To the Editor:

I am writing a letter of endorsement for Debbie Leidlein who is running for the Board of Education.  I have worked on a number of committees with Debbie, the last one being the Board of Education’s long-range strategic planning. Debbie is running for the BOE for a few reasons. First, education is her passion. She has been an educator for more than 11 years and has taught in public, parochial, and private schools. She believes in the importance of educating the next generation well and feels this is the area in which she would be the most effective.

Second, she believes in giving back to the community. In the four years she has lived in Newtown she has made it a point to become involved in community organizations. This has included Women Involved in Newtown, Middle Gate PTA, Newtown Middle School PTA, Newtown Youth Football and Cheerleading. She was also instrumental in founding the Newtown Education Foundation.

Her goals for the Newtown Board of Education are communication, collaboration, and commitment. She wants to work with other boards to make the budget process more effective; prioritizing community needs while looking at the best way to meet those needs. She is also committed to improving our schools and researching ways to once again restore blue ribbon quality to all our schools. This will be done by working with everyone who is a stakeholder — parents, students, community.

This is the type of candidate we all should be voting for on November 3rd. Join me in casting a vote for Debbie Leidlein — Board of Education.

Sincerely,

Anna Wiedemann

13 Clearview Drive, Sandy Hook                              October 26, 2009