Interview: BOE Candidate Lisa Luft

Lisa Luft, a Democratic candidate for the Weston Board of Education, is a current member of the board. A 30-year career educator, she retired from the New York City Department of Education three years ago.

“I think it was a really important year on the Board of Education,” said Ms. Luft, speaking about recent accomplishments. “We tackled problems and looked for long-term solutions. A lot of it was hiring really important people.”

“As Jim Collins [author of “Good to Great”] says, you need the right people in the right seats on the bus.” With her Democratic colleagues already serving on the board and those running for it, she said, “I think there few boards of education in Connecticut with the expertise that we can bring. So I’m very excited.”

Facilities

A major challenge that remains, said Ms. Luft, is addressing conditions at Weston Middle School and other facilities. “This is a problem that’s really facing our whole town. We are a community-based town, very much school-centered. We have every opportunity to have more than good schools, but the best schools.”

Ms. Luft said it is important that the Board of Education have effective subcommittees that “address problems and take community input extremely seriously.”

“It’s important to reach consensus about a current issue and solve it, whether the issue is antisemitism or security or anything else. Then you have to address it thoughtfully. I think we’ve done a good job of that.”

Educational outcomes

Ms. Luft said the schools have been “reinvigorated” with two new principals and a new superintendent. “And you know we have excellent teachers. Leadership is really important for the culture and academic environment in the schools, so I’m proud that we brought in excellent leaders.”

“What we’ve done is provide the tools and framework to keep Weston schools at the forefront of education. We set a high standard for academic excellence, so we need to maintain that through best practices, instructional technologies, leadership, staffing, and the facilities needed to continue that process.”

“For much of my career,” said Ms. Luft, “I was a turnaround principal. That experience matters. We may live in a time where some people don’t believe that anymore, but it really does matter. Having dealt with issues, knowing how to resolve them, knowing what works and what doesn’t, is really important.”

“But I still go to professional development,” she said. “Education is just in my brain.”

“There’s no substitute for having experience to reach consensus on thorny problems where people have different points of view. I’ve made a career of that,” said Ms. Luft.

What it takes

“The secret is that it’s all about listening and living in gray. There’s no black and white. There is no one right answer. There is no one wrong answer. We have to get to gray.”

Ms. Luft said this principle applies to addressing the condition of schools. “We need to take decisive action, but we have to listen to people. We know a lot now. We know what we can afford. We may need a new middle school. But what does a new middle school look like?”

“The answer probably won’t be everything the superintendent wants, or everything the selectmen want. In the end, we will have to reach consensus and live with gray. We’ve got to get it right for Weston schools and the Weston community. I’m confident that we can.”

Asked what it takes to be an effective member of the Board of Education, Ms. Luft said, “it takes a lot of time and requires a lot of work.”

“I don’t think anyone has an idea about how much time we put in. A lot of meetings, a lot of committee work, a lot of individual work. If you watch our meetings, you see members calling in from hotel rooms, airport terminals, and their cars.”

“So yes, it’s a big commitment,” said Ms. Luft. “You have to be willing and able to put in the time. If you’re passionate about students getting the very best they can, it’s all worth it.”

Also see our interviews with Board of Education candidates Deborah Low and Nicole Wallach.

Editor’s Note: Weston Today also invited Jason Lee, the Republican candidate for the Board of Education, to join us for an interview. Mr. Lee did not respond to our invitation.