Q&A with the Candidates – Pam Iacono, Fairfield Board of Education

On Tuesday November 3rd, Fairfielders will have the opportunity to vote for candidates up for election on the Board of Education and the Representative Town Meeting. These are important elections for both entities. The Board of Education is tasked with hiring a new superintendent of the school district, and the RTM will be faced with another tight budget. Your vote is meaningful. In light of this, we will be interviewing the candidates, and posting individual Q&A to help voters understand who the candidates are and what they stand for. To ensure you do not miss an article, subscribe to HeyFairfield’s daily newletter in the box at the top of the righthand column. This first Q&A is for Board of Education incumbent Pam Iacono – Ed

Pam Iacono - Republican Candidate for Fairfield Board of Education

A Fairfield resident for the past 9 years, Pam Iacono is married and has 3 school-aged children. Ms. Iacono holds a B.A. from Penn State University. She is the only incumbent running this year. Ms. Iacono was appointed to the Board to fill in a vacancy 16 months ago. Iacono recently became the Board liaison to the Fairfield Public Schools Strategic Plan Communications subcommittee. She is an active member of the Riverfield School PTA and is the co-founder of the Fairfield School Space Coalition. Ms. Iacono has a website at http://www.pamiacono.com

Hey Fairfield – What is the most immediate issue facing the Board of Education today?

Pam Iacono – Hiring a Superintendent, one that has a vision and can act upon that vision.

HF – What experience do you have related to resolving that issue?

PI – It’s actually my background. I was a corporate Human Resources manager. I handled recruiting and interviewing, that’s an asset I bring to the table.

HF - What type of leader do you think we need as Superintendent?

PI – Someone who has a vision, someone who is focused on achievement. A person who has excellent management skills. They need to have management experience.

We also need to have someone who is willing to spending time with new curriculum, and let us know if are there any alternatives. There needs to be more focus towards the basics, and less towards testing.

We need to find the right person, even if that means having an interim superintendent.

HF - What other priorities need to be addressed by the Board of Education?

PI – The budget. We are facing another tough budget this year. We are going to need to figure out how to do more with less. I am in favor of conducting a forensic audit to find any waste in the budget.

HF - What Long-Term issue is the Board of Education facing and what will you do to impact that?

PI – We need a long-term plan to deal with the school space issue. This is a town-wide issue, and the Board of Selectman and Board of Finance need to help getting the Board of Education the space it needs. I’m also hearing from constituents that TP&Z regulations are having an effect on the overcrowding. It touches on every board and commission.

HF - What do you say to taxpayers who don’t have children in the school system?

I think it’s important for them to pay attention to what’s going on in the school system. We need to remain focused on spending tax dollars on the children. However, the Board needs to look at the budget with a fine-tooth comb.