I bring a blend of personal investment, management expertise, and a service mindset to the community. As a Woodbridge resident for over two decades, with one child who went through the Beecher and Amity schools, and another currently at Beecher, my commitment to the success of Amity schools is deeply personal.

I grew up in India in a family of limited means, and studied at an under-resourced, publicly funded school. There, I experienced firsthand the transformative power of education, the inspirational impact of dedicated teachers, and the harms from those who do not care. I want Amity to be a place where all children can feel inspired to achieve their full potential.

During my two-year tenure at the Amity Board of Education, I have been a member of the Amity Finance committee and an ad-hoc member of the communications committee. In these roles, I have applied my expertise as a management professor and consulting experience with Fortune 500 companies and non-profit organizations to strive for a fact-based, data-driven approach to decision making, whether it is evaluating the district's budget, assessing enrollment trends, or analyzing school performance and rankings.

Recognizing the importance of transparency and clear communication, I have taken the initiative to clarify complex issues for the public by writing articles in local newspapers and the school website. This effort has been helpful in clarifying misunderstandings about the budget surplus, student enrollments, and inclusion initiatives that led to failed referendums last year. By providing accessible facts and explanations, I hope to ensure that our decision-making process is informed by facts rather than purely by emotion.

In summary, I bring a deep personal investment in the community, expertise in evidence-based decision-making and a commitment to transparent communication. I am dedicated to advancing the educational excellence of Amity schools and ensuring they continue to thrive.

Overall, I would continue to be a constructive board member, who engages on the numerous issues before the board, with an overall disposition to support initiatives/decisions that strengthen the school district, support the students, empower the teachers, while representing the community’s goals and being fiscally prudent. I would like to specifically consider work in two areas:

School excellence tracking: I would explore the possibility of creating a multidimensional dashboard of metrics to routinely track excellence across various dimensions, encompassing both academic and extracurricular achievements. Such metrics can offer valuable insights and motivation for teachers, administrators, and the community.

Communications: I plan to continue to help the board, the administration and the community by providing data and evidence-based analysis that can ground our decision-making on important issues.

The Board should conduct an annual evaluation of the Superintendent's performance focusing on multiple dimensions. This process should entail providing constructive feedback to the Superintendent and collaboratively establishing goals for the subsequent year. Furthermore, it's essential that the Board holds the superintendent accountable for achieving goals set for the previous year. Where it may be possible to use empirical metrics to assess performance, I would encourage the use of such metrics.

Our current BOE evaluation process closely aligns with this approach. In addition to assessing progress on previously established goals, the Board considers various performance factors such as school performance outcomes, the superintendent's administrative competencies, and her management of relationships with diverse stakeholders, including students, teachers, staff, the Board, and the public. As a board, we then identify strengths and areas for potential improvement. We then work jointly with the superintendent to define specific annual goals, prioritizing areas of greatest need and potential impact. We then assess her performance against these mutually agreed-upon objectives the following year.

I believe that a school district, as a publicly funded entity, should prioritize its educational mission while maintaining cost-efficiency for taxpayers.

But education is primarily people-centric, so teacher and staff salaries make up over two-thirds of the budget. Given the prevailing inflation and its impact on contractual salary increases, coupled with new state mandates for special education, we will face higher costs. The scope for reductions in teacher or staff is minimal, hence we are likely to experience higher budget increases than in the recent past.

While some relief can come from reduced debt burdens, budget increases are very likely. My priority is to identify as much potential for cost savings, but without compromising educational quality or teacher/staff retention.

Over the last two years, I have had many discussions with the Amity finance staff and its special education director. It's clear that they are all knowledgeable and committed to fiscal prudence. Amity's budget increased only 22% in the past decade compared to 27% inflation. Innovative strategies, like self-insurance and internalized special education, have helped contain our budget growth to below inflation levels and other school districts are now beginning to copy us.

In summary, while cost-efficiency remains crucial, the inflationary environment and teacher shortages will drive a budget increase. Amity has a track record of responsible financial stewardship, and my goal is to seek to maintain cost efficiencies without compromising the educational experience.

Each of these entities plays a distinct, but interconnected role.

The State of Connecticut sets broad educational standards, detailing academic content, student performance criteria, teacher qualifications, and overseeing academic assessments.

The Board oversees curriculum policy within the district. It reviews and endorses curriculum suggestions from the school administration and allocates budgetary resources for curriculum execution. While community feedback informs the Board's decisions, it's essential to note the vast diversity of these opinions. Often, they conflict, making it important for board members to use their own judgements in balancing and representing the community's best interests.

The Amity administration is tasked with the practical implementation of the curriculum. They harmonize state directives with local educational aspirations. Given the expertise of our teachers and administrators, their judgment in curriculum execution is invaluable. Their work, aligned with local policy goals and state mandates, ensures our curriculum is tailored to our students' needs and maintains our excellence.

When I joined the Board in 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic had significantly impacted our students' education. Statewide, there was a decline in student performance during 2020-21. The school administration, with the Board’s endorsement, strategized to support student recovery. I was pleased to see that Amity's academic performance in 2021-22 surpassed many CT schools, with rankings for Math, English & Language Arts, and Science rising to 9th, 11th, and 17th from 28th, 27th, and 28th in 2018-19.

It's vital that our curriculum supports all students, from the academically brightest to those with diverse academic interests and abilities. On the school’s efforts to make our curriculum more inclusive for students of diverse backgrounds and abilities, some parents voiced concerns about potential harms. Last year, we clarified through an article in local newspapers that inclusivity does not mean compromising quality and is not at the expense of others. I feel committed to the idea that all students should be given the opportunity to achieve their full potential. Our primary goal remains to ensure that Amity is a safe, welcoming environment with a balanced curriculum that inspires and engages all our students.

Yes, I'm concerned that teacher shortages might impact extra-curricular offerings for students. The combined pressures of COVID-19 and broader educational challenges have led to challenges of teacher retention and hiring. This shortage could affect the supervision of sports, clubs, and other activities we value. It's crucial to monitor this to ensure students receive a holistic educational experience. We remain committed to ensuring a well-rounded education, and we'll strive to preserve these vital extra-curricular opportunities.

I am of the view that the Board should largely trust the expertise of educators and librarians when it comes to library selections. These professionals are adept at gauging the educational merit of materials and understand the significance of offering diverse perspectives for our students' intellectual growth.

While the Board has a duty to consider community feedback on library materials, it's worth noting that opinions on book suitability often vary widely among community members. Overall, I believe the Board should have a high threshold before overriding the decisions of our educators and librarians. Their expertise is pivotal for a curriculum that nurtures intellectual curiosity and critical thinking in students.

The Amity Portrait of a Graduate (POG) is a collaborative blueprint, reflecting the aspirations of our students, educators, parents, and expectations from local higher education institutions and employers. It encapsulates five core characteristics: collaborator, communicator, planner, problem solver, and empathizer. As a parent, I fully support nurturing these traits in our students. They are essential for success in today's world, and I'd be proud to see my children embody them through their Amity education.

The POG isn't just about academic success; it emphasizes a broader definition of excellence. These characteristics, while complementing academic achievements, also elevate them. The POG provides a comprehensive vision, guiding everyone—students, educators, the BOE, and parents—towards an education that readies our students for varied life challenges and makes them more functional members of society.

I firmly believe that a school should be an inclusive and welcoming place for all students, regardless of their backgrounds, beliefs, or political views. Every student should have the opportunity to thrive and fully participate in a safe and respectful environment.

I became aware of the school climate challenges at Amity in 2018 when my daughter, then a senior at Amity High School, was greatly frustrated and disappointed about the anti-Semitic incidents on campus, that affected many of her friends. It was disconcerting to know that such incidents occurred in Woodbridge. I was heartened by the school's commitment to transform Amity’s culture into one that allows "No Place for Hate" through a combination of disciplinary measures and educational initiatives. The goal was to create a welcoming environment regardless of faith, background, race, or political views because optimal learning occurs in an atmosphere where all students feel secure and valued.

While disciplinary measures have their place, I am convinced that education has a more profound, lasting effect in shaping behavior. Parents undeniably play a pivotal role in molding a child's values, but much of their social growth happens at school. Hence, schools, teachers, and parents share the responsibility of cultivating empathy, kindness, and inclusivity in students. I wholeheartedly support the school's inclusion initiatives.

Additionally, teachers, staff, board members and parents can all contribute by modeling civility and respect in their interactions with each other.