I am old enough to remember when a missed call was unknown, meetings were attended only in person and paper fantasy football results were hand delivered to my door by the commissioner. The Information Age which began in the late 20^th century has exploded exponentially over the past 30 years. Never in our history has information been more readily available at a moment’s notice. Constant “Breaking News” is available in a matter of minutes, often disseminated through social media. Unfortunately so is misinformation, which often spreads like wildfire. The decline of traditional, independent media makes discerning what is fact and what is more complicated even more challenging.

Boards of education are unique bodies that are ultimately comprised of volunteers from diverse backgrounds. They are asked to make decisions on complex and often confidential information and are reliant on educational professionals to provide it. While elected officials usually bring their own unique life and work experiences, processing the nuances of educational finance, policy, law, curriculum and facility needs can be overwhelming and even intimidating. Many times this leads to a reluctance to speak at a public meeting or on the contrary, talking on subjects without proper context. While I have been married to a career educator for almost 28 years, I have been guilty of both. I am about to complete my 4^th term on the Naugatuck BoE including my time as mayor, and I still learn something new at almost every meeting I attend or conversation about education I have.

Educational leaders face the daunting task of leading the most expensive component of a local budget while working with a board members that constantly change and evolve over every election. It is not an easy task and can impact the dissemination of information board members, and ultimately the public, receive. 

This year’s budget process has presented shortcomings and financial obstacles not seen in years, many of which are beyond local control. Extremely difficult decisions have been made and have resulted in a feeling amongst many that our central office and BoE members have not communicated well with the community. The reality is that almost everything we do is public information, but it often does not feel that way when parents, staff, community members and our partner stakeholders read about events on social media, often Facebook in Naugatuck. While every action outside of specific permissible topics such as personnel is discussed at a public meeting, many are not aware that such meetings are happening or what will be discussed.

We need to do a better job, particularly during the budget process, of letting the public know the hard choices that are being discussed and offer every opportunity for people to learn and participate. The technology exists to do so and our community will feel more empowered with the opportunity to learn the facts and the rationale behind the difficult decisions that are being made. The overwhelming number of Naugatuck residents and stakeholders realize that solutions to challenges are often complex, and everyone involved will respect being provided as much information as possible to make informed decisions.