in special education programs in a variety of capacities, in both private and public school settings.
Sarah brings to her candidacy a strong desire to advocate for the best interests of students in a fiscally responsible manner. She supports educationally innovative and cost effective programming for all students- from prekindergarten through graduation. Sarah is committed to work on behalf of the constituents of Old Lyme and be a collaborative and positive member of the Board of Education.
Name the three characteristics (one word for each) that you believe will make you an effective member of the board of education? Expand on the one that you feel should be most significant to the voters.
I am a positive, proactive and collaborative member of a team. Each day I work to collaborate with a variety of stakeholders to develop educational programs for the students in the district which I am employed. This strong belief in collaboration, coupled with a strong student centered approach, is the most significant reason I will be an effective member of the board of education. I am able to see issues from a variety of viewpoints and value others perspectives while keeping the student experience in mind.
What do you think will be the biggest challenge facing Lyme-Old Lyme Public Schools in the next four years?
I believe maintaining the variety of the student experience with an expected decrease in enrollment will be the biggest challenge facing the Lyme- Old Lyme Public Schools in the next four years. It will be important to look and allocate our resources wisely in order to meet the demands of the Common Core while maintaining the creative process within the educational system.
If you could achieve one objective — and only one — during your term on the Region 18 Board of Education, what would it be?
If I had to choose one objective it would to be to continue to support and build upon proven, educationally innovative, cost-effective programs for all students within the communities of Region 18.