To the Editor:

One chance… that is how many times our children will have to go through our school system.  First grade, seventh grade, tenth grade – each and every grade level is impactful to a child’s intellectual and emotional development.  As parents, educators, community members we have one chance to give our children the best education possible at every grade level. If elected to the Board of Education I will make it our challenge to get it right the first and only chance we have.

My name is Andrew Clure and I am running for a seat on the Board of Education.

I would like to tell you why I want to be a member of the BOE.  Family – it is the thread that runs through our community.  We are raising our children to cultivate the core values of family – kindness, caring, respect and they are rising to the occasion.  I see it all around town – on the fields, in the class-rooms, at the ETH theatre, the NYA, even in the grocery store. We are not perfect by any means, but our community of young people is special in the commitment they have to showing kindness and com-passion to each other, to their families and to the community at large.  I want to be a part of the BOE to help foster this atmosphere for our children, to give them the tools (both physical and emotional) they need to continue to grow into responsible adults who can stand proud.  I want to help maintain and strengthen the educational foundation that retains residents and attracts new people to Newtown.

I’ll spend a few words giving you the highlights of my profile as a candidate.  I am a Newtown resident for over 14 years, Dad to a freshman and 7th grader, advertising and marketing professional with ex-tensive management and financial skills, active member of the Edmond Town Hall Board, co-chairperson of the Newtown Community Center Committee, and co-founder of the Sandy Hook Arcade Center.  I hope you will read my bio online for my qualifications.

If elected I will be faced with difficult initiatives to weigh in on – budget, staffing, communication, ac-tivities funding, structural.  I will make thoughtful decisions based on research, statistics, the voice of many varying groups in Newtown, the physical impact and the emotional impact. There is a filter I will use as an initial gauge – will our children be safe, will they be happy and will they be successful?

As a board member I would work towards greater transparency, creating a resource for current BOE agenda topics and a vehicle for questions and answers.

Our children have only one chance to navigate through the Newtown school system.  Let’s make sure they see we are 100 percent behind them and will provide them with the tools they need to prepare for the next phase of their lives.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you as a member of the Board of Education.

Sincerely,

Andrew Clure

Winton Farm Road, Newtown         October 28, 2015