Patch Candidate Profile: Kate Kutash For Shelton Board Of Education

SHELTON, CT — Election Day on Nov. 4 is fast approaching, and there are a number of key races on the ballot.

Patch reached out to candidates for office to get more information on their campaigns and the issues that are facing their towns.

Candidate's Name:

Kate Kutash

What office are you seeking?

Board of Education

What town do you live in?

Shelton

Party Affiliation:

Democrat

Occupation:

Retired elementary teacher

Family:

Husband, Steve, a Shelton native. Two grown daughters, Kelly and Sarah, who are both living out of state and have gone on to rewarding careers. And a new granddaughter, Addison!

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Previous public office, appointive or elective:

I was first elected to BOE in 2009 and have served seven terms.

Why are you seeking this office?

I wish to continue my record of advocating for quality education in Shelton, attempting to acquire adequate funding to maintain small class size and special area teachers dedicated to each building.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it:

Financing the schools. I will continue to advocate for improved support from City Hall.

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

First, my 43 years in education. Second my 14 years of experience in Shelton’s BOE. I have a lot of background knowledge and history to share.

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

GIVING EXAMPLES! An example of what happens without adequate funding: we have kindergarten class size at one school of 26 and 27, several children with behavior challenges. In my early years on the board, we would have been able to hire a third teacher and created another class and been able to create another class and separate some of the behavior issues. This year we merely hired a teacher tutor “to pull small groups for instruction.”

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

I have a near perfect record of attendance at all BOE monthly meetings and committee meetings whether I am a member of the committee or not. I am frequently in attendance at events at the schools, especially when invited. In addition I serve as Shelton’s representative to the Cooperative Educational Services Rep Council and serve as its VP.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

“Take off your teacher hat and….” But after retrospection on this I have learned to think of both sides of a problem!