Politics & Government
Fairfield BOE Candidates Debate Hot Topics: Part II
The second story in a two-part series of coverage from Thursday's Board of Education debate, hosted by the Fairfield chapter of the League of Women Voters.
Voters will decide on Nov. 8 who should fill the five open seats on the Board of Education.
Below is the second installment of a covering the debate hosted by the Fairfield chapter of the Thursday.
Adding to/Cutting From the Budget
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- Stacey Zahn, Incumbent, Democrat: “Having had to sit through a board that had to make cuts – it’s not a place we want to be,” Zahn said. Knowing that cuts will likely have to be made for the next few years, Zahn wants them as far away from the classroom as possible. “We won’t be adding or enhancing the budget anytime soon,” she said.
- John Convertito, Republican: Convertito would determine cuts by looking into programs that don’t seem to be making a good return on investment. He does not want to see significant cuts made to the kindergarten through fifth grade budget, he said, as research shows if students stray from a path of achievement at that level, it takes years to get them back on track.
- , Democrat: Gerber would also fight against cutting from the elementary education budget. She said electives that “no longer serve the need they were intended for” should be cut.
- Neal Fink, Democrat: Overall, Fink wants to see a budget that contributes to “preparing kids to compete in a world that has gotten smaller.” He said the board needs to evaluate what’s working and what’s not – “it’s hard to do, but maybe there’s an opportunity there,” he said.
- Paul Fattibene, Incumbent, Republican: Fattibene said that the board may have to look into increasing class size to some degree, and reduce or consolidate class offerings. “Because 80 percent of the budget goes to wages and benefits, there is only 20 percent we can cut from.”
- , Democrat: “Cuts must be made as far from the classroom as possible, otherwise it will decrease the quality of the education.” Cuts have to happen, she said, but as from form directly affecting the delivery of education as possible.
- Philip Dwyer, Democrat: Students need extra or special help at one point or another, Dwyer said. He said he would fight for extra funds for that kind of support if he were elected. As for cutting the budget – he would first look to overhead costs. He said the superintendent managed to find $900,000 in cuts last year, maybe he will do so next year.
The Role of the Board of Education in Contract Negotiations
- Stacey Zahn: Zahn is against adding more than the one board representative, which is how the board currently handles negotiations. “We need to get this back to the town in a timely fashion,” she said. “The way the board does it’s business…it takes a long time with nine members.”
- John Convertito: Convertito said the board is a body of governance; it can still have input and approve contracts after negotiation, but “for nine members to get involved would be inappropriate.”
- Jessica Gerber: Gerber believes the board must play an active role in trying to bring the contract costs down, and to figure out how to find savings in fixed costs.
- Neal Fink: “The Board represents the town in these negotiations…only the board can approve the contract,” Fink said. He added the negotiations will remain very important in the next few years.
- Paul Fattibene: “The Board of Education should take a more active role in negotiation,” Fattibene said, because currently the board relies on the administration to do a lot of negotiating. He believes there’s room for the board to be active in negotiations as a whole, rather than through just one representative.
- Jennifer Maxon Kennelly: Kennelly said that having more than one board member active in negotiations would help the board as a whole fight “fixed costs.”
- Philip Dwyer: Dwyer hopes the board will do everything in its power to present the negotiations to the public so that they are justified and attract quality teachers to the district. But he added, “negotiations don’t lend themselves to a whole-group approach, but more members should be involved.”
Primary Role of the Board/Should That Role Include Setting the Curriculum?
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- Stacey Zahn: Zahn said the board’s roles are to hire the superintendent to set the curriculum and advocate for the budget once the board sets it.
- John Convertito: “The primary role of the Board of Education is that of governance,” Convertito said. “We set the standards, make them measurable, achievable, and hire the people who can achieve those goals.” He argued the board should not get more involved in setting the curriculum – that’s why they hired someone with a PhD to do it, he said.
- Jessica Gerber: “The board supports the superintendent without rubberstamping him,” Gerber said. She said she does not believe the board should set the curriculum, but needs to approve what the experts set.
- Neal Fink: The board’s role is “representing the town and being ambassadors of education,” Fink said. A major part of that role is hiring the superintendent, who is charged with setting the curriculum.
- Paul Fattibene: “Our primary role is hiring the superintendent, and also to set policies, which the superintendent implements in managing the school system,” Fattibene said. He added the board listens to presentations on the curriculum and adopts it as part of its role. And of course, another big role – passing the budget.
- Jennifer Maxon Kennelly: The board’s role is to establish a “productive relationship with the superintendent,” Kennelly said. She said the board must also make sure the superintendent it accountable for achieving success in the schools. Regarding the curriculum, Kennelly said the board must make teachers aware it supports them but also “expects excellence.”
- Philip Dwyer: Dwyer supported the current role the board has in adopting the curriculum – that is, to listen to the presentations, help revise it, and adopt it – but added they need to make an effort to incorporate more 21st century learning skills.
Fairfield Public Schools’ Greatest Assets and Liabilities
- Stacey Zahn: Zahn said that students, teachers, and the town’s support are the greatest assets - - “tax money working at it’s finest.” Money and the budget are liabilities, she said.
- John Convertito: Convertito said the ability of the board to move the schools forward is a liability; the students, faculty and staff are the schools’ greatest assets.
- Jessica Gerber: Gerber said the role of the Fairfield community, the people in town who support the schools, is the district greatest asset. A huge liability, she said, is the town’s history of closing too many schools in the past and now having to play "catch up" 30 years later.
- Neal Fink: “We have a highly educated community that supports our school system,” Fink said. But, a liability lies in whether that same community still supports the goal of achieving high quality schools. He also believes there is a lack of creativity in problem solving, especially when it concerns the budget.
- Paul Fattibene: “They are one in the same; the personnel – the largest cost, but the system is defined by who runts it and teachers.”
- Jennifer Maxon Kennelly: Teachers and administrators are the greatest assets, Kennelly said, as is the support of the town.
- Philip Dwyer: Assets include “the students, discussion in class, the teachers who teach, the parents who support,” Dwyer said. He said a liability is not being able to make an effective case for the town regarding the quality of the schools.
Coverage of the Board of Finance candidates’ debate will be published Monday morning.
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