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

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

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

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).

The (Almost) Official Ballot for the Election of November 2, 2021 has been released

This ballot was released by the Sherman Town Clerk on Sept 28th and is the likely ballot.  Although several positions have candidates from both parties, only the Board of Education positions have one more candidate than actual positions.  The top three vote-getters will be seated. The other positions will accommodate the candidates seeking them.

Click here to view the ballot.

 

 

 

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

June 12, 2021 Updated: June 12, 2021 9:58 p.m.
Written by
Photo of 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.

Sherman Democrats Welcome New Members

During the previous year, many folks have moved to Sherman.  The Sherman Democrats extend a warm welcome to anyone who is registered as a Democrat or is Unaffiliated.  Please contact us through this website to begin the process.

The Sherman Democratic Party is a political organization of inclusion, not exclusion. We have a long standing history of attracting both Democratic and Unaffiliated voters and endorsing both Democratic and Unaffiliated candidates. We work to represent the wide variety of Sherman people who hold many different viewpoints and opinions.

If you are interested in being active on any of the town’s commissions or boards, the Sherman Democrats can help,

Danette Onofio Releases Her Second Video

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

 

Donation pages for candidates running for “flippable seats

ActBlue  is a nonprofit technology organization established in June 2004 that enables left- leaning nonprofits, Democratic candidates, and progressive groups to raise money from individual donors on the Internet by providing them with online fundraising software. Its stated mission is to “empower small-dollar donors”.

Contributions or gifts to ActBlue are not deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes.

Groups that use ActBlue pay a 3.95% credit card processing fee. As a nonprofit, ActBlue runs its own, separate fundraising program and accepts tips on contributions to pay for its expenses.

Below is a list of donation pages for candidates running for  “flippable seats”. These are all “act blue” links, meaning once you sign up for an account with Act Blue, you can easily make donations to other candidates without having to continually re-enter all of your information.

Danette Onofrio For Connecticut State Representative HD 108

Danette Onofrio is your Democratic candidate to represent the 108th District in the Connecticut House of Representatives; representing New Fairfield and Sherman, as well as parts of New Milford and Danbury.

Danette Onofrio has a rich history with education in public administration, taught public officials for the Marist College School of Management and has public administration experience and skills. She has and will continue to advocate for the people.

Visit her on her Facebook page   or on her website.

 

Vote for Danette on November 3rd or by absentee ballot.

 

Campaign Kickoff to Re-Elect State Senator Julie Kushner at Mark Weber’s House, 1 – 3 p.m. Sunday, January 26

Former SDTC Chairman Mark Weber and Current SDTC Chair David Silvay are co-hosting this kickoff party.

David writes “Since 2018, I’ve had a front seat view of how hard she has worked as our State representative addressing the issues that face Danbury, Sherman, New Fairfield, and Bethel.Julie has been tireless in her efforts to connect to her constituents. Passing paid family leave, fighting for working families, mandating air quality monitoring, and bringing millions of dollars in funding back to the 24th district are only a part of her successes as a first-term Senator. Check out her Facebook page here..

It’s important to start the campaign with a lot of momentum — and a lot of support.  Joining us on Sunday, January 26th will help us to start strong! ”

The Kick Off party will also be an opportunity to help Julie meet her goal to qualify for a public grant to finance her re-election.  Every contribution helps — the minimum contribution is $5, the maximum is $250.

Please RSVP to David by clicking here

Can’t attend but you would like to support the campaign?  Go to her secure donation screen by clicking here..