I am a passionate advocate for public education. My husband and I graduated from public schools in upstate NY, and our daughters are both graduates of Newtown High School. I received an engineering degree from MIT and worked for 30 years in high tech research and development as an information systems engineer. As a trained researcher, I can closely examine how our school tax dollars are spent and verify that the money is well spent, so that Newtown students are getting the best possible education that we, as a community, can afford.

In addition, I believe it is crucial that our students and teachers be as free as possible from hurdles that impede classroom instruction. Schools should be places where teachers welcome each day with enthusiasm and students are inspired to learn, graduating with the skills and tools needed to launch rewarding adult lives. I also want to work on behalf of Newtown students to ensure that our schools instill a life-long desire to learn so our students can continue to build upon those initial skills and tools.

Two-way communication is essential to this process, and I would actively solicit ideas and engage with parents and other community members, along with outside experts. I also strongly believe that information should be available to all Newtown residents so that they are well-informed and can have a more effective voice. This has been a focus of mine for every public role I’ve held.

I have been active in Newtown since joining the community in 2002, and am honored to live here. I am currently a member of the Cultural Arts Commission and have also served on the last two Fairfield Hills Master Plan Review Committees and the 2016 Charter Revision Commission. In addition, I was active on school committees during 2004-2008, including the first Sleep Time Committee and internal work groups for revising the Newtown High School GPA process and for reviewing air quality in the high school.

I welcome your support and participation. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at DebZ.Newtown.CT@gmail.com.