The political war for control of the Board of Education is in high gear. School board candidates door knocking, political operatives flooding neighborhoods with phone calls and absentee ballots, mail pieces hitting homes, education advocacy groups running their own voter-outreach efforts. The voter turnout for the September 10 Democratic primary will be small but what’s on the line for future control of the school board looms large administratively, financially and academically.
On the top line three candidates, Kathryn Bukovsky, Simon Castillo and Brandon Clark, have the backing of Mayor Bill Finch and traditional interests of the Democratic Town Committee experienced in churning out a vote. On line two three candidates are supported by disaffected political operatives as well as the Bridgeport Education Association representing teachers and the Connecticut Working Families Party that seek coalition control of the Board of Education. The WFP has three of its members on the nine-member school board. It has endorsed three candidates for the November general election including City Councilman Andre Baker who’s also running on the September 10 Democratic challenge slate with Dave Hennessey and Howard Gardner.
On Tuesday (September 3), Common Cause in Connecticut and the Bridgeport Area League of Women Voters will host a candidates forum for school board 6 p.m. at the Burroughs Community Center 2470 Fairfield Avenue in Black Rock. All six Democrats running in the primary have been invited. How many will attend?
Democrats currently hold a slim 5-4 advantage on most votes over the WFP. Five seats are on the line in November. Only one incumbent, WFP candidate Sauda Baraka, is seeking reelection. Two seats from the November general election are reserved for state-mandated minority-party representation. WFP and Republicans will slug it out for the two slots.
Meanwhile the September 10 primary will decide which three Democrats move on to the general election as prohibitive favorites. What have you been hearing from the candidates? Which candidates do you support and why? If you have any questions for the candidates, please post them.
Central High 174 out of 192 H.S. in the State
Harding H.S. 187 out of 192
Bassick H.S. 190 out of 192
Bridgeport School District 163 out of 163
Which group is tough enough to clean it up, going to take more than just Entitlement Bean Counting.
*** Boy, they’ve got some misinformed “BIMBOS” working at the DTC-endorsed political campaign headquarters making phone calls! *** ZOMBIE POLITICS ***
How many people do you think will turn out? I say 2,800 to 3,000 the most.
My wife and I plan to be there for the first part of this forum. These are the type events people should attend to make an informed vote.
I had been asked what would be some of my main concerns, after some thought these came up. I would expect the new members along with those already there, take an inventory of what land/buildings are owned by the BOE, what is being used or is a part of already planned future endeavors. They should then identify agencies, nonprofits, for profit, State and Federal that we could partner with on specific projects using said “extra” land/properties. Whatever is left after should be marketed and sold.
They should also implement courses (high schools) on some sort of financial readiness and make it mandatory. For those planning on continuing their education, it would be a tremendous benefit and for those entering the workforce the benefit would be experienced by us all. I would hope that the candidates could see these needs and make efforts to remedy them.
*** I’m still contemplating on “whom to vote for” on the BOE; however I do have an idea! Though he’s not a spring chicken for this day & age and just happens to be my Rev. from the “GOOD SHEPHERDS CHURCH” on Hancock Ave. I feel the BOE really needs a Latino who can reach “all Hispanics” be it from Mexico, the Caribbean or South and Central America, etc., especially a man of God and Rev. S. Castillo is that man! My next possible pick is a guy who’s proven to “not” ride the bandwagon just ’cause everyone else is when making a hard decision, and that’s City Councilman A. Baker. And last but not least, I can’t decide between Ms. K. Bukovsky or Mr. D. Hennessey; however one or the other will get my vote, no doubt. I hope the challenge slate campaign workers really know their political information on both sides of the fence about the candidates in general ’cause it’s important to sway the voters with facts, not fantasy. And Lord knows some of the “BIMBOS” the DTC-endorsed candidates have working for them sound very uninformed about the candidates, their platforms and just general political information past or present! *** ZOMBIE POLITICS ***
*** 10 percent citywide turnout due to lack of interest as usual, no? ***