NORWICH – In spite of an almost non-existant turnout as well as the absence of the three school board incumbents seeking another term, “Meet the Candidates Night” pressed on at Stanford Gibson Primary on Thursday, giving Norwich School Board hopefuls a chance to pitch their ideas for district-wide improvements.
Norwich School Board hopefuls pitched their ideas for district-wide improvements at a “Meet the Candidates” night hosted at Gibson Primary School on Thursday.
Jennifer Collins, a retired Norwich native and graduate of the Norwich City School District, and Robert Smith, a 17-year resident and massage business owner, are vying for a three-year seat on the board. Three positions are up for grabs this year, currently filled by board members Joseph Stagliano (president), Perry Owen, and Tom Morrone (an appointee fulfilling the final year of a previous term). All three incumbents are seeking another term.
Stagliano, Owen and Morrone were all absent from Thursday’s discussion due to conflicting obligations; however, event organizer and Norwich Educators Organization President Eric Cunningham said they had been contacted and sent their regrets for not being able to attend.
With an eye on issues including financial hardships, contentious education reform policies and improving communication between the district and the community, Collins and Smith both say they’re ready to step into the role of leadership.
In terms of budget building, there ought to be continual collaboration between board members and district executives, Smith argued. “Unfortunately, the board meets only once a month and they don’t know every single detail about the budget,” he said. “The board has to take responsibility to look at it, but they do need help. There should be a connection between the board and the superintendent and deputy superintendent.”
In addition to maintaining that connection, Collins supports the notion of sub-committees consisting of select board members, each committee focusing solely on specific budgetary issues.
“In overseeing and working with the administrators who are putting the budget together, that may be a good way to keep control of it,” she said. “We also want to watch for any spike in expense as an indication that something is going awry.”
As for community relations, Smith and Collins agreed there should be more transparency between the school board and the public. Each claim there have been lackluster efforts on behalf of the district to get information out to the community, and there should be improved outreach between parents and district officials.
“I hear of lot of things from my kids about what’s going on in the school that I don’t hear from the school district,” Smith said. “There has to be communication. If there is no communication, the school is not going to get any better. By talking to parents, I have seen that a lot of parents do not trust this district because they say they’re not getting the whole picture.”
“Bridges are built with open dialogue and communication,” said Collins. “If the community and the parents feel that the board and the administration are addressing the concerns, providing information and being transparent, the bridges will be automatically built.”
Concerning education reform: “We have to rely and trust on teachers and administrators to help us gather information from the respective organizations they’re involved in to help the board make decision,” said Collins. “Of course, it’s incumbent on us as board members to stay informed of what’s going on at a local level and what’s happening at a state and national level too.”
“I think it’s up to members of the board to really keep up on it. I know we can’t keep up with everything, but it’s up to the superintendent, deputy superindependent and teacher representatives to keep us informed on anything that we might have missed,” Smith said.
The two candidates also agreed that it’s the responsibility of the board to make informed decisions in regards to disputed educational issues like high-stakes testing, teacher evaluations, and the implementation of teacher modules, or prepared lesson plans which are offered by the state.
Residents in the Norwich City School District will have a say on who fills the three expired seats of the board when they head to the polls on Tuesday.
The district’s $40.4 million budget for the 2015-2016 school year also goes to vote Tuesday. The budget comes with a 1.2 percent increase in spending in order to maintain programming, but calls for a 0 percent tax levy increase.