Wallingford Election 2021: Rajan Doering 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.

Rajan Doering, 21, is running for election to the Wallingford Board of Education as a Republican.

Occupation: Economics/public Relations Double-major With A Minor In Data Science At Quinnipiac University

Experience: None

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

Reopening the schools after COVID and caring for students who were negatively impacted. Many students are struggling with mental health issues as well as learning gaps from the time they were not in school, and even from the time they were in school during the pandemic. Unfortunately, our most at-risk students are the ones that are the most impacted. Our English as a Second Language students are unable to read people’s lips when they speak to help them understand when everyone is wearing masks. Our student whose parents are not fluent in English had less support at home while learning online. We will need to see a large focus on mental health in the schools, as well as academic support for all of our students. Our school district needs to continue to have its teachers work individually with each student to identify their strengths and weaknesses, and from there we can accelerate students’ learning post-COVID.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

I bring a student perspective. I graduated from Sheehan High School in 2018 after having been in the school district since preschool. I was Sheehan’s Student Council President and representative to the Board of Education for two years. I am now a full-time student at Quinnipiac University studying Economics and Public Relations.

Accomplishments:

I have served on several committees with the school district, such as Diversity Equity and Inclusion, District Leadership Team, STEM Steering Committee, and Wellness Committee. I am an active member of the Wallingford community. I am a board member and food pantry leader at The Rock Church, a board member and grant money allocator at the United Way, and a board member at the YMCA. Through a previous capacity at the YMCA I started and led a committee that planned a back-to-school supply drive and family game night. I am also an active volunteer with the Jubilee 350 celebrations.

Other issues:

If elected, I will work tirelessly and transparently to engage all stakeholders (teachers and staff, parents, community members, and most importantly students) to keep us united in a vision that ensures an equitable and inclusive environment for all and finds the best use of our school facilities and taxpayer dollars to prepare our students starting with our youngest learners for the future.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

I invite all members of the Wallingford community to reach out to me at any time by calling or texting 203-208-8534, emailing doeringforboard@gmail.com, or reaching me on Facebook, Twitter, and or Instagram @doeringforboard.

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.