Meet The Candidate: Betsy Baglio For Princeton Board Of Education

PRINCETON, NJ – Incumbent Betsy Baglio is running for a third term on the Princeton Board of Education. Baglio’s campaign slogan is “Putting Students First.” Over the past six years, Baglio said she has “tenaciously advocated for students’ needs.”

The pandemic has shed light on many issues faced by students and districts across the country. For Baglio, the focus is on ensuring “students are academically, socially and emotionally supported” as they return to in-person classes.

As the only educator currently serving on the Board, Baglio said she can help “cultivate collaborative working relationships with our students, staff and families.”

Four candidates are vying for three seats on the Princeton Board of Education, in the upcoming November elections - incumbents Betsy Baglio and Brian McDonald, and newcomers Jeffrey Liao, and Mara Franceschi.

Read More Here: Meet The Candidate: Jeffrey Liao For Princeton Board Of Education

Read below to learn more about Baglio and her platform for the upcoming elections in Princeton.

Name: Betsy Kalber Baglio

Position Sought: Princeton Board of Education member

Age (as of Election Day): 47

Party Affiliation: Non-partisan.

Family: My husband, Steve, and I have two sons in the Princeton Public Schools who attended Community Park Elementary School. Charlie, 12, is a seventh-grader at Princeton Middle School and Matthew, 16, is a junior at Princeton High School.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?: None of my family members work in politics or government.

Education: I am a proud public school graduate from Sturbridge, Massachusetts. I attended Princeton University and received a Bachelor of Arts degree and a certificate in the Princeton University Program in Teacher Preparation in 1996. I also hold a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Occupation: I am an educator, and have worked in that field for approximately 15 years. I was a public school teacher in Connecticut and Massachusetts, the Director of Professional Development for an educational collaborative outside of Boston, and then worked for a number of districts and schools as a K-12 educational consultant.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: I first joined the Princeton Board of Education in 2016, and am currently completing my second three-year term.

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for a third term on the Princeton Board of Education because I want to ensure that our students are academically, socially and emotionally supported as they return to full-day, in-person school. I care deeply about providing a high-quality public education to each and every student in our district, and I am seeking a third term because there is more work to be done.

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

As I previously mentioned, I believe that the single most pressing issue facing our district at this time is to ensure that all students are academically, socially and emotionally supported as they return to full-day, in-person school. I also believe that the pandemic has shed light on ways in which we can improve the Princeton Public Schools. This is both an opportunity and a responsibility and, as an educator, I believe I am uniquely suited for this work.

I have chosen “Putting Students First” as my campaign slogan because my student-centered focus is the lens through which I have considered all decisions as a Board of Education member. During the past six years, I have tenaciously advocated for students’ needs as the chair and as a member of the Student Achievement Committee, and as the inaugural chair, current co-chair and a member of the Equity Committee.

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

I am the only educator currently serving on the Board of Education or seeking election to the Board of Education this year. I believe that my training and my perspective as an educator are both assets to the Board of Education as we continue to cultivate collaborative working relationships with our students, staff and families.

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

My work on the Board of Education over the past six years is evidence that I can handle the job. During my first two terms, I have held a variety of leadership roles and have served on most Board of Education committees. I believe that my contributions have been especially important, given my professional background as an educator, in the work of the Student Achievement (chaired for 4 years), Equity (chaired for 1 year and now co-chairing) and Personnel Committees. I have also served on the Finance, Negotiations and Policy (co-chaired for 1 year) Committees.

I have been an active parent volunteer in the Princeton Public Schools since my family and I moved to Princeton a decade ago. Prior to joining the Board of Education, I planned the first array of after-school clubs for students at Community Park, advocated for the pilot launch of Community Park’s Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program, and participated on the 2015 Princeton Public Schools’ Strategic Planning Steering Committee.

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

During 2020 and 2021, I led the Board of Education’s interim superintendent search, the search for a superintendent search firm, and the permanent superintendent search that culminated in February of 2021 with the unanimous hiring of Dr. Carol Kelley. The Board of Education’s permanent superintendent search process was long and arduous on Zoom, but it was also collaborative, engaging and ultimately successful because of the perspective and commitment that each Board of Education member brought to this work. I am proud of what we were able to accomplish together.

In anticipation of the upcoming election, Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns. We will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

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