To the Editor,

My name is Janet Kuzma and I am honored to be running for the Board of Education.

I was born and raised in Newtown and a graduate of NHS class of 2000. After moving away for a few years, my husband and I relocated our family to Newtown in 2019. As a mother of four young children, it was a priority to move to a town with a high achieving school district.

My father, a retired Newtown pastor, made a huge impact on me as when he volunteered in the schools during my entire childhood. I knew I wanted to do the same for my children and over the years I have had the opportunity to fulfill multiple roles in the school such as PTA president, class mom, substitute and currently serving on the PTA board at Reed.

Since moving back to Newtown, we have really enjoyed the great sense of community and outstanding schools. We’ve been blessed with wonderful teachers and support staff working with our children. Having worked in the schools last year as a substitute, I witnessed the dedication of our teachers firsthand during an extremely tough year.

Unfortunately, many Newtown students have experienced learning loss due to the pandemic.

Data also shows this particularly impacted students in single parent households and special education students. If elected, I would make it a priority to address this for all students and continue to maintain a high standard of excellence in our district. My desire as a candidate and parent is to make sure all children are provided with the best education possible. Whether students are struggling, meeting grade level expectations, or excelling, it is crucial to provide a fair and equitable education.

I have chosen to run alongside two other intelligent and hardworking advocates, Jenn Larkin and Don Ramsey. We believe strong partnerships begin with teamwork and collaboration.

Please support us to help restore the joy of teaching and learning after a challenging few years. We can’t do it alone. Can we count on you?

Thank you,

Janet Kuzma

Newtown