Patch Candidate Profile: Alison Plante​, Newtown Board of Education

NEWTOWN, CT — The 2023 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.

Alison Plante, 37, is running for re-election to the Newtown Board of Education as a Democrat.

Education.

University of Pennsylvania - BA, Political Science and Sociology

What is your occupation?

Client Portfolio Management at an institutional asset manager (15 years)

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

My husband Justin and I were high school sweethearts and have lived in Newtown for 13 years. We have three children: Julian (9), Caroline (7), and Riley (4).

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

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

Newtown Legislative Council (2019-2021)
Newtown Board of Education (2022-present)

Why are you seeking this office?

It's very simple: for the children and for our community at large. As a parent with children in Newtown Public Schools, I feel a deep obligation to ensure our schools are delivering the best education possible. Whether you have children in the schools or not, however, our schools are the bedrock of our community-- they are what attract many people to town, they are a critical piece of the social fabric, and they support property values and economic development. Great schools are something from which we all benefit, and that's why I am excited to continue serving the community on the Board of Education.

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

The biggest challenge we face is how to provide an excellent education for our children in the face of unprecedented budgetary pressures. We face increasing operating expenses driven by the rising cost of special education, increases in contractual services, inflation, and unfunded state mandates like our new K-6 English Language Arts curriculum, all while many of our Covid-era grants are sunsetting. Likewise, we must maintain our buildings and address critical HVAC issues while capital projects are increasingly expensive.

I believe the most important duty of the Board of Education is to strike the right balance between fiscal responsibility and delivering the best possible education for our students.

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

I approach my work on the Board of Education in an apolitical way, solely focused on doing as much good as possible for our students, staff, and community.

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

I intend to continue working with administrators and staff (1) to ensure pervasive academic excellence, including addressing achievement gaps and covid-related developmental delays, and (2) to cultivate welcoming, inclusive, diverse learning environments that equip our students with the social and emotional skills for life and careers after graduation.

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

Professionally, I work in financial services and have spent 15 years at a very challenging, fast-paced, global firm. As a volunteer, I previously served on the Legislative Council, so I have a solid understanding of how the Town and the School District work together.

I have had the privilege of serving on the Board of Education for the past year. During that time, I was proud to help guide the successful HVAC project at Hawley, reinvigorate the District's efforts around diversity, equity, and inclusion, create a new Strategic Plan, navigate the contentious book challenge process (including brokering the motion that eventually passed unanimously), and serve as the Board liaison for two union negotiations. I'm grateful to have gotten a breadth and depth of experience in a short time, and I look forward to applying what I've learned during the next term.

Additionally, I am also a Girl Scout leader to a troop of 2nd grade Brownies at Middle Gate. This is among my most important qualifications because if you can keep up with twelve 7-year olds, you can probably do anything!

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

"You can have anything you want, but not everything you want."