nothin New Haven Independent | The Specter Of Choate Haunts A Campaign Debate

The Specter Of Choate Haunts A Campaign Debate

Marcia Chambers Photo

Kennedy & Wilson before the debate began.

Choate Rosemary Hall, one of leading private prep schools in the nation, entered the shoreline’s hottest political race of the season Tuesday night — as an epithet.

Republican Bruce Wilson Jr., a retired businessman from Madison, mentioned the private school in a jab at his Democratic opponent, Ted Kennedy Jr., in a campaign debate at Guilford High School. The two candidates are competing for the open 12th State Senate District seat. The district includes the towns of Branford, Durham, Guilford, Killingworth, Madison and North Branford. The debate was moderated by WTNH News8 anchor Chris Velardi (pictured in top photo) and was sponsored by both the Shoreline and Madison Chambers of Commerce.

Education emerged in the debate as a key point of contention.

The two candidates were discussing the introduction of uniform Common Core standards in public schools statewide when Wilson turned to Kennedy, who was seated to his right and said in a conversational tone.

And I would ask,” how is Choate doing on its Common Core education?” 

Kennedy seemed taken aback for a moment. He replied: I don’t know. I don’t know how Choate is doing. I think what you’re referring to is the school my children attend.”

Kennedy’s daughter has graduated from Choate and his son is a now a student at Choate. Kennedy’s uncle, President John F. Kennedy is a graduate of Choate. Wilson’s three children attended Madison public schools.

Not Required At Private Schools

Wilson said he was referring to private schools in general, which are not required to use Common Core. Wilson is opposed to Common Core and argues it should end. Kennedy believes the program needs work and that it was implemented too quickly. Click here to read our earlier story detailing the candidates’ positions on Common Core.)

The problem I have here is that we believe this is an imperative for all children, and yet we don’t seek to impose this on private schools,” Wilson remarked. We seem to say,’ Look, if you go to public school, this is what you have to do. If you are fortunate enough to go to private school, well, you guys are probably OK.

I find that to be disingenuous on the part of the educators up in Hartford. I think if it is good for one, it has to be good for all.” (Parochial schools are not required to use Common Core, either.)

As campaigns get underway in states across the nation, the education reform package known as Common Core is triggering strong, often divisive reactions in local, state and federal races. All school districts are set to require new Common Core-aligned tests starting next school year.

Wilson is now retired after having sold his company, Aplicare, a Meriden company, to Clorox in December 2011. At the time Clorox acquired Aplicare, it also purchased HealthLink, a Florida company. The combined purchase price for both transactions was in the range of $80 to $90 million, according to news reports.

At the debate Kennedy, a disabilities lawyer and a businessman, said he supports the central concepts of Common Core. I think we need to raise standards and we need to evaluate teachers. But this is too much, too fast.” He said he has found in his discussions with educators that there is a general sense among teachers, superintendents and other educators that they are completely left out of the decision-making process. Teachers feel set up for failure and students are worried.” 

At one point during their discussion of Common Core, Wilson, who sits on the Madison Board of Education, said that in his view Kennedy lacks the experience or energy to go forward one way or the other on Common Core. 

We have choices as parents. Some of us are fortunate enough to make those decisions for our children. But one choice that can’t be taken away is how our children are educated in our local community. That choice is under attack. I intend to fight for it. I am fighting for it in Madison right now. It is a fight that quite frankly requires a lot more energy and a lot more experience than I think you have right now,” he said.

Moderator Velardi let the candidates discuss Common Core at length before finally ending the discussion. When he did Wilson remarked that he could talk about it all night. 

The debate questions were put together by the Government Relations Committee of the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce.

Public Financing and Beyond

The second flashpoint topic at the debate centered on Wilson’s decision last week to file a State Election Enforcement Commission (SEEC) complaint against the Kennedy campaign for purportedly giving $40,000 in funds to the state Democratic Party only to find they were passed back to the Kennedy campaign. At the same time, Wilson acknowledged that the Kennedy giving and getting was valid.”Click here to read the story.

Kennedy said his campaign is in full compliance with the law. I was accused last week by my opponent of somehow funneling money into my campaign. Let me just say one thing. I am a proud Democrat. I have been supporting the democratic party my whole life,” he said of ties to the party that elected his uncle John as president of the United States and his father, Ted, as a U.S. Senator.

I am doing it now and I intend to do it in the future. So as Bruce knows, I am in full compliance of the law. I think that this issue is a distraction. I think people in the district want to talk about the important issues, their lives, education, and transportation. Every donation that I have made has been fully disclosed. The whole accusation is without merit, and Bruce, you know it. So let’s get on to the more important issues that are impacting the people in this auditorium.”

Kennedy, 52, a disabilities lawyer and a businessman, said he supports Connecticut’s public finance system, which enables candidates who qualify to seek election grants from the state. Kennedy entered his family’s political business in April when he announced his intention to seek the Senate seat of Ed Meyer, who has served for 10 years. He said then he would legislate by consensus, a belief his father, the late U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, believed in.

Wilson said he was very disheartened” when he learned my opponent exercised a valid way of funneling more money into his campaign. My problem with this is that it created an unbalanced campaign. Now the resources are different, now the discussion can’t be about the issues; it has to be about the integrity of the campaign,” Wilson said.

In his first public explanation of the funding issue, Kennedy replied, I made a contribution to the Democratic Party. And my brother made a contribution to the Democratic Party. If that is going to be your issue with me, it’s just a non ‑starter. I don’t understand where you are going with this.”

Wilson replied, So let me explain. In my world, I grew up to understand that a man is judged by what he says and what he does. We both voluntarily entered into this campaign financing. As you were publicly saying I intend to raise all of my money locally…at the same time you were contributing, you , your family and former employees, significant amounts of money, which coincidentally were the exact same amounts coming back to your campaign from the democratic state central committee.”

Kennedy replied: All I can say is that my campaign is in full compliance with the law. And everywhere I go in this district, and I have talked with thousands of people, and the one thing they all agreed on is there is too much mud-slinging in politics today. There are too many personal attacks that are taking place. That is not how I will conduct myself in this campaign or as your next state senator.”

And then Kennedy returned to Wilson’s earlier comment about growing up in a world where a man is judged by what he says and what he does.

Circling back, Kennedy replied: I was raised to respect people whether I agreed with them or not. And that’s the kind of campaign that I am going to run.”
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