Norwalk Election 2021: Jody Sattler For Board Of Education

NORWALK, CT — Election Day is approaching fast, and a number of key positions in town 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 a few topics.

Independent Jody Sattler, 48, is running for the Board of Education in Norwalk.

Occupation: Retired

Family:
Husband: Mark
Children: Grant (18), Lilly, (17) and Caroline (15). They all attend Brien McMahon High School

Experience: BMHS School Governance Council

Family in government: No

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

The single most pressing issue facing our town is our lack of fair funding for students. Our students also get less funding allocations than other towns that are similar in demographics. Norwalk gets $938 per student while students in Hartford are funded at $10, 858. As taxpayers of the city, we have to make up the difference in lost funding. As a BOE member, I would work with our state representatives and school leadership to create a better balance in school funding.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

Raising a family in Norwalk has allowed me to be involved in all aspects of education and community from preschool to high school including the development of very robust before- and after-school enrichment programs at Rowayton and Roton Schools. I founded the before school program, Rowayton Academy, and grew it from concept to a student enrollment of 250. The program offered students and parents a choice of over 30 subjects ranging from robotics to cooking the hour before school started. I have been on the PTA and elected to the School Governance Council at every school my children have attended. I am the only BOE candidate with three kids in the schools so I know the issues they are facing everyday.

Accomplishments:

In addition to my work in the school, I spearheaded the Route 136 Truck Ban Committee which worked with state and local agencies to stop large, industrial trucks from driving through residential neighborhoods in South Norwalk, Rowayton and Darien. I also worked with the State Department of Transportation to have a stop sign installed on Route 136 near Rowayton Elementary School. Additionally, I have had extensive experience in girls athletics including Little League Softball (growing enrollment by 100%) as well as working to get approval for the new turf field at BMHS. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from the University of Nebraska in 1995. As a Client Representative and Global Sales Operations Manager at IBM in the Energy and Utility Industry, I learned first-hand how to meet the needs of different constituents while improving efficiencies and managing to balance IBM’s budget allocations. All of these experiences will help me be an effective Board of Education member who can help improve our schools in Norwalk.

Other issues:

A resident since 2001, I have long been an advocate for a back-to-basics approach to public education where priorities are determined based on the needs of all students in the school district. In a rich and diverse community like Norwalk, this means that a “one size fits all” approach cannot work successfully and efficiently to benefit the varied student body that makes up our school system. For over 15 years, I have been a devoted advocate for the Norwalk Public School working on all of the PTA and Governance Councils in the schools my children have attended. I am the only BOE candidate with three kids currently in NPS so I understand the issues students and staff are experiencing. We need more investment in extra-curricular activities because they improve a student’s academic achievements. Rigor in the classroom is the key to success and we need a better middle school strategy for high school readiness.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

I am a Norwalk mom and a community builder who is passionate about this city. I am a productive member of every initiative I join. I have also been involved in the United Church of Rowayton as a deacon and I was President of the Rowayton Civic Association. My experience in the corporate world, combined with my comprehensive involvement in the school system, makes me ready to tackle the challenges and celebrate the successes in store for Norwalk Public Schools.