Patch Candidate Profile: Alicia Makowski, Naugatuck Board of Education

NAUGATUCK, CT — The 2023 municipal election is heating up in Naugatuck and there are plenty of local races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Naugatuck Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Republican Alicia Makowski, 51, is a Naugatuck resident running for the Board of Education.

Education

Naugatuck High school, Singers Forum NYC.

What is your occupation?

Stay at home mother; 20 years.

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

Married to my husband Craig for 28 years. We have four children; Melody, 20, Luke, 17, Reagan, 12 and Jude 9. So proud that my children get to be students at the schools I attended while I was growing up in Naugatuck.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

None.

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

I am currently serving my first term on the Naugatuck Board of Education.

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?

Someone very wise once told me that those that are frustrated with the way things are going are just wanting to help. I want to continue to help Naugatuck schools pursue academic excellence, create responsible budgets and help students achieve the goal of the vision of the graduate.

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

There are many issues facing parents of school children right now but the one I see as most pressing is student engagement. Our test scores reflect that students are not as engaged in their education as they could be. Our student attendance has been a challenge. I intend to keep working with my fellow board members to think outside of the box to resolve these issues facing our students.

Our current board of education has hired Family Engagement Specialists to help with our attendance. We have encouraged activities to help families connect to their school communities. Multi lingual staff are employed throughout our district to help families communicate. The nine board of education members have done a lot to support our schools. I intend to continue to support that work.

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

I believe I bring a different perspective to the board of education. My unique worldview helps me bring creative ideas and thoughtful questions to the board room. As a mother to four children in the Naugatuck school district, I see how our policies affect our students and families firsthand.

As president and assistant coach of a youth cheer league, I help our districts students learn to love competitive sports. Helping youth succeed at difficult things is extremely rewarding. Bringing that leadership to the board of education helps to set me apart from other candidates.

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

I intend to work collaboratively with my fellow board members to help the district move forward to their goal of the vision of the graduate. However, I think there is a lot of misunderstanding of what board of education members roles are. We are tireless volunteers. We cannot do anything without our fellow board members. We rely on the town to pick board members who love serving their community. We love what we do!

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

As an incumbent, I believe I have proved that I am able to handle my role. I also am a volunteer in other capacities in our community. I've served on the Naugatuck Pop Warner board as cheer equipment coordinator since 2017. This year, I was honored to start Tri Valley Cheer AYC and sit as president on their board. I've also helped assistant coach one of our cheer teams for many years. I am very dedicated to the youth in our community.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

"You could be bitter or you can get better." Attitude is everything. I always try to choose the latter.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I serve as a volunteer on the praise team at my church; West Haven Church of God. I was class of 1990 at NHS and had the pleasure of having Mr. Davis as my choir teacher. I sing all the time because of his encouragement. He was proof that an educator can truly change a students life. I serve and sought out the board of education position to help our district develop and keep educators like Mr. Davis. Every student deserves a Mr. Davis in their lives.