To the Editor:
Fortunate for the residents of the 149th General Assembly District Livvy Floren is running for her seventh term to represent these citizens with her faithful concern, conscientious work ethic, driving determination and fiscally conservative voice. I know that Livvy works tirelessly on many issues, but I know first-hand how this representative has been an effective voice for our children and their need for an excellent education.
As a legislator, she has always supported local control of education and fought against unfunded mandates. She supported the final education reform legislation—the consensus bill crafted by the executive and legislative branches of the state government. She has voted to finance early childhood education and reading readiness. She feels that the best initiative is universal early childhood education and early literacy, which have worked well in Stamford. She advocated protecting children’s health by eliminating pesticide use in schools. Livvy has also supported a more equitable education cost sharing for Greenwich and Stamford. She appreciates the value of vocational-technical opportunities, especially important for Wright-Tech School.
Livvy advocates for our children’s educational rights not from a standpoint of opinion, but from experience. She has served on countless school boards, as her children went through school. Most noteworthy include: Board President at Round Hill Nursery School; PTA President at Greenwich High School; Board President at Greenwich Country Day School; advisory board member at Bridges School. Although her children have grown, she continues to remain actively involved in our local schools. Currently, she is working to obtain additional private funding for MISA and to facilitate State cooperation with Superintendent McKersie as he addresses the racial balance challenge.
Where ever and when ever there is an educational need, I can count on Livvy to pursue a solution and to deliver. I cannot endorse a finer person fighting for the educational rights of the children and families and for fiscal responsibility at every level.
Leigh Retzler
Greenwich, CT
