Wallingford Election 2021: Kathy Castelli Running For Board Of Ed

WALLINGFORD, CT — The 2021 municipal election is heating up in Wallingford with plenty of races on the ballot.

Voters will head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 2 and cast their ballots for the position of mayor, along with seats on the Town Council and Board of Education.

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

Kathy Castelli, 71, is running for re-election to the Wallingford Board of Education as a Democrat.

Occupation: Retired From Anthem Bcbs Where I Served As A Regional Manager (Me, Nh And Ct) For Business Analysts And A Sr Quality Assurance Advisor

Family: Married 51 years; 5 grown children, all attended Wallingford schools and all living in Wallingford. BS Degree in Education from SCSC.

Experience: BOE since 2008

Family in government: No

The single biggest issue in town is ______, and I plan to do this about it:

Biggest issue facing EDUCATION is: Ensuring the safety of every student and staff member during this pandemic while supplying every student with support systems to mitigate gaps in their learning due to COVID protocols such as quarantine and online learning. We all understand there is no substitute for in-school learning and must ensure we assist all students unable to be in school with the necessary remediation and interventions they might need. Additionally, the social and emotional impacts of the pandemic need to be monitored and addressed. The proper use of Federal funding dollars is paramount to addressing these needs. As a board member I will continue to stress my concerns regarding the social and emotional well being of students and staff, and ensuring we continue to provide the necessary supports by adding appropriate specialized support staff such as social workers, psychologists, interventionists, and etc. Learning cannot occur until these issues are addressed.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

I have been a board member for 14 years which gives me the advantage of being effective day one during these unprecedented times with COVID impacts to our safety, social and emotional needs, and academics. I have the background knowledge of how we have approached new initiatives and what worked well, the challenges we faced and what could have been done better or not at all. I know the history of why some things are the way they are or know who to go to for answers. This knowledge will serve me, and the Board, well as we decide future endeavors academically, socially, emotionally, and structurally. I have an excellent rapport with many administrators and departments. I have been serving on multiple subcommittees for many years including Policy Committee, Business Think Tank, All Nine Union Negotiations Teams, Leadership Committee, and Educational Council Committee. This work allows me to better understand the direction we wish to take this school district and why, as well as the many constraints placed upon the district from town, and state and federal statutes.

Accomplishments:

During my 14 years on the board, I believe the district has moved in a very progressive and positive manner. Three major accomplishments during this time are: the implementation of an excellent budgetary process using LEAN strategies to ensure enough funding without inflated funding; the creation of a Strategic Plan that remains a living, breathing document and is updated yearly giving us the ability to see our future budgetary needs for the next 5 years, encompassing 6 major areas: Community Outreach, Curriculum & Instruction, Climate, Technology, Special Ed, and Facilities; the development of multiple pathways in education to ensure every child can achieve his/her future success. Not every child is college bound and having the ability to seek out alternative career paths is essential. Programs such as Culinary Arts, and Certified Nursing Assistant and Advanced Manufacturing are among the available pathways in Wallingford.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

I base my decisions on what I believe is best for our students with their safety being my number one priority. Kids can't learn if they don't feel safe.

Are you running for office in Wallingford? Email vincent.salzo@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile on Wallingford Patch.