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10/20/2021 08:00 AM

Experience, Knowledge, and Commitment


I am writing to endorse the continued candidacy of Cristy Cantu as a member of the Branford Board of Education. I am a retired Branford teacher with more than 20 years of experience. I have known Cristy for the past eight years having had the pleasure of teaching both of her children. I have come to admire and respect her hard work, dedication, and determination to raise the level of education for the children of Branford.

As a social worker at Yale University, Cristy brings her professional experience and knowledge of the mental health profession to the field of education. She has an acute awareness of the multifaceted needs of our children. Her belief in the importance of educating the entire child is of equal importance to me. She knows that in order to support the academic growth of our students, we must also take into account their emotional and social wellbeing, as those two factors are the gatekeepers to academic success in today’s challenging times.

Cristy holds strong views of her own but listens, and is open, to learning from others’ perspectives. I have had many conversations with Cristy where I have shared my belief that the Branford Board of Education should be a place where all who are dedicated to the pursuit of academic excellence for our students should be able to speak freely and openly about how to achieve that goal. For these reasons, I believe Cristy Cantu is dedicated to providing an open forum for all stakeholders in the education of Branford students.

Her experience, knowledge, and commitment make her an excellent candidate to continue to serve on the Branford Board of Education.

Leslie Stewart

Branford