Raquel Hernandez Bonessi Running For Milford Board Of Education

MILFORD, CT — Republican Raquel Hernandez Bonessi is running for the Milford Board of Education.

Occupation: Educator

Family:

Husband Edward Bonessi, Jr.

Children: Edward III, 30 years old Educator, Dominique Bonessi Scarbrough, 28 years old Journalist

Experience: Literacy Volunteer of Southern CT-Board Member

Family in government: My husband is the Warden of the Borough of Woodmont, Milford, CT.

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

The single most pressing issue facing our town is Milford Public Schools' poor *CT State Smarter Balance Assessment results; 32% of students are below grade level in English & Writing, 39% are below grade level in math and 50% of students are below grade level in science! I will ensure more time is dedicated to focusing on higher expectations, rigorous curriculum design, and remove politics from the classroom. * CT Mirror 9.9.19

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

I am a Hispanic, immigrant who lived under Castro's Communist oppression for 10 years and under Spain's Franco's Fascist dictatorship for two years. I know what it is like to lack basic civil rights, to be monitored in thought and action, not to have food on the table, and to have your water and electricity rationed by the government daily. I have been uprooted and forced to start my life all over; in a new country with a new language and culture, so I am sympathetic to the needs of a modern, diverse student population. I am extremely thankful to this country for opening its doors and allowing my single-parent family to enjoy the freedoms of this county.

Another critical difference between myself and the other candidates, (with the exception of my running mate Dolores), is my strong curriculum background in developing rigorous integrated lessons aligned to state standards, assessments in an understandable format to parents.

In addition, I have worked with USAid during summers developing workshops, coaching educators in all content areas in Kenya, Pakistan, Honduras, and Puerto Rico.

Finally, I hold a Master's Degree in Bilingual-Bicultural Education, Sith Year Degree in Educational Leadership, CT Literacy Specialist: Remedial Reading 102, Spanish K-12, Teaching English to Students of Other Languages (TESOL), and minor in French.

Accomplishments:

Most of my teaching has been in inner cities, working with underprivileged children. I have always encouraged students to excel despite predictions of failure. One example is in New Haven, when I was told that my bilingual 4th-grade class didn't have the ability to compete with other students in the city. They not only won the citywide science fair competition but placed in the * Connecticut Statewide Science Fair and continued in a highly competitive way for years to come. *Hartford Courant 1995.

Currently, more of my world language students have placed at or above level on the Advanced Placement test than any other school in my district.

HONORS AND AWARDS:
• Evaluation Status: “Exemplary”
• Stamford 2020 Teacher of The Year Semifinalist
• Stamford Spotlight Award
• Title I Literacy Awards, and Waterbury Public Schools
• Institute for Educational Innovation for Educational Excellence Award – New Haven Schools
• TAPS Award – New Haven Public Schools
• Roberto Clemente Teaching Award – New Haven Public Schools
• Phi Sigma Iota -Award for World Languages
• Nelson E. Guertin -Award for World Languages

Other issues:

Equip teachers and administrators with the proper tools to help students meet established standards.

Clear communication to parents & guardians

Accountability and transparency to the public

What else would you like voters to know about you?

Education is my profession and Education is my passion.