Letter: Dear Incoming Amity Board of Education (ABOE) Members

Congratulations and welcome!  You are now part of the largest Regional School Board in the State of Connecticut made up of thirteen elected officials that will begin meeting together monthly for multiple hours over the next four years.  In addition to this meeting time, you will receive input from the Administration, teachers, the public, two student members of the board, outside experts, and three town financial representatives from Bethany, Orange, and Woodbridge.  These meetings will be transparent and open to the public, run according to Robert's Rules of Order, and digitally broadcast and recorded.

Your commitment to this civic service is admirable, and I write to offer some insights gleaned from my 12 years of enjoyable service.  While political parties definitely have a role to play in the electoral process, that partisan role ends with your election to the board.  It is now your individual job to - Digest information, ask questions, and review hundreds of pages monthly for the purpose of doing what is best for all children, especially the most vulnerable among them; - Function much like a jury, where only you and your fellow board members will be in a position to hear all the facts and details to make the best decisions.  As one of thirteen, you will need to focus on - Building a consensus when it comes to shaping policy and building budgets - Listening to one another and keeping an open mind, as you all come from different towns and backgrounds.  This approach will best serve all the Amity students - Speaking up, trying to understand the ideas of your fellow board members, and expanding what you thought you knew about Amity and its needs.

Remember, transparency grows trust.  Therefore, once those decisions are made take your new knowledge of issues and decisions back to inform and educate the public.  This will enhance your credibility as future issues arise and will steer you on your new responsibility of guiding our beloved school system.

Once again, congratulations and good luck.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out for support or with any questions.