Board Of Education Candidate Q&A: Frank V. Todisco

On November 8, 2011 Stonington will hold its municipal election. Stonington-Mystic Patch asked each candidate to answer a questionnaire to give residents information about his or her background. For additional election coverage visit Elections 2011.

Name:  Frank V. Todisco

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Age: 41

Address: 23 Pequot Trail in Pawcatuck

Hometown: Stonington

Employment: Licensed Loan Officer at Embrace Home Loans

Education: B.A. Political Science / Public Administration, Rhode Island College

Incumbent? No

Previous elected experience: None

Civic experience (appointments, non-profits): Member Stonington Democratic Town Committee, former Treasurer Rhode Island College Alumni Association

Top Issue facing the town and your ideas for fixing it: I feel the biggest issue facing the Board of Education is the budget. As our region, state and town continue to feel the impact of the prolonged economic down turn the Board of Education needs to manage the budget in an efficient manner. Every expense, without a direct impact on the educational experience of the children needs to be looked at and justified to ensure prudent fiscal management. The implementation of a true zero-based budget will ensure that every dollar being requested in formulating the BOE budget is questioned, debated and justified. 

Second issue: Need for small class sizes, particularly in the early grades.  Smaller classes allow teachers to focus more on instruction and less on classroom distractions. Reduced class sizes are also important as teaching methods increasingly emphasize hands-on and individualized learning. The benefits of smaller class size in the early grades last throughout a student’s educational career building a solid foundation.

Third issue: Importance of classroom directed monies. As we go through these unprecedented, difficult, financial times we need to identify classroom direct expenses and ensure that at a minimum we protect that investment. As a member of the BOE I would ask the following question when any funding cut, program change or staff reduction is recommended; “How will this impact the educational experience of our children?” I believe the “Magic of education happens in the classroom.”