Heard on the Curb: Board of Education Candidates
By Mike Dorfsman
As parents focused on the upcoming school year, Democratic Board of Education candidates, Josh Kaye and Lauren Connolly Nussbaum, took to neighborhood streets, going door-to-door to hear what New Canaan parents had to say about New Canaan schools, their children’s education and any concerns they had. According to candidates Lauren Connolly Nussbaum and Josh Kaye, the parents they met were overwhelmingly positive at all levels about the education their children are receiving from the first days of kindergarten through high school graduation.
“We were pleased to hear they thought their children were receiving an excellent education across the board, at the same time, we have a responsibility to continue searching out ways we can improve to make sure the education and support our children receive are the best that they can be.”
Maintaining Excellence
Nussbaum and Kaye said the parents they met affirmed that in their view the New Canaan schools, teachers and administrators provided an excellent foundation for their children’s success, giving credence to the most recent Niche survey of the Best Public High Schools in Connecticut, which placed New Canaan High School among the top schools in the state, ranking #2.
In that survey, students reported that their teachers were approachable, cared about teaching and prepared them well for their academic pursuits post-high school.
“We’re dedicated to maintaining that level of excellence throughout our schools,” Nussbaum said, adding that, “at the same time, we want to make sure that our students are feeling supported, and our teachers and administration are feeling supported. That’s important to having our students focus on the very important business of learning and to be their absolute best selves academically, socially and emotionally.”
Innovative Tools
In response to parents asking how the schools prepare students to go out in the world, Kaye spoke of the recently launched Innovation Initiative. “It’s designed to encourage students to be innovative by teaching the process of innovation and problem solving when working on a project,” he said. “It shows kids that risk-taking can be productive even if an idea doesn’t work initially. By trying another way, they learn to be resilient.”
Another key element of the initiative, they said, was showing students how to collaborate on projects, work together to problem solve. “How do we solve the given problem most efficiently with a group of students who are all bringing different skill sets to the table,” is how they put it.
Supporting Student Emotional Health
While uniformly appreciative of the quality of education their children are receiving in New Canaan, they heard parents voice concerns about the pressure students felt to achieve, to get into top colleges, all of which imposes a layer of stress. The parent of a young child spoke of how kids feel they need to be excellent, to be on a fast track when it comes to colleges and advanced placement. The college acceptance experience heightens the stress, as students stay up late studying, concerned about the need to achieve.
In response, Nussbaum and Kaye said as school board members, and as parents themselves, those concerns would have their attention. “It’s vitally important to us that we provide a supportive and opportunity-rich environment to ensure that students are challenged academically, feel that they belong in the school and can enjoy and benefit from a full range of sports, arts and clubs,” they said.
For them, Kaye and Nussbaum said, their aim is to enable each student to find their place. “It may be playing on a sports team, working on a school musical or drama, playing an instrument, participating in a STEM challenge, joining the Model UN team or, even starting their own club,” they said.
“Our bottom line,” they emphasized, “is to foster a school environment where school children feel safe, where they feel secure and supported. That’s the foundation we want to build upon for New Canaan public school students to be their best selves and learn.”
