Children & Education

Kara is a strong advocate for education, youth programming, childcare, and our kids.  She cares, and she delivers.

Kara has:

• Brought in tens of millions in new education dollars for Ansonia and Derby Schools
• Secured $100,000 annually for the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley to offer free teen programming for Ansonia & Derby youth, with special hours and programming for high schoolers
• Secured $150,000 in new precision manufacturing training equipment for Emmett O'Brian Technical High School, so more of our kids can gain hands-on training
• Supported additional state funding towards school-based programs addressing childhood literacy, special education and more
• Supported over $800 million towards the CT Early Childhood Education Endowment to work towards making free or deeply affordable childcare a reality for all CT families. Once fully funded, all households making less than $100k will have free childcare, and no family will pay more than 7% of their annual income toward childcare
• Expanded the Aspiring Educators Program to bring in more aspiring teachers in understaffed areas with the offer of a real pathway to a career & help in local classrooms
• Established a new annual grant for special education, given to schools across the state
• Launched new literacy interventions and tutoring options, and updated guidelines for math intervention specialists and set up multi-tiered support for students struggling to read
• Established cardiac health assessments for student athletes
• Improved communications between youth camps and state police, requiring staff to be trained mandated reporters
• Banned toxic heavy metals in baby food

Kara continues to be fighter for our children, whether in pursuing funding for local youth programming, funding for in-school technical job training or the adjustment of the Education Cost Sharing Formula (ECS), she remains dedicated to building a better future, for young Valley children.