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Welcome to the 2021 New Canaan Candidates Debate for the Board of Education. This is being moderated by the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of New Canaan.

Thanks to Town Hall for the debate space, and to New Canaan Public Access, channel 79 for tonight's live-stream. There are 3 ways to watch: on channel 79, on 79's YouTube, and also on our League of Women Voters of New Canaan Facebook page. After tonight, a recording of this program will be available on channel 79 and on our website, LWVNEWCANAAN.ORG. A reminder that edited or partial usage of tonight's program is not permitted.

First, the up-side: We're seeing much greater interest in municipal elections this year across the nation, and that's a good thing. Municipal government affects our lives daily and directly, from pot holes to parks to property taxes and of course, our schools, the lifeblood of our town.

The down-side: Board of Education races all over have been fodder for police logs as well as comedy shows, but there's nothing funny about it. A strong democracy relies on a well-informed, constructively engaged electorate.

Well-informed by listening and learning from credible sources that are low on drama and high on substance, that may not always tell us what we want or expect to hear.

Constructively engaged by voting and solving our problems together, often through compromise. Governance is problem solving, it is hard work for the head, it's incredibly hard work for the heart. It is a human process. We are people, not just platforms.

The nonpartisan League of Women Voters is here, to cut through the noise as much as possible and share information with public purpose.

We thank YOU, candidates, for your willingness to serve the public, and we urge those of you watching at home to please consult the League's NONPARTISAN VOTERS GUIDE for more information on these and all the candidates, they are worth your time. A short version is being mailed to New Canaan households, but to access the entire guide go to our website to find it, LWVNEWCANAAN.ORG, or to VOTE411.org, the League's national site for one-stop voter education no matter where you are in the country.

Questions for tonight were solicited from the public IN ADVANCE and we received a great many. Following the League's nonpartisan guidelines, our carefully selected team reviews the questions and often rewrites them for:

comprehensiveness,

fairness,

applicability to all the candidates in that race,

and relevance to the office.

Candidates have agreed in writing to detailed debate rules, which include sticking to the time limits, answering the question being asked, and more. The moderator will enforce the rules throughout.

Finally, our moderator, Laura Smits, is President of LWV of CT. She served on the Weston Board of Education from 2001-2005, and as a Registrar of Voters there from 2008-2016. She worked on and moderated many election events and programs and served as the state League's Voter Services VP from 2019-2021. Thank you, Laura, and welcome.