Author Archives: Susan Fogliano

Letter to the Editor: Fogliano, Candidate for Region 18 BOE, Explains Why She is Running Again, Why Her Prior Experience on BOE is Important Now

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To the Editor: 

My name is Susan Fogliano, and I am a candidate for the Regional School District #18 Board of Education in the November 7 municipal election. As a resident of Old Lyme for nearly 32 years, I was proud to serve as a member of our Board of Education for 16 years between 1995 and 2011, and as Chair of the Board during my tenure. As Board Chairperson, I oversaw completion of a long-term renovation project of all five school buildings, culminating in the passage of the Lyme-Old Lyme High School project. 

I have been a lifelong advocate for public education in all its forms. I served for ten years on the Regional Board of Education, as well as on private boards and foundations, and have engaged in Board member professional development. 

I have been a full time classroom teacher and substitute teacher as well, and have worked in Madison, Lyme-Old Lyme, East Lyme, and Old Saybrook. 

Why am I running again? Since retiring, I find that I miss public service. I am troubled by the introduction of national culture wars and partisan politics into our local governance. I believe I can elevate the Board discourse to keep the focus on students, staff, parents, and taxpayers in our community. 

Why does it matter now? Experience has taught me that political and personal agendas have no place at the Board of Education table. There are suggestions by some opposing candidates that our school libraries should be “surveyed”, and that the District’s curriculum should be “edited”. Our school district is and has been among the most highly ranked systems in both the State and the nation. We do not need to direct resources to unnecessary fixes. 

What do I hope to accomplish? Using my energy and experience, I will work in a non-partisan fashion to maintain our excellent school district, using a common sense approach to make the best use of taxpayer dollars. 

The Old Lyme Democrats have assembled an amazing slate of qualified candidates dedicated to our community, and I am proud to be among them. I respectfully ask for your vote. 

With gratitude.

Sincerely,

Susan Fogliano,
Old Lyme.

Letter to the Editor: Political, Personal Agendas and Extremist Rhetoric Have No Place at Board of Education Table

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To the Editor:

Parents and taxpayers of Old Lyme, please pay close attention to this year’s November municipal elections, particularly to the candidates for the Region 18 Board of Education.

Old Lyme enjoys a school system that is broadly recognized for its quality across the region, the state, and indeed the nation.

Based on my tenure of sixteen years as a former member and chair of the Region 18 Board of Education, I cannot adequately stress the importance of having a Board composed of well-qualified members to maintain that level of quality.  Political and personal agendas and extremist rhetoric have no place at the Board of Education table. The top priorities must always be preserving a highest standard of educational excellence, and protecting the health and safety of the school community.

In my personal experience, the Old Lyme Democrats have always put forth responsible, qualified and reasonable candidates for the Board of Education seats, and they have done so again this year. They clearly understand their role in delivering quality education to our students, as well as responsible budgets to the taxpayers. 

In our electoral process, political parties have a principal role in nominating suitable candidates. When that process fails, it becomes even more important for the electorate to be informed and active, and most importantly, to vote.

Choose wisely, Old Lyme!

Sincerely,

Susan Fogliano,
Old Lyme.

Letter to the Editor: Make Increased Voter Access Permanent in Connecticut

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To the Editor:

I am old enough to remember when voting was considered to be a patriotic duty.

Voting by mail in Connecticut will not continue unless we make it so.

Among the many lessons of the COVID pandemic, we have learned that the State of Connecticut is one of only 6 states in the country with no access to either early in-person voting days or to “no excuse” mail-in voting. When given the option to mail in our ballots in November 2020 due to COVID-19, the turnout for eligible Connecticut voters increased to 80%, a 3.5% increase from the high turnout in 2016.

I was thrilled to have an option besides standing in line on Election Day. I, for one, would like to see this increased voter access continue.

Our society has changed. We work long hours. We have long commutes. We have to contend with childcare and eldercare. Throw in an occasional blizzard, power outage, or pandemic, and continuing to have access to alternative voting methods just makes sense.

The Connecticut State Constitution currently does not allow for anything but in-person Election Day voting, and absentee ballots only under strict conditions. There is legislation being proposed this session in the Connecticut General Assembly to amend this, or at the very least, extend the option of “no excuse” mail-in ballots for another calendar year.

Lyme and Old Lyme residents, I urge you to reach out to your state Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) representatives, House Member Devon Carney (who represents Lyme and Old Lyme), State Senator Paul Formica (for the Town of Old Lyme), and State Senator Norm Needleman (for the Town of Lyme).  (Their respective contact information is given below.) Encourage them to permanently increase our access to the polls in as many ways as possible!  We deserve nothing less.

Sincerely,

Susan Fogliano,
Old Lyme.

Contact information for the CGA representatives is as follows:
State Rep. Devin Carney: Devin.Carney@housegop.ct.gov
State Senator Paul Formica: Paul.Formica@cga.ct.gov
State Senator Norm Needleman: Norm.Needleman@cga.ct.gov