LETTER: Jacqueline Kelleher steps up as school board write-in candidate for Waterbury

Feb. 15, 2022

To the community: 

My name is Jacqueline Kelleher and I have been a part of the Waterbury community since October 2019. I have been looking for the right opportunity to serve and give back to this beautiful, engaging town. I read the latest Waterbury Reader and saw Kelley Hackett's letter indicating there are no candidates running for the Waterbury two-year term on the school board. I care deeply about the educational system and improving outcomes for children and youth as well as ensuring a qualified workforce and resources necessary for best practice. I have been considering this for awhile and had submitted a letter of intent the last time a position on the board opened, but I needed to make sure I could serve given my full-time position with the Agency of Education and this took time to work out with my supervisor. I am ready to go! I am eager to make an impact.

I am a professional educator and administrator with knowledge and expertise in curriculum, assessment, instruction, special education, and school operations. I have worked with budgets, strategic plans, policy, and multiple stakeholders. My husband is in education as a substitute teacher and now instructional assistant. We are parents of four adult children who attended public schools in New England. My nephew attends middle school in HUUSD and I would love to contribute to the community where he receives his educational experiences. 

Further, I served on a school board in Connecticut during a time when a new superintendent began his tenure with one of the largest urban districts in that state. I was able to serve on a board that supervised a new superintendent and empowered him to make important decisions about student achievement and balancing a budget that was in the red. I know what it takes to be a collaborative, impactful board member and enjoy the complexities of the position.

I believe I have a lot to offer as we anticipate many changes ahead such as the implementation of Act 173 which revamps the way education is provided to students who require additional support and changes the special education funding formula from a reimbursement model to a census-based block grant. 

I am a reflective thinker and consider multiple sides and positions, but my advisement and decisions are student-centered. 

Waterbury HUUSD School Board write-in candidate Jacqueline Kelleher with her husband Dan Comea. Courtesy photo

I hope you will consider writing in the name Jacqueline Kelleher on your ballot this election season. I will commit to the work and energy it takes to lead and support. Please feel free to email me directly with any questions: Kellcom6@aol.com. It would be an honor to receive your vote! 

Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you!

Jacqueline Kelleher

Waterbury