Jeff Bennett and Anthony Mazzocchi recently announced that they will be running for the Board of Education (BOE) in the current election as write-in candidates.
“When you have a contested election, you have higher voter turn-out. I have strong opinions on what is going on right now. It is important to step up and run for BOE when you believe change has to happen,” Mazzocchi said.
Mazzocchi has also stated that this campaign season has been too “quiet.”
“I believe it’s time to rekindle the spirit of democracy,” he said. I want to foster an environment where innovative ideas can flourish and where parents, teachers, and students have a voice in shaping our educational and administrative direction. I believe we need to bring a laser-like focus to our conversations on the quality and accountability of leadership in district at this time.”
Bennett said that he and Mazzocchi have a long-term interest in education and that’s what prompted their decision to run. While he believes that all candidates are truly interested in education, he didn’t see any solutions offered.
In his “Why I’m Running” statement, Bennet said; “Like many of you, I was surprised this summer to learn that the Board of Education election would be uncontested this year. As a close observer of the school district who believes it has several areas of desperate need for improvement, I was disappointed that there would not be a contest of ideas for what the best ways to bring about improvement would be. While the three candidates on the ballot are good people, I think the community should have the option to vote for other representatives.”
Bennett said that transportation is the most acute problem in the district.
“As you watch the campaign, I didn’t see any solutions offered. There are some second-tier routes that are being late because first tier is late to begin with. Why are they late?”
Like the other candidates, Bennett is a strong supporter of integration in the SOMA schools, but believes the current plan has flaws that must be closely examined, and again, it falls on transportation.
“I believe that if a school’s start time makes it impossible for the parents to get to work or they cannot drive their child because they lack a car, that they should be able to get a hardship transfer,” he stated. “The lateness of buses this year is an unacceptable problem with transportation, but not the sole problem since some bus routes are one hour long. There is also the problem that many kids who are just below the distance-cutoff receive no bussing at all.”
Bennett would also like to see a more well-rounded curriculum—more science and history, and a long commitment to phonics.
For additional information on Jeff Bennet and Anthony Mazzocchi’s campaign, visit: https://www.somaboewritein.com/
Bennett and Mazzocchi asking for write-in votes added by Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta on
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