Category Archives: Press

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James Neunzig seeks a second term serving on the Board of Education

Biography, Press Release, slate,

James Neunzig has served on the Board of Education (BOE) for the previous four years. His most recent role is Chair whose term completes at the end of this year.  He now seeks a second term serving on that Board of Education.

 

James was asked why he is running again and why he would continue to be a valuable member of the BOE.

“Having served the Board of Education (BOE) for the previous four years, I am eager to continue the momentum of that work. I am the current BOE chairperson. If Sherman does re-elect me for another four-year term and you elect Kate Kelley Frey, I would likely have the privilege of serving as the BOE Chairperson for the next two years. Either way, I will work tirelessly.

“My style is to work in partnership with parents, other citizens, and town leaders to address the important issues meaningful to the Sherman community. Investing our tax dollars wisely towards the best school experience for not only the near-term but also for the future is essential to me.

“My wife Kara and I have lived in Sherman for more than 20 years with our three children, all of them have attended The Sherman School.  I am the owner of J.P. Gifford Market, Giffords Catering, and J.P. Gifford Café.  I have over 30 years of experience in the Hospitality business.

“After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America with an AOS in Culinary Arts, I earned a business degree in Hotel, Restaurant & Institutions Management from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. During that time, I taught culinary arts and restaurant management to undergraduates at the university.

“From those experiences, the most important ability I developed was to listen first and foremost. Ask questions.  Seek expert advice. Gather the facts and carefully form a position that could evolve as new information and perspectives come into focus. Sometimes the result is going in directions originally unexpected. I consider myself to be very thoughtful and reflective and do not make snap decisions.

“I believe in and love our small town.  Even in Sherman, I’ve seen a rich diversity of viewpoints from a wide range of backgrounds. Our children reflect that diversity which must be nurtured along with our commonality,  in our schools, community, and how we administer the BOE.  I want the BOE to foster a safe, congenial, and wonderful educational experience. I want this for my own children and for all my neighbors’ children. I want the school environment to be one in which our more senior members of our community want to volunteer and feel a strong connection to this vital hub of our town—regardless of whether you have children or not.

“My experiences in business have given me the flexibility needed to work with an evolving BOE—one that will experience the departure and arrival of several board members. Both BOE versions share similar goals and going forward, I expect, the new to have some different approaches.  Essential is to respect and use the groundwork laid by the previous BOE and to build on that. To those stepping down, I have gratitude for their hard work and hours of volunteer time. To those willing to step forward, and give thanks and encouragement.

“My commitments bring a full life and am glad I am able to compartmentalize and be the best parent, husband, small businessman, BOE-member, taxpayer, voter, the charitable person I can be with little compromise. I usually donate anonymously and am reluctant to mention the extent to which my businesses and I have freely provided wine dinners, delectables, and staffing to events supporting the Sherman Library, the Sherman Historical Society, and the Sherman Parent-Teachers Organization, and many others. I don’t keep track, don’t care for recognition, and do it just to help. I mention it only for those unfamiliar with me.

“What aspect of being on the BOE have I enjoyed the most? I’ve especially enjoyed the company of both past and present board members. I see everyone’s intent as pure. If re-elected, I will ensure that we efficiently/effectively invest in our children’s educational experience for not only the near-term but also for the future. I will ensure our community is regularly informed of our efforts.

 

Matt Vogt seeks a full term serving on the Board of Education

Biography, Press Release, slate, ,

Matt Vogt has served the Board of Education (BOE) for the previous two years after being appointed to fill a seat vacated by Missy Alexander moving from the area. Matt now seeks a full term serving on the Board of Education, he runs for this seat unopposed.

Matt was asked why he wants to return to BOE and why he would continue to be a valuable member of the BOE.

For the last year, I have had the honor to fill a seat on the Board of Education by appointment. I hope to continue to fill that seat for the remaining two years of its term. As a small business owner, I bring my experience in operations and budgeting, with an understanding of the balance needed between the financial requirements of operating the school district and the realities of its existence within the framework of such a small town.

Providing the best possible education for our students is paramount. I also feel an acute responsibility to maintain this highly valuable center of our community for our town and for the future generations of Sherman School students to come. I appreciate the opportunity to continue serving the town of Sherman and its school district.

As a lifelong resident of the town of Sherman, I truly believe that its greatest asset is the Sherman School. I spent nine years at the school from Kindergarten through Eighth grade, so I know firsthand the value of the experience Sherman has to offer. I was away from town for about 5 years but when I returned, my step-son entered the school for his 7th-grade year and thrived in the Sherman environment in a way that he was not able to in his previous school district. This strongly reinforced for me the importance of maintaining this school for future generations. He is now 18, I also have a daughter who is 21, twin daughters who are 6, and a son who is 19 months.

 

 

Unopposed, Joel Bruzinksi, well known town volunteer, seeks Selectman post

Biography, Press Release, slate, ,

Unopposed, Joel Bruzinksi, well-known town volunteer, seeks Selectman’s post.

When asked why he would make a good Selectman and why he is running, Joel replied:

“I hope to leverage the skill set I have acquired over the last two decades as the General Manager of an exceptionally challenging business. Combine that with the experiences of serving on various town boards and commissions, as well as volunteering for town organizations, I will be a steady and thoughtful advocate for Sherman’s best interests.”

Joel continues…

“While living on Sherman’s “Front Porch” for the last twenty-three years (his house is opposite the Sherman Library) I have developed a unique perspective into the evolution of the day-to-day happenings of our wonderful community. ”

 

Unopposed, Don Lowe seeks third term as First Selectman

Biography, Press Release, slate, ,

Don Lowe seeks his third term as First Selectman. He runs unopposed. He is well qualified!

Don has served as Sherman’s First Selectman since January 1, 2018.

Prior to that, he was a Selectman from 2015-17 and also a Selectman from 2003-08. Other boards and commissions: Planning and Zoning (2000-02); Land Acquisition Fund –chairman (2005 – present); Sherman Higher Education Fund Board (2000 – present).

Don has been an active volunteer on many fronts in Sherman including land conservation, Senior citizens, arts and entertainment, adult education, the library, the Historical Society, and the Weed Warriors.

Prior to becoming First Selectman, Don worked in an administrative position for Orange County Community College and he taught English, writing, communications, and public speaking as an adjunct professor at several colleges.

He also enjoys a quaint regional career as a singer/songwriter and can be seen performing in many local and regional venues. Originally from North Dakota, Don has lived in Sherman since 1999 and is married to Broadway dancer, Mary Ann Lamb. They have 3 children, David (34), Connor (27), and Rose (18).

Danbury’s superintendent makes $20 per student. Sherman’s makes $887 per student. Here’s why

Debate, Hot Topics, Newsletter, Press Clipping, Published Article
June 12, 2021 Updated: June 12, 2021 9:58 p.m.
Written by
Photo of Julia Perkins
Julia Perkins

Experience, performance and their community’s affluence are among the factors local school boards consider as they set their superintendents’ salaries.

Superintendent average compensation in Fairfield County is higher than in other parts of the state, a Hearst Connecticut Media analysis found. The highest salaries are in southwestern Connecticut.

“But we also have to realize that property is much more expensive in that end of the state, so it costs more for living expenses, etc,” said Fran Rabinowitz, executive director of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents.

“It is also a municipality’s ability to pay, which goes into property taxes and all of that,” she added. “It really is dependent on the wealth of the community.”

School board chairs and other officials said they thought the superintendent salaries in their communities were fair.

“It’s fairly compensated,” said Peggy Katkocin, New Fairfield’s school board chair. “I know we walk a delicate line because it’s taxpayer money.”

Superintendents sometimes get various perks. For example, in Bethel, Superintendent Christine Carver received a $10,000 stipend upon the completion of the renovations to Rockwell and Johnson elementary schools.

Rabinowitz said she’s seen that in other districts.

“A superintendent spends an incredible amount of time outside of the normal duties of a superintendent working on a renovation project,” she said.

To become a superintendent, educators must complete a certification program approved by the Connecticut Board of Education. A doctorate degree is not required, but many districts pay more if the superintendent has a Ph.D.

“There is high demand for top quality superintendents, so the wages clearly reflect that,” Redding First Selectwoman Julia Pemberton said. “For a school district like Redding, we want in a superintendent one of the best educators in the state and even the nation.”

Superintendents in Danbury, Brookfield, Bethel, Ridgefield, New Fairfield, Newtown, Sherman, and Easton, Redding and Region 9 have doctorate degrees.

“You need to get really qualified people who are not only good educators, but good administrators and incredibly good communicators to do these jobs,” Brookfield First Selectman Steve Dunn said.

Pay per student

The pay per student varies greatly in the Danbury area, with Sherman’s Superintendent-Principal Jeff Melendez earning about $887 per student, compared to the around $20 per student that Danbury Superintendent Sal Pascarella gets.

More Information

Superintendent pay per student

Sherman: $887.42

Region 12: $298.59

New Fairfield: $107.94

Brookfield: $93.73

Region 9: $90.04

Bethel: $75.26

Region 15: $67.03

Ridgefield: $57.95

Newtown: $54.45

New Milford: $52.08*

Danbury: $20.10

Per a Hearst Connecticut Media analysis of 153 superintendent contracts in the state

*This figure reflects the superintendent’s salary when she was the interim leader

Danbury area superintendent salaries

Ridgefield Susie Da Silva: $264,000 (No. 11 in the state)

Brookfield John Barile: $240,240 (No. 21 in the state)

Danbury Sal Pasarella: $237,874 (No. 23 in state)

Region 15 Josh Smith: $235,487 (No. 27 in state)

Bethel Christine Carver: $232,492 (No. 29 in state)

New Fairfield Pat Cosentino: $230,125 (No. 31 in state)

Easton, Redding, Region 9 Rydell Harrison: $225,000 (No. 34 in state)

Sherman Jeffrey Melendez: $223,631 (No. 35 in state)

Newtown Lorrie Rodrigue: $220,692 (No. 39 in state)

Region 12 Megan Bennett: $205,428 (No. 55 in the state)

New Milford Alisha DiCorpo: $194,400* (No. 85 in the state)

Per a Hearst Connecticut Media analysis of 153 superintendent contracts in the state

*This figure reflects the superintendent’s salary when she was the interim leader

The salary for Danbury’s superintendent appears “quite low given the number of students that there are and the number of challenges,” Rabinowitz said.

Superintendents still have many of the same responsibilities, regardless of district size, Rabinowitz said. Most superintendents work at least 60 hours a week, she said.

“The work is the work,” said Christine Carver, superintendent in Bethel who makes about $232,000 and runs a district of around 3,000 students. “It doesn’t matter if you have 18,000 students or 3,100 students.”

But she noted urban districts have a “tremendous amount of increased needs.”

Dunn said he was initially surprised superintendents in bigger districts like Bridgeport or Hartford didn’t earn two to three times Brookfield’s superintendent. John Barile earns about $240,000, which is almost $94 per student.

But Dunn said he realized smaller towns “have the capability to attract really qualified people.”

“To do that, you’ve got to pay more money,” he said.

He said Barile’s salary is fair.

“I don’t think we should be paying ours less,” Dunn said. “I think Hartford should be paying more.”

Barile has done a “superb” job in Brookfield and recently signed another three-year contract, Dunn said.

“I don’t see these as out of place,” Dunn said. “These salaries are what they should be.”

Superintendent Pat Cosentino earns about $230,000 to run the about 2,000-student New Fairfield school system, while Rydell Harrison gets $225,000 from the 2,500-student district of Easton, Redding and Region 9.

Newtown’s Lorrie Rodrigue makes less than $221,000 in the around 4,000-student district.

Megan Bennett earns about $205,000 running the 688-student Region 12, which serves Bridgewater, Roxbury and Washington. She said she has a smaller office staff than larger districts.

“You’re doing more roles in a smaller district,” she said.

Alisha DiCorpo, who became New Milford’s superintendent in February, earned about $194,000 running the about 3,700-student district when she was interim superintendent. A contract signed in March put her salary at $202,000, with an additional $2,000 annuity.

“You really cant compare one superintendency to another,” said Greg Cava, chair of the Region 12 school board. “No. 1, they are different levels of experience. No 2, they are different levels of taxation expectations. No. 3, they have different jobs. Superintendents in Connecticut do different things from town to town.”

School budgets in Region 12 have stayed fairly consistent over the years, Cava said.

“I don’t think anyone is saying we can’t pay the superintendent X dollars because the taxpayers won’t stand for it,” he said.

Factors in pay

New Fairfield looks at the superintendent’s ability to lead and engage with the community, as well as how she has met her goals and how students rank academically against other schools in the state, among other factors in setting the salary, Katkocin said.

“Unfortunately, I think sometime people think you should only evaluate superintendents on whether they make everyone happy,” she said. “That’s impossible for any leader anywhere.”

In Newtown, the board considers the superintendent’s performance and local and general economic factors, said Michelle Ku, school board chair.

“It’s also what the community supported in terms of a budget increase when they came out and voted,” she said.

Typically, the Newtown school board does not have information about what other districts pay, she said.

When Region 12 hires a new superintendent, the school board examines the candidate’s experience, market factors and what the board is trying to accomplish, Cava said. Raises for existing superintendents are based on how he or she fulfilled previously set goals.

“This is not something where you sit down and check off a box and do an evaluation,” he said. “It’s a little bit more subjective than that.”

Student achievement may be one of those goals in districts, but it doesn’t play a large role in the superintendent’s compensation, he said.

“I don’t think people pay a superintendent because they achieve a certain level of testing, unless there were some huge deficiency you were trying to correct,” Cava said. “That’s not a factor here.”

District size and the superintendent’s background is considered in New Fairfield, too, Katkocin said.

“You certainly wouldn’t pay a brand new superintendent what you would with a superintendent with more experience,” she said.

The way superintendents managed the coronavirus pandemic is likely to be another factor, Katkocin said.

“I’m sure every Board of Education is looking at how their superintendents functioned in this very difficult year,” she said.

Attracting strong candidates to tough job

The average tenure of a superintendent in Connecticut is four years, Rabinowitz has said.

That’s not good because the “quality of education suffers” when there is superintendent turnover, said First Selectwoman Julia Pemberton, a former member of the Region 9 school board.

“I’m not concerned about super salaries per se,” she said. “What I am concerned about is that our superintendents are being put in positions that lead to them leaving their jobs and going elsewhere. I think we see that around Fairfield County, it is like musical chairs.”

Social media has made superintendents’ jobs harder, and parents expect to have constant access to the superintendent, Pemberton said.

“You’re doing the job of public relations and you’re also the educator in chief of the community,” she said. “Those barriers have fallen. That’s a good thing, but I think our superintendents in many districts become overworked.”

Superintendents are responsible for everything in their district and are always on call, officials said.

“Any time there is an incident in their school, any time a fire alarm goes off, everything falls on the superintendent’s desk,” Katkocin said. “They need to answer to everything.”

Superintendents have advanced degrees, are experts in their fields and manage a “complex system,” Carver said.

“There are some people who still think I don’t work during the summer,” she said. “When I tell you it’s 24-hour, seven-day-a-week job, you can just talk to my husband. I rarely take a vacation where I don’t have to be constantly responding to things.”

Julia Perkins has been a reporter with The News-Times since June 2016 and covers the towns of Bethel and Brookfield. She also has covered breaking news for Hearst Connecticut on weekend mornings. Graduating from Quinnipiac University in 2016, she served as the editor-in-chief of The Quinnipiac Chronicle, the weekly, student-run newspaper. She is a huge “Harry Potter” fan.

Danette Onofio Releases Her Second Video

Campaign Video, Press

Healthy Community

 COVID-19 recovery is on people’s minds. We want a healthy environment where we are safe and that we can enjoy.  And, we want to live our lives as easy as possible.

I will:

  • promote accurate COVID-19 information guided by science

  • ensure we have COVID-19 testing

  • supply PPE and other resources to children, teachers, first responders and essential workers to stay safe

  • fight to provide affordable public health insurance options

  • ensure access to quality medical care

  • protect our environmental assets, including Candlewood Lake

  • Hold Eversource accountable for service failures

Economic & Business Development

As a business owner and business advisor for Western Connecticut SCORE,

I will:

  • provide business with science-based COVID-19 information that keeps them safe and keeps businesses afloat

  • work to cut red tape and streamline processes for businesses

  • keep taxes low through more effective practices

  • work to reinvent, expand and create businesses

  • ensure funding for schools and align them to match upcoming jobs

  • lower healthcare costs for families and businesses

  • ensure funding for infrastructure improvements

  • hold Eversource accountable for power outages

Environmental Protections

A healthy environment is one with clean air, water and land. Safe lakes for enjoyment and living a life with consistent lights.  I will:

  • fight for funding and legislation to expand clean energy

  • advocate for rate hike freezes, better coordination for emergency responses and restitution

  • work toward management of invasive water and land species

  • beautify properties with native plantings

  • curb the use of pesticides and herbicides along waterways.

Quality Schools and Libraries

A quality school is one that has ample resources and quality educators. During COVID-19, we must ensure our students, teachers and other safe members are safe and learning.

I will:

  • ensure students have an equitable education

  • work so that every school has what it needs for students to learn and teachers can teach

  • advocate for full-funding for our schools

  • be a voice for teachers and parents in Hartford

  • ensure funding is available for school renovations and new buildings

Video Message: Growing the Economy

 

Democratic Candidates Prevailed in the Mid-Term Elections in CT

Press, Press Clipping

Although the Sherman votes for the Governorship and State Senator edged ahead for the Republicans, the margin was narrower than expected based on the mix of registered voters by party line. Sherman’s voting results show a strong shift towards the Democrats as reported in the Town Tribune on November 15, 2018:


Ballotpedia identified six of the races as battlegrounds, including four Republican-held districts and two Democratic-held districts. Democrats won five of those elections, with a sixth election in a Republican-held seat remaining too close to call as of 2:15 p.m. ET on November 14, 2018.Democrats expanded their majority in the 2018 elections for the Connecticut State Senate, winning 22 seats to Republicans‘ 12. As of 2:15 p.m. ET on November 14, 2018, two races remained too close to call, with Democrats expected to win both.[1] Should Democrats win both uncalled races, the party would gain a supermajority.

All 36 Senate seats were up for election. At the time of the election, Democrats and Republicans each held 18 seats, now Democrats hold 20 seats and Republicans hold 11.

Heading into the election, Connecticut had been under a Democratic trifecta since 2011 when Dan Malloy (D) was sworn in as governor. Malloy’s swearing-in ended a period of divided government that had lasted since Gov. Lowell Weicker (I) took office in 1991. Democrats had held majorities in both chambers of the state legislature since the 1986 state legislative elections. Had the Republican Party taken the chamber, it would have broken the Democratic trifecta.

The Connecticut State Senate was one of 87 state legislative chambers holding elections in 2018. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. The Connecticut State Senate was also one of 22 state legislative battleground chambers.

In 2019, half of House Democrats will be members of a fledgling caucus of progressives committed to reforming Connecticut’s tax structure, raising the minimum wage and passing paid family and medical leave, legalizing recreational marijuana and fighting climate change. House members serve two-year terms; there are no term limits imposed on them.

Both amendments to the state consitution were passed:

Amendment 1 requires that all revenue placed in the state’s Special Transportation Fund (STF) be used for transportation purposes, including the payment of transportation-related debts. (88% voted for). Six other states voted similarly in previous years.  For more info, click here

Amendment 2 requires a public hearing on bills to authorize the transfer, sale, or disposal of state-owned properties, such as state parks, forests, and conserved lands, to non-state entities and requires a two-thirds vote of the Connecticut General Assembly to authorize the transfer, sale, or disposal of land under the control of the state agriculture or environmental protection departments. (84% voted for).For more info, click here.

 

 

Meet and Greet Democratic Party Candidates Jahana Hayes (U.S. Congress) and Julie Kushner (State Senate)

Press, Press Release

THE SHERMAN DEMOCRATIC TOWN COMMITTEE

MEET and GREET

Democratic Party Candidates

JAHANA HAYES (U.S. Congress)

and

JULIE KUSHNER (State Senate)

The Sherman Democratic Town Committee is sponsoring a Meet and Greet with Jahana Hayes, the Party’s candidate for Congress from the Fifth Congressional District and Julie Kushner, the Party’s candidate for State Senate from the 24th State Senate District.

The event will be held at the Jewish Community Center in Sherman, 9 Route 39 North, Sherman, CT 06784, from 7:00-8:30PM on Sunday, October 28.

The candidates will make brief presentations, and answer questions.

Refreshments served.

Interviews with the Democratic Primary Candidates for U.S. Congress: Mary Glassman and Jahana Hayes

Debate, Hot Topics, Press Release, slate

Fifth Congressional District 

Mary Glassman and Jahana Hayes are competing in the primary election to be the Democratic Party nominee for Congress from the Fifth Congressional District (Sherman, its surrounding towns, New Britain, Waterbury and Torrington).

The 5th C.D. is historically Republican, but has been trending Democratic since 2004. It has an unusually high percentage of voters registered as independents. The seat became vacant when Democratic incumbent Elizabeth Esty decided not to seek reelection after being criticized for her handling of sexual harassment allegations against her former chief of staff. Control of the entire House could turn on the outcome of this race.

Glassman very narrowly won the Party’s nomination at a tempestuous convention in May, but Hayes decided to take the decision to the voters. The winner will run in the November general election against a Republican candidate who will also be selected in August.

The SDTC Newsletter interviewed both candidates, Glassman in person on July 2, Hayes by telephone on July18.

The Interviews

The interviews explored three inter-related questions:

  • Why would you be a strong candidate in the general election?
  • What are your positions on a variety of issues?
  • Why and how you would be effective in Congress?

MARY GLASSMAN

Background

Mary Glassman was born and raised in the 5th Congressional District. “I am a public servant. I don’t sit behind a desk, I build relationships,” she told a Washington, CT audience. “That is what we do every day. We are the ones that plow the roads, pick up the garbage.”

Glassman is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and UConn School of Law. She was First Selectwoman of Simsbury from 1991-99 and 2007-14, Special Counsel to the Speaker of the CT House, and Counsel to the Senate President. She has twice run for Lieutenant Governor. She currently works for the Capital Region Education Council. She is married, and has three children.

The Interview

Question: Looking forward to the November election, what makes you a strong candidate?

What makes me a strong candidate is my experience of living my entire life in the Fifth District and building relationships in the District. I can hit the ground running.

I understand local government. I know how to get results. I bring the tools needed in Washington. This race is about people believing you can deliver results – education, manufacturing, transportation, economic opportunity, health care, protecting Medicare.  People can see what I’ve done in the public sector, not just what I say.

Question: What is your broad strategy?

How do you think about your constituency and the major issues?

The Fifth C.D. is a complicated district — a mix of older and younger people, white and people of color. We need to see ourselves as a region and to have a comprehensive plan. We have to bring Washington money for our needs in job training, transportation, gun safety, higher education, incubating technology, and keeping our young people. The Fifth C.D. needs to give everyone an equal opportunity. I am committed to getting results, and have the ability to go to Congress and be effective on day one.

The challenge is that it is a big district. I need to make sure the rest of the district knows my record – not “experience” but a “record of getting things done.” The challenge is motivating voters to get out in big numbers.

The issue in the fall is not just Trump. It is the erosion of our democracy and of our ethics. It stems from Trump but don’t over-simplify, don’t just criticize Trump. It’s judges, appointees; it’s the policies, abuses, conflicts of interest throughout the administration.

I’m running because I felt the need to keep the seat Democratic. I have shown I can win in a Republican town.

Question: What do you see as the most important issue or issues?

The most important issue is using government to provide opportunities in many areas, and how government is now being abused to take away opportunities. There are a wide variety of issues – not just one issue.

First we need to identify specific needs and work to address them. I am a problem solver. What tools do we have to fix things?

Question: What are your positions on these specific issues?

Health care: We need access to health care for all, by any path that gets us there. One option is to let people buy in to Medicare, but I am open to options – I have no firm opinion yet on Medicare for all vs. public option vs. other alternatives.

Immigration/ICE: ICE needs proper regulation. We can’t have open borders. We need a predictable, fair method of immigration. We need a path to citizenship. I support the Dream Act.

Jobs and the economy: We need a path to opportunity, reflected in policies. There are 13,000 unfilled jobs in Connecticut. We need: apprenticeship programs to help fill the job gap, loan forgiveness of students, tax credits for innovation, grants, and rebuilding infrastructure.

Impeachment: It is important to get the [Mueller] report, review it and then decide. It shouldn’t be easy to impeach. We need a bipartisan recommendation to do what’s best for the people of the U.S.

Tuition-free college:  I would love to figure out how to do it. But we also have to think about how to keep graduates in Connecticut – e.g., refinancing loans – and compare that with tuition reimbursement. We need a Federal-State-Local partnership.

Foreign policy: People are very concerned about our role– withdrawing from Iraq with nothing in its place; the lack of meaningful results with North Korea; lack of respect for our allies; military spending without accountability; undercutting with Israel; tariffs. The U.S. was always a neutral mediator.

JAHANA HAYES

Background

Jahana Hayes grew up in the Berkeley Heights housing project in Waterbury. Her family struggled with addiction and relied on public assistance. Hayes got pregnant as a teenager. Despite no means for any upward mobility, she enrolled at Naugatuck Valley Community College and eventually got her four year degree at Southern Connecticut State University and her masters and advanced degrees at the University of Saint Joseph and University of Bridgeport, all the while working to support her young family. “My experience is boots on the ground,” Hayes told one audience. “No job teaches you that experience. Life teaches you that experience.”

A former high school history teacher, Hayes currently serves as the Talent and Professional Development Supervisor for Waterbury Public Schools. She was the 2016 National Teacher of the Year. She is married and has four children.

The Interview

Question: Looking forward to the November election, what makes you a strong candidate?

After the close vote at the Convention, I talked to many people – young people, people who hadn’t been involved in politics before, every demographic. Something in what I was saying resonated with them. There is an appetite for change

All of my life I have been able to get people to coalesce around ideas. I’m the better candidate in November because I have gotten support from first time voters and young people who are really engaged.

I’m a different kind of candidate with a different kind of campaign. We have to give unaffiliated voters a reason to vote Democratic, and maybe even give some Republicans a reason to switch parties. We have to bring in new voters. We have to make this more open and inclusive; every single group has to feel needed and included. Not just reaching the base. We don’t want just all career politicians making decisions. I’ve been able to introduce perspectives that maybe people didn’t already see. I want people to redefine the definition of experience. I bring together diverse groups to talk about the issues.

Question: What is your broad strategy? How do you think about your constituency and the major issues?

I don’t think our platforms are very different. I’m a Democrat and I have Democratic ideas. I think the difference is how I got to this set of opinions. There are so many people who feel they are not represented in this conversation. For instance, talk of the environment also means talk of brown fields and the dirty city air. Gun reform is both a suburban and an urban issue. We need somebody who really understands and connects the problems of people in this district. So that’s the biggest contrast.

When you look at my team, there are five or six different languages, different backgrounds and experiences, diversity of thought, all age groups.  It’s really reflective of how I’d be as a Congressperson – open and inclusive.

The actions of the President are obviously an issue. It’s motivated people to be more active. But I’m running for something, not against something. If we start working towards something, then we can create legislation that makes it impossible for him to move his agenda forward.

Question: What do you see as the most important issue or issues?

In my lifetime, I’ve been through several elections and there is often one big issue. But now I’d say we are in a time where everything is an issue. Every day we turn on the TV and we are faced with a different crisis.

I really believe that we’ve got to invest strongly in our educational system, not just in the state but nationally. And we’ve got to get people working, close some of the opportunity gaps, and increase social mobility. These issues don’t exist in silos. Education can’t happen without health care. To up-start our economy, programs are needed to retrain people for career pathways and they also need affordable housing.

Question: What are your positions on these specific issues?

Health Care: The idea of just getting rid of the ACA is not smart. It has important things in it –pre-existing conditions, allowing children to stay on their parents’ polices, getting insurance for the first time. But cost is one of the biggest challenges. Health care is a right. Together we have to think how we make this happen.

Immigration/ICE:  Constant stalling on DACA is not good. For multiple pathways to legal citizenship, let’s either make a comprehensive reform of our outdated immigration system or possibly replace it with an agency that meets those needs.

Jobs and the economy:  Not everyone wants to go to college. Training is not just for young people, but for people in industries who are being phased out and need retraining. Our natural environment poses opportunities to create jobs directly connected to clean energy. The economy is changing and we aren’t working fast enough to meet its needs.

Tuition-free college: Absolutely. Education saved my life. Everything about who I am is a result of my education. So many people want to go to school but are overwhelmed by the immense loans for jobs that pay $30,000 a year.  Something is wrong when tuition goes up and college administrators get salary bonuses.

Foreign policy: That is an incredibly complex issue. We have to continue developing positive relationships with our friends and neighbors in countries around the world, yet each must be treated differently. It is not our job to police the world. This idea of isolationism and America first and work for ourselves, this is not who we are.

Wrap-up: Our Campaign Was Like a Duck

Hot Topics, Mailing, Press, Press Release

We’ve all heard the quote about how we should aspire to be like a duck: calm and smooth on the surface, but paddling like heck underneath. A good political campaign works the same way. Voters (and the opposition!) should see only an organized, powerful message consistently and clearly communicated… but if we want to win, we’d better be paddling our little webbed feet off.

This year, we seemed to glide over the water. Voters saw cleanly designed, upbeat campaign literature show up in their mailboxes and in their newspapers. They read succinct, informative bios of our candidates in the local newspapers. They scrolled through, liked, and shared engaging and informative Facebook posts and videos. They met cheerful, informed candidates and volunteers at their doors and chatted with them on their phones. They read interesting columns written by our candidates. They enjoyed another House Tour, let their kids bounce around in our Harvest Fair obstacle course, and grabbed a donut and a chat outside the IGA before the election.

But we paddled like hell under the surface.

Everyone knows that the campaign team and candidates lived and breathed this thing for ten weeks. But without the input and effort of everyone who contributed in ways both big and small, we would not be celebrating our victories today.

Below the surface, we all, as a team, were churning to November 7. Campaign signs were designed and ordered early. Our 2017 House Tour–which funds an enormous portion of the campaign–was the most successful one ever. This year, we knocked on doors—a significant mission that takes not only a team of brave and determined volunteers, but also hours and hours of behind-the-scenes strategizing. Phone banks were planned, scheduled, and executed. We agonized over the exact wording on ads and mailers, but we also stamped and addressed hundreds of postcards. Columns were written and re-written. A master calendar of every event to take place in Sherman over the course of the campaign was composed, shared, and re-shared. Facebook videos were scripted, filmed, edited, and then scrapped and re-shot again. The newsletter team composed and sent three newsletters focused on the campaign. The newspaper was filled with our letters of support for our candidates as well as letters that clearly illuminated the faults of our opponents. Before the debate, candidates and their volunteer coaches prepped. We solicited donations with a massive letter-mailing campaign; and then tallied, recorded, and tracked all of the paperwork involved in that process. Thank-you letters were written and sent to our donors. Website content was created and constantly updated. Budgets were written, updated, and carefully followed. We ordered, set up, manned, and packed up a bouncy obstacle course for the Harvest Fair; then just weeks later set up, manned, and even enjoyed the always-popular DTC table at the Halloween Bash. We negotiated with IGA to let us host “Donuts with Dems;” then decorated and managed that table for hours. And on Election Day itself, volunteers sat at the polls, crossing off lists of voters and delivering those lists to yet another team of volunteers who made that crucial, final get-out-the-vote push on the phones.

Because we paddled together, as a team, we are celebrating today. It’s undeniable that timing was on our side this year—our town, and our nation, were ready for a change. But without the efforts of every single person who was a part of this mission, from the candidates themselves to the volunteers who found the time to make even a few phone calls, we could very well be facing a far less reassuring future for our town.

Thank you. You did this. There is much work to do moving forward, but first we as a team should take the time to appreciate our wins and recognize our efforts.

Go Blue!