Candidate Interview: Heidi Keyes (D)

Below are unedited responses to questions posed by NorwalkNet to all the candidates for BOE. Candidate answers are being posted as they are received.

1. Please describe why you feel you are qualified to be on the BOE. Please list your educational, professional and community background.
I feel that I am qualified to be on the board since I have a vested interest in this City as a life-long Norwalk resident with 3 children in the Norwalk Public School system. I am not a career politician but rather an educator, parent and neighbor that will bring my life experiences and common sense to this position.



I have more than 15 years of business experience as a Travel Manager in the corporate travel industry. I learned to effectively deal with deadlines, budget reconciliations while overseeing the needs of clients in a fast paced environment. I also taught travel at Norwalk Community College and decided to change my career to teaching. Several years ago I worked as a Special Education Aide in the Greenwich School district at the elementary level. I am now an owner/director of an in-home early education preschool. While doing this I have been pursuing an Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education at Norwalk Community College and will be graduating in December.

I am a strong believer in parental advocacy and several years ago I graduated from Parent Leadership Training Institute and Parents Supporting Educational Excellence which are both Commission of Children parent leadership initiative programs. After graduating from the program I was invited to become a state certified facilitator/teacher for both programs. I am also active as a parent volunteer at Columbus Magnet School and Co-Secretary of the Columbus Magnet PTO.
2. What are your top three goals for the next term and how do you plan to achieve them?
I think the most important goal is to improve communication with the community. Second, improve student achievement in the classrooms. Third, to choose a new superintendent wisely and with community input.

Effective communication with parents, teachers and between Board members is key to restoring confidence in the school system. I would visit all the schools to attempt to understand the needs and issues of each school. I think it is important to understand the dynamic between the superintendent, central administration and the individual schools themselves. I would meet with principals, teachers and aides as well as parents and students.

I believe academic achievement must be improved and giving teachers and aides the means to do their jobs effectively is essential to student success. Investing more budget dollars in the classroom where it is needed most can do this. In addition, supporting early childhood education in the school system while encouraging parents to be partners in their children’s learning experience will help achieve this goal.

Choosing a superintendent that is sensitive to the diverse community that we have in Norwalk is important. This needs to be done in a manner that is diligent and responsible and open to community input.

3. Norwalk is seeking a new superintendent. What qualities do you believe is important for this person to have?

I think that a new superintendent should have the experience and a track record of successful achievement. The superintendent should understand and be in a position to manage the needs and issues of a diverse community while possessing the temperament for handling these issues.

He should have a vision and passion for education, not only as the educational leader of our community but he must be able to reach out to students, teachers and parents in a confident and engaging manner. We can all learn from each other, I would not want a superintendent that could not relate with and engage students and parents.

In addition, he must have a strong financial ability to oversee a budget that is growing larger every year. While I would prefer to have a superintendent that lives in Norwalk I understand that the best candidate should be chosen regardless of where he lives.

4. The Cambridge and CREC reports have cited communication with the district as a problem. What specific ideas do you have to improve communication?

The Board of Education members serve as representatives of the community. At the core of this representation is effective communication with parents, teachers, and the superintendent and with other board members. One of my strengths is that I am a good listener and I have a strong ability to work well with others. I think that this is the essential for effective communication.

As I stated above I would visit all the schools in Norwalk. I think that meeting the principals, teachers, aides as well as the parents and students is essential to understanding the needs of each school. Who better to know the issues of the school than those that work and learn there? But more importantly, who would care more than parents that have a vested interest in the success of their son or daughter in that school.

In addition, having educational forums such as the one last weekend at Norwalk Community College is a great way to create one-on-one conversations between Board Members and the public. Furthermore, Board members and PTO groups should have a system in place that creates a dialog so parents can discuss concerns and issues. Ultimately, parents should be able to know the person behind the voice or a face of the Board of Education members.

5. If you are a new comer please describe what you feel the current board has succeeded in accomplishing and where it has fallen short.

The one common theme in this election has been the lack of communication. However, as outlined in the Cambridge report this has been a systemic problem throughout the school district including central administration and the previous superintendent. I believe that the board will make a concerted effort to address this issue and move forward.

You have seen improvement in CMT scores in the district at certain levels. For example at the middle school level the level of growth in the CMT scores during the last 3 years exceeds the state average. So in some areas the district is making progress. I think that the board must continue this trend at all levels and make a commitment to placing budget dollars where it is needed most: the classroom.

I also believe the board is making a strong effort to look for the best possible candidate to be our next superintendent and they are working on getting community input by planning for forums and focus groups.