Biography: 

My name is Michael Hansen, I am a father to two daughters whom I adore and a husband to my lovely wife who is the glue to our family.  I am pro-labor and have worked in the trades for 19 years.  Currently I work for Amtrak as the Supervisor of the Communications department for the CT shoreline and the Hartford line up to Springfield.  In the wild, I am often spotted covered in dirt, oil, rust, or some combination of the three due to my love of gardening, vintage bicycles, and antique automobiles.

1. Why are you running for the Region 18 Board of Education, and what skills or experiences make you the right candidate for that role?

I am confident all sitting board members, candidates, and myself share the same primary motivation in running for the Region 18 Board of Education. Volunteering to serve the community and ensure the students of the region receive an education that prepares them to thrive in this challenging world is a priority we surely share. What pushed me to go from concerned parent attending BOE meetings to candidate running for the BOE was the policy and funding uncertainty at the federal level derived from the gutting of the Department of Education, and Presidential actions being signed that threaten federal funds as well as LGBTQ students. From my work on the board of directors of the Lyme, Old Lyme Food Share Garden to my time with the Connecticut Army National Guard I have remained dedicated to serving my community. I have 19 years of experience in skilled labor/construction including the design, execution, and oversight of projects with budgets from a few thousand to 1.3 billion dollars.  I believe this background would be of value during current and future infrastructure improvements as well as allow me to speak from experience when advocating for our students who may choose to pursue the trades themselves.

2. In order of importance, what do you see as the top three challenges facing Region 18 over the next four years?

1. Continued inflation pressures, rising insurance premiums, and the effects of tariffs continue to add to the rising cost of living. Even here in Old Lyme people are feeling the financial strain. These same increasing costs impact the budget of our schools. It will be a difficult task to balance maintaining the exceptional quality of our schools while ensuring we do not place undue additional financial strain on our residents.
2. With the signing of the presidential action titled “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling” on January 29^th, 2025, the current administration expressed its desire to coerce the education system through the withholding of funds. It then followed up by gutting the Department of Education and announcing plans to shutter the department in the future. Over the next four years we can expect to see continued efforts to undermine the availability of a quality public education.
3. The use of AI by staff and students is possibly the challenge with the greatest uncertainty.  The AI bubble is just as likely to burst as it is to take hold. We also do not know the long-term effects on learning development when part of the process is being farmed out to a large language model.

3. How can the school board help keep costs under control while maintaining the district’s reputation for academic excellence and extracurricular opportunities?

During the most recent budget process the residents of Lyme, Old Lyme came out in force to fight for the music program. Their efforts showed the communities’ commitment to excellence in our schools and the programs we offer. When talking about keeping costs down it’s important to always do it from the perspective of maintaining that quality our residents expect and deserve. One area that will be important to look at this year will be procurement of supplies for both classroom use as well as construction upgrades. As tariffs continue to impact more imported goods we need to identify what items will be affected and at what percentage. We can then look at supplier changes to find a more favorable source or consider stocking up on known needed items before a particular tariff takes effect.

4. Amid the ongoing national debate over parents’ rights, how should the Board of Education handle conflicts between parents and the district over curriculum, instruction, learning materials or student support?

Parents have the right to choose if public, private, or religious school is right for their child.  They also have the right to be heard at the ballot box and BOE meetings.  Unfortunately the term “parents’ rights” has been turned into a cudgel by some to be wielded in the culture war.  The largest target of this effort seems to be the LGBTQ community and I do not support the use of the term “parents’ rights” to enforce an individuals’ desire to oppress or erase another person’s right to exist.