Wednesday, 4 p.m. is the deadline for petitioning candidates to submit signatures to the Registrar’s Office to qualify for a September 12 primary, including three school board challengers to Democratic-endorsed Jessica Martinez, Chaila Robinson and Hernan Illingworth who’ll have their first fundraiser that night at Uncle Buck’s Fish Bowl & Grill inside Bass Pro Shops on the East Side.
They face a challenge from JoAnn Kennedy, Eric Stewart-Alicea and Helen Losak assuming the competing slate makes the ballot, needing 2,245 certified signatures.
Riding a slogan “passion with a purpose” the endorsed candidates are running on a campaign to end infighting and “personal agendas.” From their Facebook page:
We are parent leaders taking a stand against the petty politics that have halted progress in our schools. For too long the focus of the Bridgeport Board of Education has been on infighting and personal agendas, and not where it belongs: On the 21,000 children of Bridgeport.
Enough is enough! Our community deserves better. Our children and our teachers deserve better.
Hernan Illingworth, Jessica Martinez and Chaila Robinson are all Parent Leadership Training Institute graduates, class of 2003, 2016 and 2017, with a combined total of 28 years of parent involvement and advocacy.
Endorsed by the DTC? Interviewed by the DTC? Meetings with Mario that earns a blessing for a candidate?
But Mario has not said one word in the last three to intercede on behalf of the 21,000 youth. What does he expect of the endorsed three? Do they care to publicize how their viewpoints are to become compromised? Isn’t that the rap that comes through the past 20 years of DTC control? Private agendas rather than genuine public service? Control what the public knows? Keep the voters confused and busy on election day? Find a way to reward those who are careless with their voting rights or who will sell them for less than 30 pieces of silver? Who has your back? Time will tell.
Mr. Lee, you do not know me or the team. Before coming to your conclusions, you did not interview me and the team, that’s ok! Let’s be clear we have not given freely of ourselves for all these years to be a political puppet. We are puppets to no one and are independent thinkers. So please reserve your assumptions to all the readers that get fooled by the lies constantly spread by the bad apples of this city.
Born in Bridgeport Hospital in 1982, i am NOT going anywhere, I am Bridgeport.
Feel free to call or email me if you feel the need to properly be introduced and find out who I am from me, not the narrative you choose to create!
Jmar2230@gmail.com or 203 923 3446
JMar2230, I respect and appreciate all the candidates running for a position on the BOA. It makes sense that there’s interest, concern and a commitment to the Bridgeport children because as a former elected official, in a different capacity, I know how much is sacrificed to put in the time and work involved. I just beg all of you to stay independent of the interference and influence of Mario Testo. He doesn’t share your desire to devout your time to public service. I know him for decades and the older he gets the harder he tries to stay relevant. He’s a man who runs two successful restaurants, makes a lot of money, but is bored and lonely so he spends his time creating chaos and division. I sincerely appreciate your efforts, all of you, but when you win, stay true to yourselves.
AMEN LISA