Candidates Say It's Time For A New Superintendent In Stratford

STRATFORD, CT — Stratford's school board candidates agree that when Superintendent Janet Robinson's contract expires in 2021, it will be time for a change in leadership.

"The superintendent has unfortunately lost the buy-in of the families in town and the staff that works for her," said Andrea Corcoran, a Republican, while attending a recent candidate forum.

Robinson's contract was extended by a 4-3 vote in June, with no public discussion of the topic prior to the vote at the meeting where the extension was granted.

"The extension should not have happened," said Republican Alan Llewelyn, who noted that while he has a good working relationship with Robinson, the board's job is to reflect the stance of the community.

Democrat Michael Suntag said he was upset the board extended the contract before its new members were elected.

Janice Cupee, a Democrat, also said she was against the extension, and Republican Amy Wiltsie said she looks forward to helping find a new superintendent to reenergize the district.

Robinson has been superintendent of Stratford schools since 2013. Before that she was the superintendent in Newtown for five years.

The candidate forum was held Tuesday at David Wooster Middle School by Stratford's PTA Executive Board and Special Education PTA, and the League of Women Voters. Board of Education terms in Stratford are required to be non-consecutive, so Chair Eric Lazaro, Vice Chair Susan Lance and Secretary Maria Buturla cannot seek reelection Nov. 5.

When asked about their top priority for the new school board, most of the candidates focused on communication, transparency and trust.

"The lack of communication and transparency really has proven to reduce the amount of trust that we parents have," said Wiltsie, whose three children attend Stratford schools.

Wiltsie has been involved in multiple PTAs and has a background in nonprofit management.

Corcoran, a preschool teacher and member of the Wilcoxson Elementary School PTA Executive Board, also said the community has lost confidence in the district, adding the board must focus on rebuilding residents' trust by telling them what's happening behind closed doors.

Suntag, who is retired after a career as an educator and grant manager, emphasized the need to make sure money gets to classrooms and students, noting how in the past the district furloughed teachers only to discover $1 million more than expected in available funds at the end of the year.

Cupee, a digital marketing and communications professional and a district parent, said her top priority is to perform an audit on the school system.

Llewelyn advocated for increased community engagement. He is a former Town Council member, zoning commissioner and a member of the Building Needs Committee, as well as a special needs parent in the district.

A discussion Tuesday on racial imbalance and redistricting in Stratford was similar to the candidates' conversation on the topic at a forum earlier in the month. Wiltsie and Llewelyn were open to redistricting after the district's recent return to a neighborhood school system, while Suntag said the board needs to make a long-term plan that won't move families again.

"Racial balance has become a numbers game," he said.

Both Corcoran and Cupee discussed the benefits of students learning in a diverse environment, with Cupee noting that some schools in town are on the brink of being out of compliance with state racial balance requirements.

When asked about the new 2023 high school graduation requirements, Corcoran, Llewelyn and Suntag all said they supported or would consider block scheduling as an option to accommodate the increase from 20 to 25 mandated credits. Wiltsie said she was in favor of the district's civics mandate, but opposed a decrease in physical education and arts classes. Cupee said the district needs to create more options for students.