Q&A: BoE Candidate Stephanie Calhoun

Note: Over the next two weeks 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:  Stephanie Calhoun

Age:  37

Education: BS Community Development, Central Michigan University

Work Experience: I have been a stay-at-home wife and mother for the past 12 years.  In my “prior life,” I managed a restaurant on the Virginia Beach Ocean Front and worked as an office manager in a Sporting Goods Sales Representative Office. 

Civic/Political Experience: 

• Sworn in as a BOE member on June 15, 2011 to fill a vacancy.  I sit on the Policy and Facilities committees. 
• Previously served as the parent representative on the BOE’s Policy Committee
• Gallup Hill School PTO President for three years
• Treasurer for an Overseas Girl Scout Troop
• Cheerleading Coach for MWR La Maddalena
• Active Member of the Theodore Roosevelt Officer Spouse Association
• Active Member of the Naval Nuclear Power Training Unit Family Group
• President of the USS Albany Family Support Group
• Cheerleading Coach for Tioga Youth Organization
• Volunteer Coordinator for the “New-Fields of Fun” Community built Playground.

 Family:  Chris and I have been married 12 years.  We have 4 children aged 10, 7, 3, and 20 months.

1.   Why are you running for this office? 

I am running for the Ledyard Board of Education because I have a passion for providing all of our children with the most opportunities in life.  I firmly believe we owe the children of our community the best education and sense of belonging that we can give them.  I believe if we pull together as a community we can offer the best education system within our allotted budget.  We need to think outside of the box, come up with innovative solutions, and pull all citizens into the fold. 

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

A major issue in Ledyard in regards to education is like many towns: funding. As a district and a town, we need to continue to work together to best utilize our resources. There are many changes coming in education and therefore what we need to provide our students is also changing.  A wise woman recently told me “It is not us versus them. There is one pot of money and we all need to work together.” It was a very profound statement that I would like to help develop. I want to be part of a group of elected officials and interested citizens that strive to keep our town moving forward especially in regards to the quality of our educational system and the opportunities we are providing to all of our children.  Again, we need to think outside of the box, pursue alternative funding sources, and encourage all of Ledyard’s citizens to feel like stake holders in the success of our schools. 

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

I would rate the performance of the current board very high.  Prior to being appointed to fill a vacancy I was an active observer of the Board.  Their high ability to function and communicate as a group made me want to be a part, to continue the great work they have started.  I think each member brings their own diverse strengths to the Board.  My strength is community building; what I would add to the group is the ability to reach out to more parents and engage a wider range of the community. I would like to tap into resources that already exist in our community, get more volunteers into the schools, and make parents feel more of a sense of belonging to their children’s school from kindergarten through 12th grade.  Many studies have proven that students in districts with high parental involvement do better on standardized tests and in academics overall.  We owe it to our children and ourselves to have the best educated, most prepared students we can.