Wallingford Candidate Profile: Castelli For Board Of Education

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

Wallingford Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Kathy Castelli, 69, is running for re-election to the Board of Education as a Democrat.

Family:

Ron – husband of 49 years; Adult Children – Jennifer, Christopher, Michael, Thomas, Daniel

Education:

BS in Special Education from SCSC (Southern Connecticut State College)

Occupation:

Retired since 2011 – prior to retirement, 27 years at Anthem BCBS as a Business Analyst Regional Manager and Quality Assurance Senior Advisor

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office:

Board of Education since 2008

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

Ensuring a safe and welcoming learning environment for all children.

Our kids need to feel safe while in our school buildings and on school grounds or no learning will occur. I will continue to raise concerns for Stevens and Sheehan as the only two buildings lacking a double door entry. Double doors allow added security to the buildings, detering easier access. While I do not believe we should make our schools fortresses, we do need to make common sense upgrades.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

Ensuring every student has a path to success.

I will continue to support the development of career paths for both the college-bound students and students pursuing careers outside of college such as the trades.

I serve on the Business Think Tank committee where local businesses assist us in understanding the skills needs of our local businesses and the potential career paths for students immediately upon graduation. With this knowledge we are better equipped to create programs and curriculum which supports these career paths. I believe this committee serves a critical role and will continue to support it.

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

I have served on the board for the past 12 years and believe during that time the district had moved significantly in the direction education needs to go. New programs have been, and continue to be, developed such as our CNA nursing program, our Pre-Engineering/ Advanced Manufacturing program and our Career Technical Education courses

I am willing (and able) to participate in more than just the 3 monthly meetings. I serve on several subcommittees such as: Executive Leadership, Education Council, Policy Revision, ACES Governing Board (alternate), Business Think Tank, and All 9 Union Negotiation teams.

I listen to and respect the opinions of my fellow board members and everyone who contacts me or addresses the board. I understand we all come from different backgrounds and experiences that allow for our different perspectives, all of which add value in making the best decisions we can for the sake of all our students and staff.

I want to ensure we move the district in a direction that will allow every student to achieve success after graduation. The workforce now requires different skills than in the past. Critical thinking and problem solving are among these needed skills. I will continue to support administration and teachers to develop new curriculum and programing that will meet these needs.

Over the past 10 years, we have annually presented a budget with Dr. Menzo where no line items are merely moved forward to the next budget request, but are reviewed, discussed, and adjusted every year. The addition of LEAN strategies a few years ago have additionally helped us identify efficiencies to further reduce budgetary dollars. This helps us present a responsible budget and is something of which I am very proud.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

"This Too Shall Pass." This quote is my mantra and while it may not appear to fit with my role on the board, it truly is the best advice I ever received and I share it with others, especially new parents!

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

My positions as a board member are quite simple.

I want to be sure every decision we make as a board includes input from multiple sources (administrators, teachers, parents, students, community members) and is always made in the best interest of our students.

I believe there are multiple paths to success for our students and I will strive to continue supporting initiatives and programming that allows for different paths.

I believe in instilling in our students a growth mindset. Replacing “I can’t” with “I can get there,” should be their focus.

I want my constituents to know I listen to all perspectives and when I vote it is what I believe to be the correct one arrived at only after listening to and considering all input and discussion. My personal first opinion is often times not my final opinion because of what others have brought to the discussion.

I don't profess to have all the answers, I have no personal agenda, and at times I make mistakes. I am grateful for the opportunity to give back to the community in my role as a member of the board of education.