Community Corner

Six Letters on the Darien Board of Education Race

Democrats and Republicans have each nominated two candidates for the three open seats on the Darien Board of Education; you can vote for any two; here's what several Patch readers have to say about the race.

Editor's note: Darien Patch will not accept letters endorsing political candidates after Oct. 31, but letters will continue to be published until Nov. 4.

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To the editor:

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I wish to express my support for Patty McCormick as candidate for the Darien Board of Education. Patty’s son attended preschool with my daughter for 2 years in which time I got to know her well and see her in action as the school president. 

In my opinion, she is uniquely qualified to help our schools evolve in the rapidly changing environment of 21st Century education.  Through her involvement in the community, she has proven again and again that she understands the concerns of parents and the needs of students.

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I believe she brings an understanding of how our school system works, and valuable relationships throughout both the board and the administration.  Those qualities will enable her to hit the ground running as we approach yet another challenging budget season. 

I think that Patty will bring a new level of focus to helping our schools adapt to a myriad of changes that are surely coming our way; from technology integration to special education to new, improved methodologies for preparing our children for a world that is much-changed since we all came out of school.

I hope you will join me in voting for Patty McCormick.

Kristen T Murray

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Keep up with news about the Darien Board of Education race and review past articles to compare and contrast the candidates at the Darien Board of Education Election 2012 topics page.

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To the Editor:

Soon the residents of our town will vote in only one local election—Board of Education.  I will be casting my two votes for Sarah Schneider-Zuro and Betsy Hagerty- Ross. 

Having been actively involved in school PTO’s and in CDSP budget service myself, I am personally aware of how these two women understand the needs of our schools and work tirelessly to support quality education in our town. 

Sarah and Betsy have worked year after year to ensure that our children have a quality education.  Our town needs Board of Education members who have the experience and professional qualifications to do the job well!

Having known these women for years and personally seen the quality of their work and their ability to work collaboratively, I am confident that they are the right people for this role!  Join me in voting for “Team Ross Zuro” this November.

Julie Martens

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Letters to the editor on Darien Patch have no set length (but try to keep them from getting too long, because far fewer people will read them). Letters emailed to darien@patch.com or david.gurliacci@patch.com will be published, often with minor style changes, if they meet Patch's Terms of Use policy (a link to which is at the bottom of every Web page on Patch).

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To the Editor:

As the parents of three young children, including two in elementary school, it is very important to us that the Darien Public Schools remain excellent and continue to evolve and keep pace with those in surrounding communities.  Because of this, we will be casting our votes for Sarah Schneider-Zuro and Betsy Hagerty-Ross on Election Day.  Sarah and Betsy are highly qualified and experienced leaders, with the integrity and seriousness needed for this important role.   

With three children of her own, Sarah is passionate about our schools and her background in education and her professional experience as both a teacher and an administrator make her uniquely qualified to understand the needs of our children and the challenges of managing our school district. 

Betsy’s significant experience on the Board of Education, coupled with her background in accounting and finance will assist in managing the ongoing demands on the district budget. Sarah and Betsy’s complementary backgrounds make them a natural team. 

An outstanding school district is the primary reason that many of us have chosen to raise our families in this town. 

It is important to safeguard our schools by placing them in the hands of qualified individuals like Sarah and Betsy who have consistently shown us that they are the right people for this critical role. 

Please join us in supporting Sarah Schneider-Zuro and Betsy Hagerty-Ross for the Board of Education!

Allison and Mark Smosky

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Want to voice your opinion on Darien Patch? You can email a letter to the editor to darien@patch.com or david.gurliacci@patch.com. Or just upload your own letter as an announcement. You can comment at the botom of this or just about any other Patch Web page (try to keep it relevant to the topic of the article). You can even start a blog on Patch.

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To the editor:

I am writing to support Sarah Schneider Zuro and Betsy Hagerty-Ross for Board of Education.  

Betsy's track record speaks for itself, having first been elected to the BOE in 2006, ascending through several committees, to her most recent role as chair of the board. 

Those of you that don't know her would probably recognize her from the CDSP, PTO or as a familiar face on the sidelines at several youth sports for which she's a volunteer.  

Sarah has been a teacher and school administrator, and hence possesses a uniquely balanced perspective that will allow her to thoughtfully advocate for our children, while dutifully carrying out the responsibilities of being a board member.  

Both Sarah and Betsy possess the experience and working knowledge of Darien's school system to hit the ground running on day 1 when elected to the BOE.  

Our children, and our town, will be well served by both.  

Matthew Troy

(Member of Darien RTC)

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To the Editor:

I first met Patty McCormick by way of her fabulous scones. As a small business owner running a catering business while managing a household, Patty had brought them to a parent meeting for the Community Cooperative Nursery School – a parent run school that consistently wins awards for its excellence in academics. Patty was a constant volunteer and became President of the Board. During her tenure, the school excelled – through her efforts to create a community among the parents and faculty, the school won academic awards, maintained a balanced budget, and undertook several improvement projects, including a capital project for a new playground.

Patty supports children of all ages throughout Darien.  She serves on Ox Ridge School’s Executive PTO Board and is their Budget Representative for the Council of Darien School Parents. As a Girl Scout Troop Leader, she runs the largest fundraiser through the Tall & Small Dance. At the high school level Patty participated in the Thriving Youth: Connected Community program.

I believe Patty has accomplished all this because of her dedication to Darien’s youth, her ability to bring together Darien’s parents, and her pragmatic, fiscally-aware approach.

Please join me in voting for Patty McCormick for Board of Education (and try her scones!).

Joseph Larizza

 

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To the Editor:

As a PTO parent volunteer who has spent many years following the collaborative work of our Board of Education, this year’s Board of Education election is very important to me.  I will be casting my two votes for Elizabeth Hagerty-Ross and Sarah Schneider-Zuro because they are the most qualified candidates for the job!  Both of these women are compassionate and dedicated leaders who understand all of the complicated ways in which schools work.  They also understand the culture and values of our town.

Darien needs Board of Education members who we can trust.  Our children are our town’s most precious assets and our schools need leaders who bring the appropriate professional expertise as well as the proven ability to work collaboratively.  Betsy and Sarah bring the perfect combination of financial and educational perspectives to the Board.  Let’s keep a good thing going and re-elect the team of Elizabeth Hagerty-Ross and Sarah Schneider-Zuro!

Wanda Forlivio


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