New Haven Independent

State Rep Hopefuls Differ On Schools

by Sarah Vanderbilt | July 31, 2008 1:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)

Are public schools falling down on the job, or getting a “bad rap”?

The two Democratic contenders for Bill Dyson’s state General Assembly seat offered two views on that question during a forum Wednesday night.

The two candidates — Newhallville Alderman Charles Blango and activist Gary Holder-Winfield (at left in photo) — are seeking to replace the retiring Dyson in the 94th District seat. They face each other in an Aug. 12 Democratic Party primary.

Twenty neighbors watched the candidates field questions and enjoyed cheese and crackers and Arizona iced tea at the Huntington Street home of Democratic Party 19th Ward Co-Chair Matthew Nemerson.

Their different takes on the public school system emerged in responses to a question about the city’s drop-out rate and whether New Haven fudges the numbers. (Statewide, communities calculate the rate based on which seniors don’t graduate, as opposed to how many students who began attending high school in ninth grade made it to graduation.)

Holder-Winfield said it’s a concern. But beyond the question of the drop-out rate, he said, is the question of what kids have learned when they do graduate. He questioned whether the system is adequately preparing blacks and Latinos for the workforce.

“If these people are not achieving, what’s going to happen to the state?” he asked.

Holder-Winfield spoke of working on education issues at the state Capitol as a representative of the Southern Connecticut State University-based chapter of the American Association of University Professors. Holder-Winfield said the focus up there is on the STEM initiative aimed at boosting the teaching of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (hence the acronym).

“We can’t read,” he said. “How are we going to do science, technology, engineering and math?”

Rather than focus on the system’s shortcomings, Blango spoke of the pressures facing the city’s Board of Ed. He works for the Board of Ed as a truancy officer. Thirty-eight Board of Ed employees or others on city government payrolls have donated money to Blango’s campaign. (Read about that here.)

“I think the Board of Education gets a bad rap,” Blango said.

He talked about strains on over-stretched teachers and the difficulties kids face at home. “Some of these kids have to worry about taking care of brothers and sisters or dodging a bullet. It’s very difficult to learn if you’re staying up all night and you’ve got to help your mother or your father or your grandmother to help raise kids.” He said he is open to working with community members on solutions.

To a question on charter schools, Blango said they have a whole different format from the public schools and therefore can’t be compared as a model. He noted that teachers work a longer day there and don’t have yet.

Holder-Winfield said he thinks the public schools should learn from and adapt some charter school successes.

“I like what the charter schools are doing. Maybe there should be more money there,” he said.

The issue has resonated in New Haven, where reform advocates have held up the gains in charter schools like Amistad Academy as evidence that the public schools could be doing better with low-income students of color.

Holder-Winfield emphasized his background of community work in making his pitch to the ward committee.

“If you want to change what you’ve seen in politics, you have to change who you’re voting for,” he said “You have to go out and find somebody who — more than a title, more than because they get paid — this is at the core of who they are. This is what I’m offering.”

He pointed to his work in the community groups like the Brotherhood Leadership Summit and People Against Injustice, and picketing Gov. M Jodi Rell’s parole ban.

“I’m not saying I know the answer to everything,” he said. “I do know that whatever I do as an elected official and what I have done as a community activist always stems from the people I’ve been talking to and interacting with. That’s where wisdom comes from.”

Blango spoke of his New Haven roots, growing up in the Franklin and Ashmun Street projects and Newhallville.

He also spoke of his job as a truancy officer, where he works with a lot of kids growing up in single-parent homes. “The kids are looking for opportunities, and most of those opportunities are gone,” he said. “I’m in this race because I want to make a difference. The youth is my passion, my job. Even if they didn’t pay me I would still reach out.”

Blango added that his working relationships with city alders will be a great asset.

The two candidates have a clear difference on a second issue: gay rights. In interviews in the current edition of the New Haven Advocate, Holder-WInfield said he’d vote for a gay marriage bill if elected. Blango said he opposes gay marriage.

Jeannette Young (at right in photo), who plans to vote on Aug. 12, said at Wednesday night’s forum that she is still deciding between the two Democrats.

“They both had some good issues that need to be addressed badly,” she said. “It’s hard to decide.”

She plans to be at Tuesday’s meeting at the Elk’s Club, where the candidates will discuss the issues together once more.

Willie Greene will meet the winner of the August 12 primary in the general election, as he is running as an independent. He was at the meeting Wednesday night, but as a spectator rather than a participant at this Democratic event.

“I’m here to listen and see who we’re going to fight in the end,” Greene (pictured) said. “Today was the prelude to the championship.”

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Comments

Posted by: Ben | July 31, 2008 2:36 PM

Gary's got my vote.

Posted by: fac Chek | July 31, 2008 3:33 PM

Ben:

How can you tell, the questions were so shallow and did not, for the most part, address the more challenging issues facing New Haven. This was not a debate forum and the questions were presented by those who felt the questions were most important questions most new heaven's wanted to hear the candidates position on.

NOT SO.

The public school system is finally making in-roads and in no way can they, or should they, be held to the standards of Charter schools. This standardization difference is the similar all over the state.
Gay rights and transsexual rights is not on the horizon for most New Havener's.

Willie Green should call for debates, these two are timid and do not seem willing to do so.

Posted by: Kevin Ewing | July 31, 2008 4:05 PM

I've never seen anything about the Truancy program in the NHPS. What is it? What do they do? How effective are the truant officers.

Please note this is not an endorsement of or statement against either candidate. I don't even live in that district. I'm just curious.

Posted by: FIX THE SCHOOLS | July 31, 2008 4:21 PM

MR. BLANGO: Of course charter schools have a whole different format. That's why they exist. They were invented to get around the so-called "fixed" constraints of the traditional system, those being teacher unions and politically appointed BOEs. And in return for the freedom to choose their own teachers based on merit vs. tenure, design their own curriculum, manage their own finances, and set up strong expectations for accountability which does not exist in many traditional districts today, charter schools also have greater responsibility to the state to educate children. Charters which do not demonstrate improvement in educational outcomes above and beyond traditional districts can and should be de-funded and shut-down. However, those that do show consistently high performance should be FULLY funded and be encouraged to grow as rapidly as possible. And as a taxpayer, I find it reasonable to expect that the growth of successful charters would be supported by a "money follows the child" approach. In other words, when a child leaves one school and enters another, the money goes with them.

But back to the barriers...In reality, the fixed barriers to progress don't really need to be so fixed. They can and should be changed for the benefit of children and their families. We know that we can do better right now for more kids, so why don't we, Mr. Blango?

Are the children of your district not worth the effort of trying to dismantle the current broken school system model? If you were the King of New Haven and someone were to pay you $1 million personally, (no, $1 BILLION!!) if you could design an education system to close the achievement gap by 50% in the city over the next 10 years, how would you do it?

And why is it that you can't "compare the model"? Is it that you believe that the political constraints of taking on the teachers union and ceasing patronage appointments at the BOE are impossible to get around, or just too uncomfortable for you?

MR. HOLDER-WINFIELD: How would you propose to adapt some charter schools' success?

Posted by: Funky Chicken | July 31, 2008 4:35 PM

Paul, I would like to comment on, what I perceive as an unfair bias against Charlie Blango from NHI.
What is the relevance of the fact that 35 employees of the BOE gave to Charlie's campaign? Why not point out that numerous employees of SCSU gave to Gary? If you want to claim that this is because Charlie is a city employee, SCSU workers are state employees and Gary is a Union Lobbyist for the SCSU professors. Should he be running for office? Should he be taking donations from state employees? Is that not a conflict of interest?
Obviously for the both of them picked the "low hanging fruit" - the folks you work with day to day with regard to donations. I looked at the filing and I did not see any real money go to either of them from their respective work places.
My (long winded) point is please be fair to both sides - everyone has allegiances and to constantly point the finger at one side but not the other is not fair.

Posted by: Elfer | July 31, 2008 6:11 PM

How come the candidates are talking about safe topics, it's high time you "reps" come out of the closet and speak up about the raging crime activity in your neighborhood??? Where are your voices when their needed? Leadership from behind the political bush will not serve your constituents at all. talk now or don't run for positions of leadership. we're waiting...c'mon you can do it.

Posted by: James | August 1, 2008 12:10 PM

As usual, Blango is excuses and rhetoric, not solutions. To date my interaction with him has been limited to his not showing up for a community meeting and observing him making an appearance for a photo op with some kids in a nice suite (Blango, not the kids). I'll gladly admit that I do not know the man personally and that my contact with him has been limited. However, in my limited experience he is your typical New Haven politician. Lots of talk and very little action. Missed commitments to the community and missed opportunity for positive change in favor of placing (or dodging) blame. He's done nothing to earn my vote to his existing office, let alone a higher office. Looks like Holder-Winfield by default.

Posted by: Dixwell livin | August 1, 2008 2:46 PM

what is holder winfield talkin about more money to charter schools? shouldnt more be going to public schools? i mean if you took all the kids out of career whos parents aint involved with hteir lives or schoolin it would be a very different place. thats what them charters do they dont take no kids whose parents are all up in the kids lives and all.

all gary cares about is gay marriage this and gay marriage that. what about the taurus club and all the bad things goin on up in their and you live beside the place but dont say nothing?

gary done spent to much time up in hartford and is a creature of a bad system. i dont like blango but at least he has understanding of what is like to deal with urban issues where you are needing police, good schools and all but get no money from the stae so you have to tax people. gary got no experieance dealin with them issues.

i aint seen gary once at my door but he is over in the white neeghborhods all the time. he figures us black folks wont even vote so he dont need to talk to us or represent us at all.

i just cant wait till willie is on the ballot. he is the only real option for our ward and our people.

Posted by: 2FACED | August 1, 2008 5:42 PM

Dixwell Livin-You must live in Blango's backyard...that would be the reason why you seem to be stuck on STUPID! If you read that article again, you would know that Gary didn't ask for more funding for charters schools...but believes that within their success public schools could find some answers to address a problem that has been fed, washed up and allowed to sleep in for way too long...As for the TAURUS/Blango would like to take the credit for the place closing down; unfortunately, the owners employees nailed the coffin shut...getting them to testify on behalf of the club...was a huge mistake...the judge found out through their testimony that the owner had committed a crime by paying his employees under the table for many, many years and not reporting it. As for as bad system...Blango is so attached to this bad creature named Destefano...that we will never be able to articulate a independent thought regarding the needs of this city or the people...THE BOARD OF EDUCATION...is half of our budget...yet our children are left behind...each city is fiscally responsible...Johnny and friends are at fault...as for Willie...he is a has been...with too many issues, not enough money and no voter base to substantiate a real run...this is a democratic town....this is politics at its lowest...One Question...Why is Willie Green really doing this? Surely, it's not to help the people, but to give himself some stability...

Posted by: Gary Holder-Winfield | August 2, 2008 2:51 PM

You can watch the video for yourself here
Intro

First Question

Second Question

Third Question

Fourth Question

Fifth Question

Sixth Question

Posted by: Gary Holder-Winfield | August 2, 2008 2:53 PM

Here: Candidate forum video

Posted by: Sally Joughin | August 2, 2008 3:23 PM

I can tell you first-hand that Gary Winfield is a very intelligent and thoughtful person who cares about the New Haven community. I have worked with him on criminal issues for the past year as members of the planning committee of People Against Injustice. Gary lived in CT and in New Haven prior to purchasing his house in Newhallville. If elected as a state rep, he would be working with the rest of the New Haven delegation to bring improvements both to our city and to the people of his district, regarding education, prisoner re-entry, economic development and many other areas of importance. Besides working with Rep. Dyson, Gary has political experience as co-chair of the CT Federation of Black Democratic Clubs. I know Gary Winfield would be a real asset as a New Haven Representative.

Posted by: Webblog 1 | August 2, 2008 5:40 PM

Thanks Gary, for the moment let's forget about Blango's woe full responses and focus on yours.

First your body language.
You appeared to be using your hand gestures to express your points more so than your verbal. Your hand movements were extreme.

When Blango answered the questions first, it appeared you responded to Blango's statements more that your own independent answers to the questions(All).
Therefore you did not respond directly and concisely to the questions.

Your responses were too long and strayed from the central question.

You should not be taped standing in front of willie Green. Green gained a lot of film exposure at your expense.

Shorten your answers and stay on point regardless of what Blango says. His responses will be judged on their own merit.I rate your performance C-

Watch the tape several more times, you might agree with me.

If Blango is open to my critique, I have a whole host of them for him to digest.
I rate his performance a Double D.

Posted by: Ben | August 3, 2008 7:32 AM

FAC CHECK,
I did not state the Gary had my vote because of the facts stated in the article.
I know that Blango believes that marriage is reserved for a man and a woman. I know that he will have a vote on this at the state level.
I know that I would not vote for him because of this.

Posted by: Deuce | August 4, 2008 12:28 AM

So who else here is tired of listening to the Blango Tango?

Posted by: cedarhillresident | August 6, 2008 8:36 AM

I am not in that district but I support Gary and truly think that not only is he the best on for his district, he is the best on for our city!!

State Rep Hopefuls Differ On Schools

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