Manchester Election 2023: Donna Meier, Board of Education

MANCHESTER, CT — Donna Meier is running for a seat on the Manchester school board in the 2023 election.

Name

Donna Meier

How old will you be as of Election Day?

64

Does your campaign have a website? If so, include the URL here.

What city or town do you live in?

Manchester

What office are you seeking?

Manchester Board of Education

If you are running in a district, you can specify the district here.

Please give us your party affiliation.

Republican

Education.

Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Bucknell University, Master of Divinity from Fuller Seminary

What is your occupation?

Donna has worked in Property and Casualty Insurance in Manchester for nearly 10 years.

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

Donna and her husband, Will, have lived in Manchester for 28 years and raised their two sons here. She has coached soccer with the Manchester Soccer Club and taught Hands-on Science and Hands-on History classes in a variety of settings.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

None

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

I am serving my first term on the Board of Assessment Appeals.

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office?

I am passionate about education. As a first-generation college graduate, I was raised to believe that success in education is the ticket to a better life. As a Mom, a foster Mom and a host Mom for international students, I have supported children in a variety of educational settings. As a result, I appreciate the strengths of various educational modalities. This journey has made me an out-of-the box thinker regarding education. I do not believe in continuing to do things that are not working.

Manchester is failing our children. 7 out of 10 children are below grade level for English. Nearly 8 out of 10 are below grade level for math. Unless this pattern is interrupted, these children’s futures will be limited, potentially causing a lifetime of economic and personal difficulty.

I believe that we are at a crisis point. Many of our teachers are leaving for other districts. As positive reports filter back from those who leave to those teachers who remain, there is a likelihood that more will follow. Experienced teachers are in great demand throughout the state and country. I believe that Manchester must do more to retain our current teachers and to attract experienced teachers to join our school system.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is \_\_\_, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing my Board of Education constituents is the state of our schools. We cannot ignore the fact that we are failing our children and, in turn, failing our community.

70% of students are below grade level for reading and nearly 80% are below grade level in math.

At just under $18 million dollars, administrative costs are nearly four times the state average.

Chronic absenteeism is at 25%.

Students report feeling unsafe in school.

Teacher retention is a serious problem.

To address these critical concerns, I will stand alongside the Republican BOE candidates, committed to a comprehensive plan. We intend to reallocate funds from the extensive administration budget directly back into the classroom. This means more educational aides to support our hardworking teachers, trained behavior professionals who will implement caring and effective discipline practices, and increased opportunities for teachers to access evidence-based math and reading professional development courses. This will create a more conducive learning environment, allowing our students to build the strong academic foundations they deserve for a better future.

We will also work to change the climate in the district to one that supports, appreciates, and recognizes all educators in order to reduce attrition and foster a strong sense of community throughout all schools.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

The Manchester Board of Education (BOE) oversees the town education system. Every decision that affects the schools must be approved by the BOE. If we keep re-electing the same people, we will continue to have the same outcomes. The current Democrat Board of Education has overseen the decline of our school system for more than a decade.

The Republican candidates would like to implement changes that would allow both students and teachers to flourish. We believe that our student's academic success matters and that there are proven programs that we can incorporate that will result in better outcomes for our students than what we are currently seeing.

Details are answered in the preceding question.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

As a leader across industries, I have demonstrated my ability to take charge, set goals, develop a plan and lead a team towards consensus and success. My analytical skills have allowed me to make data-driven decisions and solve complex problems.

Through a lifetime of working with students, I have a broad frame of reference to understand a variety of educational systems. As a team player, I collaborate effectively with others to achieve shared objectives.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Never be afraid to try something new.