Paul Bass Photo
Andrea Downer files campaign registration papers Wednesday with City Clerk Michael Smart.
This year’s Board of Education campaign officially began Wednesday afternoon, as Andrea Downer filed papers to seek the District 2 seat as a Democrat.
Downer filed the papers at the City Clerk’s office surrounded by Campaign Manager Sean Hardy, Treasurer Yvette Torres, Deputy Treasurer Nichole Jefferson, and supporter Jonathan Quinn Berryman.
New Haven’s nine-member ed board has two elected voting positions, each from a district representing half the city. District 2 is the only one with a seat open this year.
Darnell Goldson, who currently holds the seat, said Wednesday he plans to make an announcement within the next week about whether to seek reelection.
“I have been busy performing BOE work and haven’t focused on the mechanics of launching a campaign. I will do so at the appropriate time,” he said. He welcomed Downer’s candidacy as “democracy at its best. The more people involved, the better it is for our students, staff and taxpayers.”
Team Downer, from left: Deputy Treasurer Nichole Jefferson, the candidate, Treasurer Yvette Torres, Campaign Manager Sean Hardy.
Downer, 51, is a 1989 Hillhouse High School grad and mother of a Career High grad. She works as an electrical engineer and serves as Democratic co-chair of Ward 27.
She said she decided to do more to support public education beyond her work tutoring students every week at the Mitchell Library. She said she has seen students struggle with the shortage of teachers in core subjects like science, and math and engineering. With degrees in management information systems, engineering, and business policy and strategic leadership, she said, she can help the board work with the incoming Superintendent of Schools Madeline Negrón to tackle budget challenges and the teacher shortage.
“That is a retainment problem,” she said. “I hope the new superintendent has wonderful ideas and the board can support her. We have to be collaborative.”
Downer said she is currently finishing up a Paradigm for Parity program focused on gender equality, a topic she’d like to address as a school board member. She also suggested offering software programs to help parents of English language learners master English themselves so they can help their children with homework.
Selfie break: Hardy and Berryman.