Glastonbury 2023 Elections: Kali Cavanaugh, Board of Education

GLASTONBURY, CT — Kali Cavanaugh is running for a seat on the Glastonbury Board of Education in the 2023 election.

Name

Kali Cavanaugh

How old will you be as of Election Day?

34

Does your campaign have a website? If so, include the URL here.

https://glastonburyrepublicans...

What city or town do you live in?

Glastonbury, CT

What office are you seeking?

Board of Education

If you are running in a district, you can specify the district here.

Please give us your party affiliation.

Republican

Education.

MSW, LCSW

What is your occupation?

Social Worker
11 years

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

Husband (Neal), Daughter (Ava), Dogs (Soleil & Teagan), Cat (Gatsby), along with our feathered friends (chickens and ducks).

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

No

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office?

I’ve had future aspirations of becoming involved in supporting and advocating for our children in the school system, serving this community on a broader level, and feel that I am ready to pursue this opportunity. As our daughter quickly approaches the age of entering Glastonbury’s schools, I feel an increasing investment and motivation to become more involved.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is \_\_\_, and this is what I intend to do about it.

I feel that this requires a multifaceted answer with a thoughtful and systematic approach to address. Related to our school system and the BOE, our students and families in town are dealing with the aftermath of a pandemic (learning gaps from remote learning, increased cost of living, missed opportunities for socialization, and increased mental health symptomology, etc), coupled with ever increasing expectations and rigor in academics, extracurriculars, and social learning where parents and students alike are constantly trying to juggle everything and get it all right. Broad steps needed to address these areas will include attention to detail on budget lines, increased parent and family involvement, and finding creative ways to utilize the programs and resources already available within our community to develop initiatives that meet the needs of our students, families, and taxpayers.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Being a new candidate, I bring a fresh perspective to the board of education. In addition to a fresh perspective I bring valuable professional experience directly related to the consumers of our school system. Lastly, although I am a candidate of the current minority party, I believe that I bring skills of bipartisan communication and collaboration that will help to support and advance all that our schools offer.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

I would love to see the creation of non-partisan subcommittees to consult on workgroups and initiatives within the BOE. While we have a board of 8 elected officials, I feel strongly that there is substantial knowledge and resources going untapped in town. I would propose the creation of multidisciplinary teams (subcommittees) on BOE projects to include professionals within our community. As an example, these teams (ie. architects, tradesmen, contractors, project managers, etc) could weigh in on proposed facility construction, building upgrades and maintenance, and more. Regardless of the topic, the BOE and our community would benefit from the knowledge base of these non-partisan, volunteer work-group, “consultants” free of cost to taxpayers while increasing transparency of processes and opportunities for community engagement.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Never be afraid to speak up, and always be ready to listen.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

If elected, I vow to work towards a participatory democracy with greater community control. Be direct in addressing the concerns of all of our community members, advocate for transparency in board decisions and public process, and hold our public schools accountable for meeting the needs of our families.