Naugatuck Candidate Profile: Dorothy Neth-Kunin For School Board

NAUGATUCK, CT — Naugatuck's election season is heating up and there are plenty of contested races with candidates eager to get their name on the ballot for the city's municipal election. One of those contested races is the race for the Board of Education.

Naugatuck Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Dorothy Neth-Kunin, 59, is running for reelection to the Board of Education as a Republican.

Are you running for office in Naugatuck? Contact Brian McCready at brian.mccready@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Naugatuck Patch.

Family: *

Spouse Ken Kunin 60

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? *

Yes - Brother Bob Neth Burgess

Education: *

Masters Degree in Management and Bachelors in Finance

Occupation: *

Group Health Underwriter 30+ Years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: *

Board of Education 5/11 to 11/15 Vice Chair ; 11/15-11/19 Chair; Member of the Finance Committee, Curriculum Committee, Contract Committee, Grievance and Student Hearing Committee, Facility Committee.

The single most pressing issue facing our town/district is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it. *

Bullying continues to be an issue – this must be handled with urgency and commitment by the administration. The Board of Education must work with the administration to make sure all students are treated fairly and ongoing issues are handled in an appropriate manner.

Vaping – the number of students vaping is alarming and The Board of Education must make sure that the Administration handles this head-on and swiftly through discussion on the long term impact and policy to deter.

Sat Scores at the high school - working through Curriculum and Assessment to determine what needs to be done to change the narrative and public perception.

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

Always present and available to assist whenever possible. Often times, when there are meetings there, very view of the current board members who are available to attend hearings and committee meetings, thus limited commitment. I and three other members are always available.

I believe I have a genuine concern for the students and that they are all treated fairly and without judgement.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

As a board member, I can be a conduit for the concerns and interests of the students, parents, teachers and the community and To ensure that others have a voice in making educational and administrative decisions.

Aid in preserving and improving the quality of our school system.

As a board member, I have the opportunity to share my business and life experience to benefit the community.

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

In the past 2 years alone My leadership as Board Chair worked with Administration and Board Members to bring in approximately $2 million dollars in grant funding to support projects like Project Aware, RISE Network, Food Pantry at (NHS)- First ever in CT, Security Grant (round 4), and so on.

Provided all students with "Next Generation Tools" as they develop the into the Naugatuck Public School Vision of a Graduate.

District Wide Lunch program for all students at all schools securing an additional grant of $35,000 for Cafeteria Equipment.

In two years 2017-2019 the following scores indicate that the curriculum and all of the programs developed for the lower grades is working as the SBA, ELA scores increased by 7 points; SBA, Math scores increased by 8 points; Third Grade Literacy increased by 9 points. This shows that our programs are working. There is much more work to be done and I would like to continue on the positive path that has been started.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Be true to who you are, be honest, and be empathetic to others because we never know what goes on outside of the school environment.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

As a candidate for the Board of Education I will work with the administration to increase the level of student achievement for all students throughout the district with a focus on closing the achievement gap. Work with the High School to determine the needs of the students with respect to the SAT scores and develop a plan to increase the scores through the Curriculum and Assessment committee. As a member of the Board of Education I will continue to work towards fiscal accountability using sound fiscal management practices. I will continue to work with the administration to provide a positive and safe school climate. I will continue working with the educational staff and the community for the betterment of each and every student.