Q&A: BoE Candidate Gordon Strickland

Note: In the days leading up to Election Day, the Ledyard Patch will run short profiles of all town candidates for council and board of education, along with their responses to three questions that we asked. Election Day is Nov. 8.

Name:  Gordon Strickland

Age:  45

Education: BS in Electrical Engineering from Louisiana Tech University, 1988; MS in Engineering Management from the University of Central Florida, 1996

Work Experience: U.S. Navy Active Duty 1986-2000 in Submarine Service, Navy Reserve 2000-2010, Information and Operations Analyst for Sonalysts, Inc. since 2000

Civic/Political Experience:  Finishing 8th year on Ledyard Board of Education; Chairman of Policy Committee; 8 years on Policy and Finance Committees; 6 years on Negotiations Committee

Family:  Married to Clare for 22 years; son Adam is a 2009 LHS graduate; daughter Erin is a Senior; both children attended Ledyard schools since kindergarten.  We have lived in Gales Ferry since 1996.

1. Why are you running for this office? 

During the past 8 years, I have had the privilege to serve on the Board of Education with other community members who share a commitment to improving the educational program for all children in Ledyard.  We have worked with the administration and teachers to implement changes that have positively benefited student learning as evidenced by their improved performance on state and national tests.  The school District has come a long way, but we can and need to do more for our children.  I very much want to continue serving Ledyard as a member of the team guiding the future of education for our children.

2. What do you believe is the greatest challenge Ledyard schools face today, and what would you do to meet this challenge?

There’s no doubt that financial constraints impact the educational program and limit what changes we can implement, but the Board has been successful over the past several years at maintaining either flat or minimal budget increases while implementing new programs and improving student performance and school facilities.  Given the current economy, we know resources will continue to be limited, but the Board is committed to making the most efficient and effective use of taxpayer funds.

The District faces a number of significant changes in the coming years in complying with new state and federal laws affecting education, especially in implementing the new Connecticut State Standards for what is to be taught to the students.  Through the hard work of staff members, most especially that of Assistant Superintendent Cathy Patterson, we are well on our way.  The challenge to the Board is to support, monitor and evaluate the multitude of changes while ensuring that student performance remains high.  This work will carry through at least the next two Board election cycles.

3. How would you rate the performance of the current board overall, and what, if anything, would you do differently? 

The Board’s strength lies in the commitment of its 9 members to doing what is best for the students and focusing on improving the quality of their educational experience in Ledyard.  We work as a team; about the only time party affiliation is apparent is during election time.  The role of the Board of Education is to provide guidance on the operation of the school District.  We ask a lot of questions of the staff about what is happening within the schools and seek data on many measures of student performance, not out of a desire to micro-manage, but to make well-informed decisions.  Where we fall short is in educating the citizens of Ledyard about mandated changes in education and how we are meeting them.  We should also do a better job of following up with Ledyard students a few years after graduation to understand how we need to change the educational program to improve the transition to life after high school, whether it be enrollment in post-secondary education or direct entry into the workforce.