District E, Democrat
Describe how your occupation assists you in serving on the BOE and give three brief but specific examples.
My two brothers, two sisters and I learned early as we worked in our parents’ restaurant business that team work by cooperating and supporting each and cheerful responses to the public were key. This style of work ethic combined with the knowledge gained from four decades of teaching math and science in public middle and high schools put me in a strong position to contribute effectively on the board. Also, because I am retired I am able to put the time and effort that the task deserves.
What do you see as the top three issues facing our school system?
The three top issues facing our school system are safety for children and school staff, addressing reading and math skill loss from the pandemic, and adjusting schools to support these challenging times all our students experience.
Teacher burnout is a real issue for districts around the country. What do you plan to do to alleviate this in Norwalk?
When I retired a few years ago, I was amazed at how many people in their 30’s and 40’s came to me to express their desire to retire. Demands for teachers pile up and being overwhelmed with the work is real. Specific praise for strong efforts made by teachers is something I believe in. I thank every teacher for their work each time I see them. Promoting effective strategies also such as the WIN, “What I Need” program helps. WIN is a 40 minute program each day in all NPS K-8 for all students. All the students “get what they need” be it an exciting project for gifted students, or a deeper exploration for achieving students, or a highly skilled interventionist in language or math for a very small group of struggling students. One Language Interventionist teacher reported to the Curriculum Committee on which I preside, that she woke up every morning so excited to go to school because of the progress she could see her students making. Doing meaningful work and being noticed for doing it softens the emotional toll teachers experience.
There is a constant public battle between city government, the school board, and concerned citizens. It seems that all are “dug in” with their positions, eager to “defeat” the other to win their own agenda. What would you specifically propose to bring all groups to the table to solve issues rather than fight about them? Policy changes and revisions can certainly be part of your answer.
The battle, as your NoN staff put it, has been noticed by outside experts, the Efficiency Study 2022, and by all of us inside feeling sometimes that we are in a drama production rather than a group of serious adults sorting out complex and deeply impactful issues. Every season is a fresh start. Getting to know each other in other settings is a place to begin to develop openness. The current election season has provided many of us from the BOE and Common Council a chance to debate and knock on doors together. We are all conscious that we need to work on building good relationships. This is a deep concern for me. One proposal I am developing is to have a workshop of all three groups: the City, BOE and concerned citizens to team-build while studying a topic other than the budget. Artificial Intelligence (AI) would be a neutral and engaging topic to begin to understand how to work together while learning. The director of WorkspaceCT, a nearby maker-center has assured me that it could host such a team building experience.
Information compiled by Bob Giolitto, a volunteer.
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