To the editor:
As expressed in recent letters to the editor, Julie Best and Stacey Tie have shown tireless dedication to our schools.
Two-cent U.S. postage stamp. You, too can put in your two cents’ worth with a letter to the editor published by Darienite.com. Email it to dave@darienite.com. Election letters will be accepted up to 11:59 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021.
With years of experience in various PTO leadership roles, along with Stacey’s service on the Representative Town Meeting’s Finance and Budget Committee, Julie and Stacey will be well-prepared, productive members of the Board of Education, as their knowledge and experience are invaluable assets.
Additionally, Julie and Stacey consistently demonstrate excellent character, a quality that is vital in the candidates we elect to our public boards.
A fitting reference for ideal character traits of BoE members is the District’s newly adopted Vision of the Graduate, a collaborative vision of the skills and dispositions of resilient problem-solvers and leaders that will prepare students to thrive in a changing world.
Students, parents, teachers, administrators, community leaders, and BoE members first met in March of 2020; with continuous work and input from numerous focus groups, the Vision was presented, adopted, and almost unanimously supported by the Board of Education in June of 2021.
Julie and Stacey exemplify the Vision’s attributes, particularly two of them: Integrity and empathy.
As illustrated in the Vision, integrity is characterized by honesty, respecting others, and leading by example through actions, words, and decisions; empathy includes advocating for an inclusive community, embracing diversity, and seeking alternative perspectives to better understand others.
With these attributes and more, Julie and Stacey will bring collaboration, respect, and positive energy to the Board of Education, benefitting all Darien students and our entire community.
For more information about the Vision of the Graduate, please see the minutes or recorded videos of the June 8 (presentation) and June 22 (follow-up questions and vote) BoE meetings on the Darien Public Schools website.
Tiffany O’Connor
Leeuwarden Road
Editor’s note: Election letters will be accepted up to 11:59 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021.