Board of Education, District B: Rasheema Richardson

District B, Republican/Independent

Describe how your occupation assists you in serving on the BOE and give three brief but specific examples.

In my occupation I deal with people with many different backgrounds and attitudes. I have learned how to listen then react and how to keep a level head when things spiral out of control. In my occupation I talk to many customers and things can sometimes get out of hand, I try to stay focused even when they are yelling and when you remain calm it calms down others because they don’t want to be seen as being aggressive. Working in my field you must pay close attention to detail and show initiative while getting along with many different individuals and personalities.

What do you see as the top three issues facing our school system?

The youth are disengaged due to the obstacles they are facing at home which makes it harder for them to concentrate engage in school and socialize with their peers in a positive way. Due to poverty the exposure to violence increases the likely hood of a highschooler becoming disconnected from education and employment.

We don’t have the proper funding and resources for programs that can help the youth move forward with life skills.

The teachers are not connecting with the students due to the overall issues that they must face with the youth it has become challenging for them. Teachers have become therapist and tend to take on roles that have nothing to do with education which is making their job harder to accomplish.

Teacher burnout is a real issue for districts around the country – What do you plan to do to alleviate this in Norwalk?

The teachers are burnt out due to the lack of help. If skill workshops were put back into the school system, it will alleviate the amount of work the teachers have and give them time to regroup for the next lesson. It would also set up the students with skills and make them productive and give them a positive outlook when they do enter the work field.

There is a constant public battle between city government, the school board, and concerned citizens. It seems that all are “dug in” with their positions, eager to “defeat” the other to win their own agenda. What would you specifically propose to bring all groups to the table to solve issues rather than fight about them? Policy changes and revisions can certainly be part of your answer.

Norwalk self funds roughly 85-90% of its public schools costs. Exclusionary zoning in the state of Connecticut has concentrated poverty in cities and the state shortchanges Norwalk with ECS funding. Norwalk either needs more state funding or to stop handing out tax credits to developers – short changing the city on its single largest expense – education. Other apartments, located in the heart are over crowded and under taxed. This reflects the revenue side of the budget. From a cost perspective, there are likely areas within the school system that could be operated more efficiently. The City and BOE need to be honest with themselves and residents about these issues and I would like to be part of that conversation.

Information compiled by Bob Giolitto, a volunteer.