Hamden Election: Siobhan Carter-David Running For Board Of Ed

HAMDEN, CT — The 2021 municipal election is heating up in Hamden with plenty of races on the ballot.

Voters will head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 2 and cast their ballots for mayor, town clerk and seats on the legislative council and board of education.

Hamden Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Siobhan Carter-David, 41, is running for election to the Hamden Board of Education as a Democrat.

Occupation: Associate Professor Of History

Family: Husband, a son in 9th grade, and a daughter in 3rd grade

Experience: n/a

Family in government: n/a

The single biggest issue in town is ______, and I plan to do this about it:

Over-policing of students of color and the punitive responses that emerge as a result. I would suggest that a restorative justice program be put in place to deal with discipline issues and address the whole child. School resource officers should be replaced by mental and behavioral health professionals who reflect the diversity of the school and can implement restorative justice practices and provide follow-up counseling.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

I have been teaching in higher education for over 15 years. As an instructor at a state university, I get to see first hand the impact that primary and secondary education has on the ability of students to succeed in college. My years of experience as faculty in higher education will also provide necessary context for directives coming from the state (such as Public Act 19-12).

Accomplishments:

- PhD in History and American Studies

- Associate Professor of History & Affiliate Faculty in Women’s and Gender Studies and SCSU

- Mother of two school-aged children

- Concurrently work collaboratively as a leader in the following: Association of Black Women Historians; Hamden Arts Commission; Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame; Connecticut Center for the Book; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.; Greater New Haven African American Historical Society; and a range of faculty committees at Southern Connecticut State University.

Other issues:

Cuts to educational funding in the town / expenditures that do not reflect academic performance. Lack of racial diversity in many of the elementary schools.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

I believe in the arts and humanities as much as the STEM fields that will ensure our ability to continue to live on this planet; we need to have something to live for. I believe in equity in education for all; it's the only way to envision a society where we benefit from the skills and talents that diversity (racial, ethnic, gender, neuro, religious, socioeconomic, national origin, etc.) brings. I believe in the social contract.

Are you running for office in Hamden? Email vincent.salzo@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile on Hamden Patch.