Unimpressed with the candidates for Board of Education, be it Democrat, Republican or Working Families Party, Maria Pereira, also a Democratic nominee for City Council in the Upper East Side 138th District, has assembled a slate of school board candidates for November running on “For The People” line, a new minor party that must garner one percent of the vote in the general election to maintain its status.
Bridgeport’s school board operates under state-mandated minority party rules so the slate of Pereira, JoAnn Kennedy and Helen Losak would need to run ahead of the Republicans or WFP candidates to win citywide election. They have formed a political action committee “For The Students of Bridgeport.”
Pereira is promoting a fundraiser for the school board slate Oct. 17 at Vazzy’s.
If incumbent Pereira is successful in her school board run and City Council effort, she’d have to make a choice. The City Charter prohibits serving both.
Pereira put a lot of work into her primary victory for City Council so this could simply be Pereira’s effort to deliver victories for her running mates both of whom, like Pereira, are not wedded to the Democratic political establishment and are underwhelmed by Republican and WFP candidates for school board.
In 2009 Pereira and Sauda Baraka won school board seats on the WFP line. Pereira had a falling-out with the party’s state leadership. In 2015, she returned to the Board of Education running on the Democratic line of Mayor Joe Ganim. She quickly parted ways with Ganim over school board issues.
In 2009 Pereira and Sauda Baraka won school board seats on the WFP line. In 2015, she returned to the Board of Education running on the Democratic line of Mayor Joe Ganim.
Goes to show you Maria can’t get along with anyone for too long and it doesn’t matter what your party affiliation! So who’s the problem?
Good luck to the For The Students Of Bridgeport line.
Thank you, Frank.
Anyone not entrenched in the corrupt DTC is welcome to attend. If you are dishonest, unethical, corrupt and sell your soul to the highest bidder; this would not be an appropriate event for you. 🙂
There are people on OIB that I have differences of opinion with, however I know they truly care about the well being of Bridgeport.
Paging John Ricci.
Paging John Ricci
2 whites
3 women.
0 men.
What does that tell you about Maria’s slate???
Hmmm…
The Republicans are running 3 white males. Nothing new there.
The Democrats are running a Hispanic male who is illiterate and was just evicted for non payment of rent for the second time in 13 months. He will be Lydia Martinez’ puppet.
A Black woman who was fined $5,000 for AB fraud, was forced to resign from the DTC and was forbidden for running for elected office for two years, u and is Mario Testa’s absolute puppet.
A Black woman who will be Dr. Ford’s absolute puppet and has no knowledge of national, state or local education policy.
The WFP is running THREE Black candidates which includes a former Charter $school employee and ” Teach for a Little While” alum.
A candidate who is a parent and really cares about the community but utilizes very poor grammar.
Another candidate who has a very poor work ethic and serves on a school board adhoc committee with very poor attendance.
Our slate includes myself who has the best attendance of all nine school Board members, possesses institutional knowledge and is well versed on national, state and local education policy. Is thoroughly prepared for EVERY meeting and has initiated and passed more policies than the other eight school Board members combined.
JoAnn Kennedy is incredibly dedicated and has a better attendance record than seven of the current school Board members. She is the former PTSO President of Bassick High School and a former member of the School Governing Council.
Helen Losak is a Early Childhood educator who has a long record of involvement in the community.
There are four male school Board members and one female not up for re-election.
We were all born and raised in Bridgeport, we all attended the BPS and we all graduated from Warren Harding High School. Go Blue & Gold!
Please note that I absolutely believe women should rule the WORLD!
How many female politicians in Bridgeport, CT or the U.S. have been convicted of corruption?
Women are the future of this country.
Bob, what an interesting point of view.
If you recall, we ran three men in 2013 which included Dave Hennessey, Howard Gardner and Andre Baker.
2 blacks
3 men
0 women
You were quite supportive of that slate.
Hypocrisy? Absolutely. 🙂
City Council slate
2 women
1 white
1 black
0 Hispanics
0 men
A clear picture is beginning to emerge as to Maria’s polarizing personality
Bob,
I am white, but I am not “cracker” white. And I”m not talking about Saltines.
I grew up on the lower east side, hung out at Washington Park and attended Warren Harding High School.
I would sneak into the Crescent Club on East Main Street with my friends, go to house parties on the east, west and south side, and all my friends were either Hispanic or Black.
If you believe that the ONLY loyality school Board members should have is to the 20,400 deserving students attending the BPS, then vote for ROW D.
If you believe that the powers that be should not be able to contact school board members and tell them this is how I need you to vote, then vote for ROW D.
If you believe that those you elect should actually show up for school Board meetings while being completely prepared to discuss, debate and vote on agenda items based on what is in the best interest of public school students, then vote for ROW D.
JoAnn and Helen have proven through their actions, not rhetoric, that they are honest, ethical and trustworthy .
Those are qualities the vast majority of school Board members do not possess.
The Skirt Party (?????)
Jim,
That is sexist.
More like a “highly qualified” party.
By the way, Jim, I mailed you an invite. 🙂
Maria if you win both seats you will have to give one up and the replacement will be chosen by the DTC, wouldn’t that be in contrast to what you’d like to see happen?
Hector, that doesn’t bother Maria at all, you don’t read anything on OIB about Maria attacking Mario Testa and Joe Ganim, her enemy is Marilyn Moore and all you have to do is to her post on the race for mayor.