To the Editor:

Last week, after almost seven years of serving on the Board of Education, Rebekah Harriman resigned her position, citing a shift toward “disrespect for staff,” “disregard for experience,” and preference for “political will.”

I don’t object to Board of Education members, those with first-hand knowledge, the opportunity to respond with their own perspective on the current situation. However, as if to confirm her last point, the Republican Town Committee’s immediate response to Ms Harriman’s resignation was to disparage her and characterize her motivations as political.

The political climate in our nation is making it increasingly difficult for Boards of Education to focus on students and learning. If public education is to serve our students well, however, party politics have absolutely no place on a Board of Education. Most states have codified principles that keep local partisanship at an arm’s length from education (though, that is sadly changing nationally).

Unfortunately, Connecticut is one of a handful of states that run Board of Education elections dependent on endorsements from the local political committees. In the eight years that I served on the Newtown Board of Education, I saw the stark contrast in the board’s effectiveness depending on how dedicated the chair and board members were to prioritizing the district’s business and their own informed judgement over town political committee influence.

Responding to public criticism with thoughtful analysis had to be valued over “spin.” And ensuring that political wrangling did not overshadow the work of the board required commitment from all involved.

Having worked with Ms Harriman for six years on the Board of Education my experience is that she is direct, communicates clearly, and she does so without bias to political party. She supported the election of both Republican and Democratic leadership on the board, and she joined board members of both parties in controversial votes. In short, she put her oath of office above any political party.

This last principle — that of valuing a commitment to community over political factions — is one that is so important that it is codified in our Town Code of Ethics §27-2 Standards of Service: “Officials and employees have a special responsibility, by virtue of the trust invested in them by the Town’s residents, to discharge their duties conscientiously, impartially, and to the best of their ability, placing the good of the Town above any personal or partisan considerations.”

I am grateful for Ms Harriman’s years of service to the community and the experience she added to the board. It cannot have been easy to resign from a position in which she was so invested.

Newtown is better for her dedication to education. I hope that the members of the Board of Education will consider Ms Harriman’s feedback and decide for themselves, absent partisan influence, whether there is merit to addressing the issues she raised. Ultimately, the best interest of Newtown students is at stake.

Representing my own opinion and not that of any board, council, or committee on which I serve.

Michelle Embree Ku

Newtown