Milford Candidate Profile: Betsy Ratner For Board Of Education

MILFORD, CT — Milford's election season is heating up and there are plenty of contested races with candidates eager to get their name on the ballot for the city's municipal election. One of those contested races is the race for the Board of Education.

Milford Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Betsy Ratner, 70, is running for the Board of Education as a Democrat in the first-district.

Are you running for office in Milford? Contact Brian McCready at brian.mccready@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Milford Patch.

Family: *

son, Howard E. Ratner, a therapist in New Haven

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? *

This includes any relatives who work in the government you'd be representing.

no

Education: *

A.S, Early Childhood Education, B.S Education, M.S. Reading Consultant, 6th Year Advanced Studies Special Education

Occupation: *

Teacher 30 public, 4 college

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: *

NA

Campaign Website: *

teammilford.com

The single most pressing issue facing our town/district is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it. *

A solid curriculum with intellectual, social and emotional needs being met, therefore, teaching the whole child.

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

I feel strongly that we should not close schools. Enrollment this year rose.

I believe that class size does make a difference in order to reach each child and not have any child feel lost in the crowd. I grew up in a school district that was 7th in the country. It was a challenge being the classes were so large to get to the teacher with my questions for clarification on so many lessons.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

Betsy Ratner is a former educator ( PreK – College) who is passionate about utilizing learning styles to forge intellectual, social and emotional growth. She encourages validation for confidence through reflective thinking and sharing.

Her workshops on “Finding Expression” have employed creative and critical thinking, decision making and problem solving skills for enhanced insights. Betsy feels that relationships are extremely important in learning and building self esteem and recognizing bullying to take appropriate action. Her goal is to help others feel more comfortable with themselves and gain insights to who they are and how they can make shifts for a happier more productive life (including helping others in the community).

Mrs. Ratner decided with her background as an educator she would like to share her knowledge by running for BOE in the 1st district.

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

I have won several awards in education, one being a national award for environmental education programs.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Teach utilizing multiple modalities to reach each child with their learning style.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Knowing that we all have different backgrounds and we come to school with many needs. It is essential to explore what is weighing on each student as they forge into learning each day. I like to have a safe environment for morning circle talk to let loose thoughts (journal-led or verbally).