Strengthening

Our School System

To the Editor:

Given the central role it plays in property values, a top-flight school system is in everyone’s best interest. When I ask voters what the primary reason is for people to move to Newtown, “our schools” is invariably the first or second reason given.

A quality education plays an irreplaceable role in one’s day-to-day quality of life, not just in the working world, and the single most important factor for positively effecting student performance is our teachers. Our children spend more of their waking hours in the world that our teachers make than any other single place. Like me, you can probably remember that teacher or coach who taught you something that you still remember and use — maybe it even changed your life.

I believe there is no substitute for the kind of direct observation and day-to-day experience that our teachers alone bring to the conversation. As a member of the Legislative Council, I will be looking to Newtown’s teachers for their perspective and expertise as we tackle the challenge of preparing our children to continue their education, compete in the workplace, and participate and lead as citizens.

Newtown should be the employer of choice for Connecticut’s best teachers. As we set our goals for strengthening our school system, the core of the discussion must be how to attract, train, and retain the professionals upon whom we depend for the execution of our strategy, and without whom we have no hope of achieving the kind of performance we all want for our children.

Voters in the Second District can email me at councilmanchris@gmail.com or call 364-1611, and my street address follows for regular correspondence.

Sincerely, Chris McArdle Candidate for Legislative Council Second District

41 Bennetts Bridge Road                                           October 24, 2007