We are all the product of the decisions and actions of those who came before us. In my case, my father came to the United States as a fourteen-year-old boy with his older brother and younger sister, leaving his parents behind in Cuba, and fleeing the Cuban revolution. My mother is a self-made woman who, as an adult and mother of three children, returned to school and went from a GED to a highly successful career as an elementary principal. Each of my parents had overcome significant adversity, and through their actions, my siblings and I saw firsthand the importance of hard work, education and opportunity.

These formative experiences and values are largely responsible for my career choices and my belief that a quality public education system is an essential pillar of the American Dream. We must provide all children with a quality education so that they have the opportunity to meet their own fullest potential.

I have held many positions in education throughout my career. I was a high school and middle school history teacher, a high school and middle school assistant principal, and a middle school principal. After that, I served as an associate superintendent, and the superintendent of both Rocky Hill and Windsor Public Schools. Along the way, I struggled to make changes in the system so that it would better serve all children. I frequently encountered resistance. Even at the level of superintendent, I saw that there were necessary changes that were beyond my reach, changes that required reforms in policy at the state and national levels. As an educator, these things pain me. I simply do not want barriers from within our public education model to impede possibilities for our children.

I have also seen the school system through the eyes of a father. I have the pleasure of raising six children, aged 2 to 17, (Yes we are the modern Brady Bunch!). And I’ve have spent plenty of time on the other side of the table—as a parent meeting with school officials. I know what it is to want the best for your kids, and I know that, as a state and a nation, we can do better.

Being a parent, an educator, a school leader, and an American citizen has made one truth very clear to me: every child, no matter her background or circumstances, has the innate capacity to learn. That’s why, for me, there is a sense of urgency to ensure that every child–regardless of race, ethnicity, or socio-economic status–is given a high quality education.

I am so excited to join CCER in its efforts to secure an excellent education for every child in Connecticut, without exception.