Please vote Row B if you truly value maintaining the excellence of our schools, with a focus on academic fundamentals and fostering a caring environment where all students are treated equally, without regard to immutable traits. The Row B Republicans for New Canaan BOE (Alves, Campbell, Kelly, Wexler) are an impressive and diverse slate of individuals championing these important priorities and for whom my wife and I are proud to vote. We are equally excited about voting for Dionna Carlson who has a compelling track record in this town which includes ably chairing the BOE in years past, with our schools still benefitting today from her historical hard work.
My wife and I moved out to New Canaan in 2017 with our two young children largely on the strength of the amazing New Canaan public schools, as we saw with the wonderful experience that my wife’s two older sisters have enjoyed with their own children here. We feel truly blessed and have been thrilled with the incredible education our daughter and son have received and continue to receive.
We also appreciate that excellent public schools like ours do not exist and stay excellent by accident. Constant support and vigilance from concerned and wise stakeholders is required. There are real and important differences between the candidates in this election. It is worth noting that none of the Row B candidates were signatories to the alarming public letter sent to the NC BOE in June 2020 advocating for major changes to the curriculum in our schools (all the way down to the elementary school level), which could serve to undermine critical objective standards if implemented.
If you have not already and have the time, please listen to the free online podcasts for all of the BOE candidates and decide for yourself which candidates have the values and priorities that align with your own and will best support the betterment of our schools and welfare of our children here in New Canaan. Matt Campbell exhibits impressive passion and commitment to his children and advocacy for his daughter. Matt Wexler is a native son of New Canaan who wants to give back and prioritizes parents’ concerns. Lara Kelly has a record of incredible volunteerism and upholding traditional values. Hugo Alves has proven himself as an incumbent and fiduciary on the current board.
We are so fortunate that the exceptionally talented and caring BOE candidates of Row B are willing to give of themselves to make sure New Canaan public schools do not stray and become distracted from the core mission of educational excellence, while ensuring all feel welcome and equally treated. They are truly worthy stewards and we frankly need them to safeguard our amazing schools as a firewall against nonsense.
Please join me in supporting them with your vote!
Jeff Ferris
