To the Editor:

I am writing to endorse Janet Kuzma as a candidate for the Newtown Board of Education.

When I met Janet , I had no idea what a force she would become for the future of our children. We had met briefly in the past but came together when schools closed due to the pandemic. After watching our kids languish for months in emergency learning mode, we knew something had to be done. We could not fathom the further devastation that would occur from another year of hybrid/virtual learning. We deserved and demanded better.

Janet messaged me one day saying that if we felt this way, surely there are other parents that felt the same. She proactively started a Facebook page that allowed parents to come together to find solutions to the remote learning model and get kids back to school.

Janet single-handedly started a grass roots movement that got our children back into the classroom! Janet along with BOE candidate Jenn Larkin led a core group in the quest of achieving this goal. We wrote letters to The Newtown Bee, conducted Zoom calls with the superintendent, and with the page, united a diverse group of people to achieve one common goal.

It was uncovered during calls with Dr Rodrigue that one of the biggest obstacles of getting children back into the classroom was staffing issues due to quarantines. Janet took it upon herself to not only volunteer as a substitute, but also recruited others to do the same.

Janet is a tireless advocate for the children of Newtown. She selflessly devotes countless hours of her time fighting for them. Janet doesn’t just offer solutions, she executes them.

I am proudly voting for team Kuzma, Larkin, Ramsey on November 2 and I hope you will too.

Angela Curi

Newtown