Stratford Candidate Profile: Andrea Corcoran For School Board

STRATFORD, CT — The 2019 municipal election is heating up in Stratford and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Stratford Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Andrea Corcoran is running for the Board of Education as a Republican. She is a preschool teacher and has two children, ages 7 and 10.

Are you running for office in Stratford? Contact Anna Bybee-Schier at anna.bybee-schier@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Stratford Patch.

Candidate responses appear as they were received and have not been edited by Patch staff.

The single most pressing issue facing our town/district is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing our school district is a lack of open and honest communication between the decision makers on East Broadway and the parents, students, & staff of the district. I intend to work with the elected board as well as the superintendent & her staff to ensure that decisions made about the Stratford Public Schools no longer happen in the dark. This would include supporting a financial audit.

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

As a parent who has been active in her children's school community, I know first hand what is going on in our public schools.

As a graduate of the Parents SEE program, I appreciate the power of parent leaders and have practiced how to effectively work to improve the educational experience for all children.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

I think it's important that we take a close look at the ramifications of last year's restructuring of the schools to ensure racial balancing & equity between schools.

Also, though it's encouraging to see any upward movement in our district's SBAC scores, I feel that there is always room for more improvement.

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

In the five years that my children have been enrolled in the district, I've been a very active member of their school community. This has involved raising funds for school programs, coordinating in-school assemblies, and organizing community-building events. Being involved with the schools & improving the experience of all students — not just my own — is something I'm passionate about.

As co-chair of the Stratford School Readiness Council, I've worked with community members as well as representatives from town departments and the Stratford Public Schools to oversee several programs and initiatives that all share the goal of improving the health, education, and quality of life for our town's youngest residents.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Trite though it may be...

Treat others as you would want to be treated. I always try to put out there what I would want to get back and treat everybody with respect & warmth.