Darien Election 2021: Julie Best For Board Of Education

DARIEN, CT — Election Day is approaching fast, and a number of key positions in town will be on the ballot.

To help readers make an informed decision on Nov. 2, Patch has reached out to local candidates to share their views on a few topics.

Democrat Julie Best, 49, is running for the Board of Education in Darien.

Occupation: At Home Parent

Family: Husband David, Daughters Ellie (16), Lucy (14) and Kylie (12), who all attend the Darien Public Schools

Experience: NA

Family in government: No

The single biggest issue in town is ______, and I plan to do this about it:

A great concern of mine regarding the schools and the Board of Education is distraction from the real issues. We need to focus on what matters most to Darien and our children.

For example, rather than lengthy discussions about imposed mask mandates, the BoE should focus their energy on how to support the children who are struggling due to masks. They should be asking how the masks are impacting their learning, and development and socialization and then help ensure sufficient resources are available to address these problems.

I will work with the other board members to try to keep the focus on kids and education.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

I am an independent thinker and I approach situations with an eye toward discovering what could be, rather than imposing what should be. With a professional background in communications, and I will be able to aid the board in improving the effectiveness of their communications with each other and with the community at large.

Accomplishments:

I spent the last three years chairing the Council of Darien School Parents (CDSP), which is the umbrella organization that oversees the seven school PTOs and promotes understanding and communication between parents, schools, the administration and the Board of Education.

Some of the work I am proudest of from that time include:

• Helping improve relationships and communication between the PTOs, specifically among the elementary schools.
• Serving on the Strategic Planning Committee for the district, to help shape what the next five years in Darien Public Schools will look like.
• Last fall’s district-wide effort, #showingdpsstaffthelove, and to boost morale among DPS families and staff during a very difficult year.
• Testifying in Hartford on two separate occasions to represent the interests of the Darien community.

Other issues:

My running mate, Stacey Tie, and I have been outlining our platform on social media for the last several weeks, and the content is housed on our site: www.julieandstaceyforboe.com.

We are focused on our children's social emotional learning, making sure appropriate supports are in place and accessible for all learners, and developing the districts efforts around diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). We are focused on listening to parents and experts, and including health experts and educational professionals. We are focused on smart spending and local control.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

My husband and I have lived in Darien for 12 years and we have three daughters who are all in the Darien Public Schools. I’ve been a volunteer in Darien Public Schools-related roles for over 10 years. I spent the last three years as a co-chair of CDSP, working closely with the administration, the BoE, and the PTOs from all seven schools.

I have traveled to Hartford twice, in 2019 and 2020, to fight to maintain local control of our schools. I volunteered at the town's weekly vaccine clinic last winter and spring. I spent 10 years working in marketing, and specifically focused on strategy and communications.

I have a degree in psychology from Georgetown University.