Politics & Government

Meet the Republican: Jill Notar-Francesco

A look at Jill Notar-Francesco, Republican candidate for Southington Board of Education.

"Meet the Candidates" is a feature on Southington Patch designed to help you get to know your local candidates before you take to the polls this November. Each profile was submitted directly by the candidate. 

Take a moment to review each profile so you can be informed and prepared when you go to the polls on Nov. 5, 2013.

This week, we are looking at the Southington Board of Education candidates.

Name: Jill Notar-Francesco
Age: 59
Party, Board Seeking: Republican, Board of Education
Family information: I am married to John Notar-Francesco. We have two children, Mariel and Julia, both of whom graduated from Southington schools. We have enjoyed living in Southington for almost 30 years.
Occupation, if applicable: Former Substitute Teacher
Political Experience: Elected to the Board of Education, 2007 to present

Why did you run for office?
It is my strong desire on the Board of Education to serve the best interests of our Southington children, and preserve education as a community investment, now and for our future.

If elected, what would be your primary areas of focus?
I am committed to policies that continue to improve student achievement for every child, promote safety in our schools, continue to upgrade technology in our classrooms, and create opportunities for student success. To this end, I strongly support our technology plan and maintaining our class sizes and existing programs. I will continue to emphasize respectful budgets and spending that focus on student achievement and academic excellence. During the last six years on the Board, I have faced challenging fiscal, educational and safety issues by scrutinizing details, asking questions, applying data and working collaboratively. 

What do you feel is the biggest issue facing Southington today?
Among many important issues facing Southington today is the enormous reliance on local property taxes to fund town and Board of Education budgets. It is a common concern shared throughout the state of Connecticut. Compounding this concern are the ever-increasing state / federal education mandates that place a heavy burden on local education budgets. These mandates are often costly, and never adequately funded by the entities that create them.

What skills do you have that you could bring to the community?
I have been a member of the Southington BOE since 2007 and a member of numerous committees of the BOE. I am Chairperson of the BOE Finance Committee and Vice Chair of the town's Harold Kane Self -Insurance Committee. I've been a member of the BOE Curriculum Committee since 2007. Through my membership role and Chairmanship of the Capital Region Education Council (CREC, 2012-2013), I am knowledgea ble of the many broader challenges facing education. As we navigate the many state and federal mandates, my CREC Council position affords opportunities to address policy and budgetary issues with other BOE officials in the region. For twenty years, I was actively involved in various town PTOs and held leadership positions during some of those years. I was also a substitute teacher within the Southington Public Schools for eight years.

(Optional) Anything else you would like to share?
Over the last six years, our Board of Education team focused on improving student achievement for every child, upgrading technology in our schools, and renovation of our educational facilities. Through strong fiscal management, we also broadened educational programs and opportunities for children. Our long-range Vision 2020 plan assures the community that each student will graduate college and career ready, prepared to be productive citizens and community members.

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