Wallingford Election: Tammy Raccio Running For Board Of Education

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.

Republican Tammy Raccio, 55, is running for re-election to the Wallingford Board of Education.

Occupation: Certified Public Accountant

Family: Husband, Joseph Raccio III, Children Joseph and Anthony

Experience: Current BOE Member

Family in government: no

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

The social emotional well being of our students and staff is a priority in order to achieve academic success in a post pandemic environment and the single most pressing issue in education. Many students need to accelerate their learning and may have difficulty doing that after suffering personal, family and community trauma from COVID. As a BOE member, I plan on supporting Administration as they lead our district to a “new normal” after the pandemic. This does not mean we need new initiatives, rather our students and staff need to feel supported to restore their ability to accelerate learning, maintain physical health and establish social-emotional connections. As we prioritize which highly effective practices to advance, we are fortunate to already be a pilot district for the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA) system. This social emotional learning assessment will provide staff with the data needed to ensure students receive the social emotional learning and support needed to be successful in school and life. Focusing on students’ mental health including their social emotional competencies is critical to their success.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

Education has received an unprecedented amount of non recurring grant funds due to the pandemic. As the only Certified Public Accountant running for office, I have experience working with grants and the ability to interpret requirements while maximizing grant funding. As a BOE member, I will work with leadership to explore every opportunity to strategically utilize funding in a manner that will be sustainable. Through increased professional development and focusing on highly effective research based practices, those working with our students will be better prepared to make the decisions necessary in a post pandemic environment.

Accomplishments:

As an advocate for equitable opportunities for all students, my involvement in education has extended beyond Wallingford Board of Education to a State and National level. During my current term on the BOE, I've served on committees and task forces such as the CT State Department of Education (CT SDE) Bureau of Special Education Special Advisory Council (currently the Chairperson), AccelerateCT task force member, CT SDE Transition Task Force member (including steering committee), CT SEDS vendor selection committee member, presenter at State Advisory Panel (SAP) and State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) webinar on Covid best practices and member of the Expulsion and Suspension committee established by the Juvenile Justice Policy and Oversight Committee through Public Act No. 21-174.

My experiences and exposure to these opportunities have developed my passion to ensure equitable educational opportunities for all students, including those at most risk and in under represented classes.

Other issues:

Every decision I make on the BOE is student focused and made with equitable distribution of resources in mind. Consideration is given for all students, including those with special needs who have been more significantly impacted during the pandemic.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

For those of us who have lived in Wallingford our entire life, we often hear how Wallingford has changed over the decades. That is true, however, one thing remains the same. There is pride in Wallingford stemming from community members choosing to raise families in Wallingford and educating their children in our local schools. As a BOE member, I will continue to work to ensure there is fiscal responsibility, transparency and value for our families and students to remain in Wallingford.

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.