Newtown Candidate Profile: Dennis Brestovansky For BOE

NEWTOWN, CT — The 2019 municipal election is heating up in Newtown and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Newtown Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Are you running for office in Newtown? Contact Rich Scinto at rich.scinto@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Newtown Patch.

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

Getting real value for our tax dollars. I will make sure those with and without school children are
represented, make data driven vs. opinion based decisions and bring a more full and complete dialog to the Board of Education as it deliberates issues

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

I am the only candidate (or director not up for election) with experience in business strategy, management and being accountable for delivering value from a large operating budgets. I have
been a university teacher (adjunct faculty) and understand the challenges faced by our educators. I sit on the boards of commercial and charitable enterprises and so know how to address the needs from both sides of the boardroom table.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

The current board does not fully measure the extent to which expenditures
are delivering value. Not enough is done to evaluate and stop what is not working to make room for new things that will make a difference. Budgeting is not zero based. We have drifted
toward emphasizing administration over education investments. Expenses are not effectively prioritized and a key reason is that there is a lack of healthy, fact based debate based on what I have observed in public meetings.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

The most effective boards are composed of directors who bring a variety ofexpertise and experience to the job of governance, oversight and leadership. We need a broader range of
experience on our board. We really need to put more of our focus on the students, their success and their learning environment.

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

Successfully delivered outsized results in businesses with budgets at least as large as the Board of Education's. Have taught at the university level - freshmen through juniors - and so have a first hand understanding of teaching challenges. Have published on new teaching methods and approaches. Have been invited to and serve on the board of large charity and early stage corporate boards.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Seek first to understand.

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

It's time to add new perspectives and backgrounds to the Board of Education.