Introduction

Stephen Michaels is an enthusiastic Republican candidate for the Glastonbury Board of Education, committed to enriching the lives of the community’s youngest and most vital assets—its children. A resident of Glastonbury for over a decade, Stephen and his wife, Jennine, are the proud parents of four sons: Gavin, Patrick, Mason, and Connor. Each of their children attends a different school within the Glastonbury Public Schools system, giving Stephen a unique and comprehensive understanding of the educational landscape in the town.

Professional Background

Stephen’s professional background in Financial Services equips him with valuable skills that are transferrable to educational governance. Having consulted with multimillion-dollar organizations, he is well-versed in fiscal responsibility, income statements, balance sheets, and budget management. Stephen is committed to ensuring that every dollar allocated to Glastonbury’s schools will be used effectively to benefit students, athletes, musicians, artists, and teachers.

Vision for the Future

He emphasizes the importance of collaboration, transparency, and open communication, inviting community members to join him in shaping Glastonbury’s educational future. Stephen’s vision for this is built on four pillars:

  1. Academic Excellence: Striving for top-tier educational standards, including smaller class sizes.
  2. Innovation: Incorporating modern teaching methods and embracing new technologies.
  3. Empowerment: Preparing students with real-life skills like financial management and computer literacy.
  4. True Acceptance: Creating an inclusive environment where every student feels welcome and part of a larger community.

Citizen Questions

If elected, what one objective would you like to see the town achieve or work toward?

I’m running to further our history of excellence for my kids and kids after them. In my term, I’d like to reduce class sizes, improve financial literacy, fix the parking problems at GHS, and unify our schools K-12 under one identity. If I had to choose only one, I’d like to reduce class sizes. Glastonbury has not moved up the proverbial state rankings since I moved to town over a decade ago, and all those above us have a focus on this credential. With current and looming capacity issues in our schools, the five and 10 year plan should keenly address this in a fiscally responsible manner. Comes back to fiscal diligence and every penny counts.

What insight or oversight should the Board of Education have concerning the district’s curriculum?

According to policy 6141, this is a core function of the Board of Education. Here is a brief excerpt: “The Glastonbury Board of Education shall establish, with the advice of the professional staff, the instructional program in the Glastonbury Public Schools. Whenever curriculum guides and courses of study are developed, they shall be submitted to the Board of Education for review.” Curriculum begins and ends with the BOE, and the BOE should seek outside expertise from the wonderful Glastonbury community to serve on curriculum subcommittees and provide feedback on which the BOE can act.

What is the most important responsibility of the Board of Education?

The Board of Education creates a system by which GPS can produce young adults that are ready to take on the challenges of post-graduation life. Building young people driven to succeed and contribute in a positive way to society. These young adults should be ready to start a career, pursue postsecondary education, or even set off on an adventure of their own. They should be fiscally literate as in able to understand basic concepts like budgeting, banking, savings, taxes, insurance, 401ks, etc. and proud to have been a part of GPS. The BOE’s top responsibility is to ensure GPS is accomplishing this task through their system or adjust if needed.

Letters to Editor

You can often learn a great deal about a candidate from their letters written to the Glastonbury Citizen. The link to to the letter text is found in the dates below.

This letter advocates for unifying Glastonbury Public Schools under a single symbol or mascot to foster a sense of community and belonging, suggesting that the lack of such unity may be a factor in students leaving for private schools

October 5th 2023

The letter criticizes the BoE for allegedly suppressing open discussion and Republican voices, questions the sincerity of the school district’s teaching policies, and argues that true respect for differing opinions is lacking.

April 28th 2022

The letter explains the reasons for running: improve transparency, communication, and representation, and he outlines specific questions and concerns ranging from school closures and redistricting to technology choices and academic expectations.

Summer 2021

This letter criticizes the existing system for introducing political agendas such as pronoun usage and content related to Critical Race Theory, and calls for a renewed focus on educational excellence devoid of ideological influences.

Summer 2021

This letter covers Stephen’s promise to focus on educational excellence, question current school policies they consider misleading—such as the semantics surrounding Critical Race Theory—and advocate for more transparent communication, fiscal responsibility, and parent involvement.

Fall 2021