To the Editor:

My name is Deborra Zukowski and I am running for a seat on the Board of Education - a seven-member board for which four, four-year seats are open for election this year. As a longtime volunteer for both the schools and the town, I am a hardworking contributor to many local committees that have enhanced our community. Of note, I helped restructure the GPA process at the high school and was an active and ardent member of the recent Town Charter revision - both of which have been well received by our community. As a 30-year professional in computing systems research and development, I am a pragmatic problem solver who is well-versed with working on diverse teams, ensuring that ideas and decisions are well documented. As a mother of two grown children educated in Newtown's public schools, I have seen firsthand some of the classroom challenges and successes that our teachers experience. And as a passionate Newtown resident for past 15 years, I have come to love our supportive neighborhoods, multigenerational families, and fierce commitment to quality schools.

If elected to the Board of Education I will continue to be a workhorse and pragmatic problem solver who will strive to ensure that our schools thrive and our students flourish. I promise to work diligently to ensure that we continue to provide a quality education to our children and that our teachers and staff have a working environment that promotes exceptional teaching and student services. Most importantly, I vow to collaborate with members of the board and with other town officers to realistically identify and implement cost savings that will help us absorb the forthcoming reduction in state funding without compromising our educational standards. Please e-mail me any time at debz.newtownboe@gmail.com to discuss your ideas and concerns. We are strongest when we work together.

Deborra Zukowski

Cornfield Ridge Road, Newtown       September 20, 2017