Naugatuck Election: Jay Celozzi For Board Of Education

NAUGATUCK, CT — Election Day is approaching fast, and a number of key positions in Naugatuck will be on the ballot.

To help readers make an informed decision on Nov. 2, Patch has reached out to local candidates to share their views on various topics of importance in town.

Patch will post these candidate profiles over the next several days, so check back often to see the latest.

Democrat Jay Celozzi, 45, is running for Board of Education in Naugatuck.

Occupation: Regional Vice President

Family: Wife Aimee 42, Daughters Ella 14 and Nya 13, son Chase 11

Experience: 3 terms as Board of Education, where I have served as a member, and Secretary and currently Vice Chairman

Family in government: No

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

The education and mental health and well being of our students and staff is the most pressing issue. My goal is to examine and adjust policy and focus on diversity in curriculum and staff and climate to allow for a safe and nonrestrictive learning and teaching environment.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

I’ve dedicated over 20 years of my life to education, as a public school teacher and high school coach and a board of education member. My last 6 years on the board has broadened the scope of my experience with union contracts, budget design, curriculum development, personnel selection, employee benefits and function and maintenance of facilities and construction projects. My ties to this community run deep and my family, friends, and neighbors and supporters know my integrity and dedication to our borough.

Accomplishments:

As a businessman, I have been responsible for all aspects of hiring, training, and training curriculum and development of new employees as well as leadership development. My experience in multi department collaborations as well as long and short term business and construction plans allows for unique and tenured perspectives for the various challenges that the Board faces every year.

Other issues:

The other big ticket items that are on my radar for this next term include:maintaining low class sizes, improvement of facilities and our long term projects, continued development of our offerings and curriculum to ensure Naugatuck students and graduates achieve competitive opportunities both scholastically and professionally, and lastly create a successful learning experience while remaining fiscally responsible to the taxpayers of Naugatuck.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

I am extremely proud of the work I have done on the board and serving our community. I have 3 children in 3 different schools and my friends and former students have children in our schools. I will not waiver in my commitments and I will continue to use common sense, experience and community feedback to make the best decisions for the benefit of our students, and staff and taxpayers of Naugatuck. The sense of pride I get from dedicating my time to serving this consistently evolving borough is cherished by both myself and my family and is a fitting reciprocation for the life Naugatuck has given me.