Stafford Election 2023: Jennifer R. Biedrzycki Board of Education

STAFFORD, CT — Jennifer R. Biedrzycki is running for a seat on the Stafford Board of Education in the 2023 election.

Name

Jennifer R. Biedrzycki

How old will you be as of Election Day?

42

Does your campaign have a website? If so, include the URL here.

https://stafforddtc.org/

What city or town do you live in?

Stafford Springs

What office are you seeking?

Board of Education

If you are running in a district, you can specify the district here.

Please give us your party affiliation.

Democratic Party

Education.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Elms College; Master of Science in Nursing Administration from Benedictine University

What is your occupation?

Registered Nurse, 17 years; Healthcare worker at Trinity Health of New England, 25 years

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

My husband John and I will be celebrating our 18th anniversary this November. Together, we have two children, Joey, age 15 who is a sophomore at Stafford High School, and Ella, age 13 who is in 8th grade at Stafford Middle School. We have also welcomed into our home a variety of animals. We currently have living with us a dog, 4 cats, a bird, chickens, and an axolotl named Loki.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

In high school, I was appointed student representative to the Board of Education.

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office?

As a 20 year community member and parent of 2 children who attend Stafford Public Schools, I understand the importance of providing our youth with the best possible educational opportunities, combined with the belief that our teachers should be respected as experts in their role, and be provided with the resources and support necessary to teach our children.

Community service and advocating for the needs of our youth and vulnerable populations has always been close to my heart. I am an engaged parent- I volunteer in the classrooms, always attend BOE meetings in person, and cast my vote in all municipal and budget elections. I have served as president of both Staffordville and Stafford Elementary PTOs, as well as a member of the Special Education Advisory Council.

I consistently work to improve the educational experience for students in our district. A seat on the board will allow me to continue to represent the interests of Stafford's students, teachers, and families.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is \_\_\_, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The topic that is on everyone's minds is the budget, our ever-increasing property taxes, and the high cost of educating our students.

While I strongly support that the district should pursue areas of opportunity to increase revenue such as grant funding and sharing of resources, I think it is important to perform a root cause and acknowledge WHY there is a lack of funding. It took 3 attempts for our budget referendum to pass. The town's people spoke and did not want a tax increase to support the Board of Education and Board of Selectman budgets (which are separate). I believe it is of the utmost importance to have a strong revenue stream other than personal property taxes to support our town and school budget.

I also feel it is extremely important for the BOS, BOE, and BOF (Board of Finance) to collaborate by attending each other's meetings, to share information, and to maintain full transparency. At a recent BOE meeting, an idea was proposed to have a BOE member be appointed as a representative to attend the BOS and BOF meetings. I think this is an excellent opportunity to help members of our boards and our community be aware of the composition of the BOE budget in preparation for the budget referendum. I would 100% be interested in being this representative and sharing information.

We learned during the last budget process that the budget is extremely important to our taxpayers, but not everyone is able to attend all meetings nor obtain accurate information. To address the real issues at the heart of the budget problem, I would support full transparency and communication between our town boards, the school district's Director of Finance and Operations, and the taxpayers.

Finally, I want to stress that our students are worth every penny. Investing in our students shows our commitment to give them the skills they need to succeed in life and will help Stafford grow for future generations.

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

I believe in the power of being present and engaged. Even before I was endorsed as BOE candidate, I regularly attended BOE meetings in person, volunteered on school administrator hiring committees, and participated in the budget process by sharing information and encouraging the folks of Stafford to vote.

I have a child diagnosed with special needs, giving me first-hand knowledge of our special education system. I am a member of the Special Education Advisory Council, which allows me to serve and support parents with similar issues as mine in the district.

My active role in our public school system sets me apart from the other candidates. My passion for education, experience in collaborating with various organizations, and dedication to the community demonstrates my commitment to our district.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

The Stafford BOE has 4 open seats and my party is running two candidates- myself and James Greene. There is only one incumbent running for the other political party. I do not believe that he has failed our community. On the contrary, I look forward to being elected and working with him to better our school system.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

My focus on the BOE will be to give our teachers the support and resources they need to do their jobs effectively to help our children thrive. At the July BOE meeting, the district wide stakeholder survey was presented. I was disappointed to hear that only 55% of the staff at the elementary school reported their work environment to be positive. I want teachers to feel that they can come to the BOE and work with us as partners rather than seeing us as a roadblock.

Stafford Public Schools has grappled with a multitude of vacancies and has had difficulty attracting and retaining qualified teachers. As of last October, there were 1,400 students enrolled in our district. Currently, there are 359 students in our special education program who have either an IEP or a 504, and there are 22 students who are presently in the special education program referral process. These numbers are especially important to note, as our district has to focus on staffing and resources to meet this need.

At the high school, the school psychologist position was open for 2 years. There are current openings for special education teachers at both the high school and middle school levels, as well as a BCBA opening district wide. There are numerous paraprofessional openings across the district as well. We are slowly making headway to recruit qualified staff, but it has been difficult to attract and keep teachers in our district.

The Connecticut Education Association has shared that teachers in their first 5 years of employment are most likely to leave their district, as well as those who work in special education, math, science, or in a district with high poverty. They elaborate that teachers are required to deal with behavioral issues, curriculum demands, too few resources, and not enough hours in the day to strike a work-life balance. As a parent of a child in the special education system, I have seen my son's teachers required to take on additional workloads to manage the cases and meet the needs of the children, while adhering to the requirements of an IEP.

I believe that collaborating with and supporting the members of the interdisciplinary team is essential to our student's and district's success. It is important to celebrate the work that our teachers and special education team has done with limited resources, staffing, and not to mention coming out of a pandemic. We must make Stafford Public Schools a competitive employer and an inviting place for teachers to work.

To do so, it is crucial for the BOE to show our support and trust in our teachers by filling vacancies, providing necessary resources, and allowing teachers to use their professional skillsets to teach the curriculum to our students. We all know that it takes a village to raise our children, and partnering with teachers helps us reach the goal of raising successful children prepared for the world.

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

Throughout my career as a registered nurse, I have had the honor to care for Stafford and surrounding community members at Johnson Memorial Hospital, often under the most trying and stressful situations. I pride myself in providing high quality care, maintaining safety, and treating patients with dignity and compassion. I often served as the charge nurse or preceptor.

Working as an RN prepared me for a multitude of situations, including how to multi-task, maintain emotional stability and composure, effectively communicate with people, and how to advocate for vulnerable populations.

After I earned my master's degree, my career led me to hospital utilization management. Every day I must strike a balance between addressing people's needs and being mindful of financial stewardship.

On a personal level, I am most proud of the family I have created and the connections and service I have made in our community. These accomplishments demonstrate the value I will bring to the BOE.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

My grandparents taught me to live by the Golden Rule- to treat others as you wish to be treated.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

As a BOE member, I acknowledge that the people of Stafford have elected me to serve our community. I do not take this responsibility lightly- I have read and fully understand the role and responsibilities of the BOE outlined by the CT Association of Boards of Education. I promise to give our district 110% by being prepared for the meetings and always keeping the best interests of the entire district in mind. I promise to be a leader and champion for public education in our community.