2011 Voter's Guide: Board of Education

The information below was compiled by the  for its 2011 Voter's Guide. For details on the guide, voting information, and a full rundown of candidates on the ballot in Darien, visit here.

Questionnaires were submitted to all candidates, asking one or more specific questions. Responses, which were limited to a specific word count, are printed exactly as submitted. Any responses over the word limit could not be printed in full. Photos (if submitted by the candidates) are available in the gallery at right.

An asterisk signifies that the candidate is an incumbent.

BOARD OF EDUCATION 

• The nine members of Darien’s Board of Education (BOE) are elected by the town. They are responsible for observing state statutes and laws in administering the operation of the Darien school system. The BOE is an independent authority responsible for formulating education policy. Its annual budget must be approved by the Board of Finance through the general budget adoption process.
• Each year three members of the BOE are elected. All candidates this year are unopposed.
• Term of office: three years (unsalaried)
• Vote for any two candidates
• Question: What efforts are we making to train our students for life in this changing world?

Heather Lynn Shea (Democrat)*

• 21 Revere Road
• bhshea@optonline.net

The most direct evidence of training students for this changing world lies within our district curriculum which emphasizes a depth of understanding and application of knowledge through:

• inquiry and problem-solving,

• higher order thinking,

• cross-disciplinary learning,

• authentic learning opportunities,

• informed and ethical use of technology, and

• effective communication.

Our students are encouraged to think creatively, analyze effectively, make connections, draw conclusions and reflect on their own learning process using real world problems, data, and tools. They learn to work creatively with others, be open and responsive to new and diverse perspectives, and incorporate group input and feedback into their own work. At every grade and core subject, students are challenged to articulate their thoughts and ideas using oral and written skills. Finally, they are exposed to a broad variety of media and technology as a means of effective communication and collaboration.

Michael Anton Harman (Republican)

• 11 Old Farm Road
• majharman@me.com  

The world that our children are growing up in has become far more competitive and that trend won’t diminish any time soon. Like most parents with school-aged children, I recognize the importance of education to our kids’ future success. Education must provide our children critical problem solving skills. Our superintendent has been on the forefront in realigning our schools’ instruction towards a student-centric learning model, but this is only one step in a long journey. We still don’t have elementary foreign language instruction or addressed strengthening core mathematics. 

My professional experience and academic background include engineering, innovation, and operational excellence, areas that will be critical in continuing the improvement of our school system. I have served as a member of the Representative Town Meeting and Tokeneke budget representative, which provide a background on Darien education. I ask for your vote in this coming election, and look forward to the opportunity to serve.

Morgan B. Whittier (Republican)*

• 41 Walmsley Road

No response.