John Zito

From Ballotpedia - Reading time: 11 min

---

John Zito was an independent petitioning candidate for at-large representative on the Stamford Board of Education in Connecticut. The general election was held on November 3, 2015.^[1] John Zito lost the general election on November 3, 2015.

Biography[edit]

Zito is the owner of J. Zito Services, LLC, a heating, hot water and chimney cleaning company. A lifelong resident of Stamford, he has two children, one of whom is school aged and attends district schools. As of the 2015 election, Zito had no family members employed by the school district.^[2]

Elections[edit]

2015[edit]

See also: Stamford Public Schools elections (2015)

Five seats on the Stamford Public Schools Board of Education were up for election on November 3, 2015. The following three at-large incumbents' seats were up for regular general election in 2015: Lorraine Olson (R), Jerry Pia (R) and Polly Rauh (D). Additionally, two unexpired terms were also up for special election following resignations from the board. Rauh was the only incumbent to seek re-election; her defeat saw all five seats go to newcomers. The election did not change the board's Democratic majority; post-election, the board had six Democrats and three Republicans. This is the highest single-party majority allowed by law.

Republicans Mike Altamura and Andy George won two of the three full-term seats up for election while fellow party member Gerald Bosak won one of the unexpired terms. The Stamford Republican Town Committee initially endorsed Gerald Bosak and Prasad Tungaturthy for the one-year terms and Mike Altamura, Andy George and former board member Nicola Tarzia for the three-year terms. Tungaturthy, however, withdrew from the race on August 31, 2015. John Ciuffo was selected as the new Republican in Tugnaturthy's place.^[3] Republicans Altamura, George and Tarzia ran as a slate called 2015BOE Team.

Democrats David Mannis and Jennienne Burke won a three-year and one-year term, respectively. The Stamford Democratic City Committee did not endorse any of its incumbents for re-election.^[4] Instead, the party endorsed Angelica Gorrio, David Mannis and Ligia Marroquin for the three-year terms and Jennienne Burke and Monica DiCostanzo for the one-year terms.^[5] Democrats Gorrio, Mannis and Marroquin also formed a slate for the election.

Incumbent Rauh still sought to retain her seat on the board despite lacking her party's nomination. The Democratic board member chose to run as an unaffiliated candidate instead of forcing a primary election within her party. Rauh's party registration as a Democrat, however, meant the state law requiring a minimum of one-third of the board's seats to be held by minority parties following each election still applied to her in this election.^[6] John Zito also ran as an independent petitioning candidate in the regular-term race. Rauh placed seventh and Zito eighth out of the nine candidates running in the election for three-year terms.

Rolf Maurer was the sole Green Party candidate for the election. He sought a three-year term, but he placed last in the nine-candidate race.^[7]

Results[edit]

Stamford Public Schools, At-Large (3-year terms), General Election, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Mike Altamura	17.4%	5,445
	Republican	Andy George	15.9%	4,997
	Democratic	David Mannis	14.9%	4,656
	Democratic	Angelica Gorrio	14.1%	4,431
	Republican	Nicola Tarzia	14.1%	4,428
	Democratic	Ligia Marroquin	14.1%	4,405
	Petitioning	Polly Rauh Incumbent	5.2%	1,624
	Petitioning	John Zito	2.8%	882
	Green	Rolf Maurer	1.5%	472
Total Votes				31,340
Source: Connecticut Secretary of State, "Prescribed Form for Return of Votes Cast At A Municipal Election," accessed November 5, 2015

Endorsements[edit]

Zito received no official endorsements in this election.

Campaign themes[edit]

2015[edit]

Zito provided the following answers to questions from the Stamford Advocate:

Why are running for the Board of Education? What qualifies you for the job?

“	I am running for office because our school district has been facing a number of challenges that require commitment and leadership. If I were elected as an individual I would still be working as part of a team. The best way to succeed as a board is to practice collaboration and respect. The Board of Education has dealt with extremely difficult and vexing issues, from budgets to grievances and everything in between, it’s common for emotions to sometimes run high and the best way to succeed is to be part of a STRONG team. Boards members who treat one another with respect tend to be the most effective and those members who give in to acrimony tend to get less done. Effective board members participate in professional development and commit the time/energy necessary to be informed and effective leaders. It is important that the school system’s vision, goals, and policies; its current successes, challenges/opportunities; and the educational environment in our community be strong again. As a business owner, I know what is required to maintain the schools, how to prioritize a work order and see that the job is completed in a timely fashion. Voluntarily, for some years now, I have attended the BOE meetings and believe I would be an asset to this board and helping them make some appropriate decision/solutions to maintain our schools.[8]	”
—John Zito, Stamford Advocate candidate Q&A (2015)[9]

What are the district’s strengths and weaknesses?

“	Strengths: I believe the Stamford School system is good, but can be better. We have some great teachers/administrators within the school system and these teachers are the one’s who partner with parents, administration and give their heart to our children. They love their job and truly make a difference. Having eyes in the classroom to share insight and application is invaluable. There needs to be a high level of trust so classroom teachers feel free to share their frustrations as well as affirm programs that are succeeding. All children can learn if taught when a school’s climate is conducive to learning. That includes a clean, safe and well-organized school. Weakness: First, the Board needs to change the hiring process and screening of ALL teachers/administrators. Also, each year, the BOE should be looking into students residency. They should be asking for legal documentation proving are they Stamford residents? Secondly, the budget priorities need to reflect putting strong instructional leaders in the classroom. Board Members need to clearly communicate those priorities during the budget process. Remembering that the high percentage of the budget is of salaries/benefits, spending on repairs (especially AFB’s salary) that don’t seem to be getting done. We need to spend more when it comes to our classroom and programs. Lastly, parent(s) and community involvement truly make a difference. We need to encourage parent(s) involvement with the school/community.[8]	”
—John Zito, Stamford Advocate candidate Q&A (2015)[10]

How well has Superintendent Winifred Hamilton performed? Do you agree with her decision to retire?

“	A superintendent’s job demands an increasing level of professionalism in a wide variety of areas. A superintendent must be conversant with every mechanical/technical system in the building, work diplomatically to solve problems in the building, be responsive to residents and be able to work as a team member with the board and the managing agent. Importantly, be proactive when it comes to heading off problems, be cost conscious when it comes to working with vendors/contractors, and have all the appropriate trained/licensed personnel working in such areas as boilers, HVAC (heating, ventilation/air conditioning) and fire safety, in order to guarantee safety and protection of Stamford schools. I am not agreeing or disagreeing with Superintendent Hamilton’s decision to retire, that is her choice. I do know too much has happened to the Stamford schools over the last few years; and again, it’s time to put Stamford on a better path for a better future.[8]	”
—John Zito, Stamford Advocate candidate Q&A (2015)[11]

Should the search for a new superintendent be delayed until after the election?

“	As I said in a previous question, it should not be decided by the remaining board members. If the remaining board members are the one’s to vote on our next superintendent, they would be making a choice the new members will have to deal with. It’s very important to start with a new board, new ideas, new opinions, and overall, a new process for hiring administrators/teachers.[8]	”
—John Zito, Stamford Advocate candidate Q&A (2015)[12]

How do you think the current board handled the Stamford High School sex scandal? What might you have done differently?

“	First, I would not have “pushed it under the rug.” As superintendent, your job is to take immediate action when a teacher/administrator/parent is coming to you with a problem. I would have dealt with the problem from the beginning. No teacher, whether on “paid” leave or fired, should be receiving any part of their contract salary. That includes health benefits. In my opinion, salary should be placed into an escrow account until a final decision is made (court case). If they are found not guilty, they can receive their salary. Why should these teachers be paid?[8]	”
—John Zito, Stamford Advocate candidate Q&A (2015)[13]

The condition of the district’s facilities has been called into question lately. Should the Board of Education bring its facilities management in-house or should it continue to contract with an outside firm? Why?

“	I strongly believe that we need to go back to in-house management. The salary for AFB to maintain Stamford schools is outrageous, especially when the work is not getting done in a timely fashion. At (a recent) BOE meeting ... custodians/maintenance crews from many Stamford schools spoke about AFB and they way AFB conducts business. It just amazes me that the BOE members renewed the contract when work orders dated back to 2007, 2009, 2010 have not been completed. It is AFB’s job to maintain our schools, keep them clean, more importantly SAFE! They have failed. Question: If the city of Stamford is paying $742,000 annually to AFB, what is the money being spent on and who supervises AFB? Doesn’t everyone report to someone?[8]	”
—John Zito, Stamford Advocate candidate Q&A (2015)[14]

Define what you think the school board’s role should be in the district. Does the superintendent currently have too much power?

“	The primary role of the school board is to set the policy for the school district. The school board has one employee, Superintendent Winifred Hamilton. Hamilton was hired by the school board, the superintendent then runs the district. Hamilton, basically, sets policies, as well as approves the budget for the district. The Stamford Board of Education needs to remember its role. (1) Not to run the district but to provide guidelines from which the administration should operate. (2) Make choices (good) that result in a positive outcome for our children. (3) Be thorough when hiring any candidate. I believe Winifred Hamilton was a qualified candidate for the position of superintendent. She served as the deputy superintendent/assistant superintendent for secondary education. At the secondary school level, Hamilton has served as assistant principal and principal at Dolan Middle School, Rippowam Cluster High School and Rippowam Magnet Middle School. In the classroom, Hamilton taught physical education at Dolan Middle School and Westhill High School. She also taught at the University of Connecticut and Sacred Heart University. I do believe that “situations” were pushed “under the rug” and not dealt with properly. The city of Stamford, as we all know, is dealing with multiple lawsuits when it comes to the Board of Education and the decisions/action the members made. I don’t believe the board should be voting on Hamilton’s replacement until after Nov. 3 election. The new board members should be able to weigh in on this process. Let’s start clean. Let’s not put this “new” board against the “old” board. The “old” board should not dictate the future for the Stamford school system...it’s time to move on and do it right this time![8]	”
—John Zito, Stamford Advocate candidate Q&A (2015)[15]

How specific should the Board of Education’s goals be for the superintendent?

“	Four main goals should be: Enhance the performance of the superintendent Focus the district on goals and priorities Lead to transparent measures of performance and reasonable targets to meet Clarify areas where the board/superintendent relationship can be improved[8]	”
—John Zito, Stamford Advocate candidate Q&A (2015)[16]

Would you make expanding preschool programs a priority?

“	Yes!! Studies have shown the achievement gap starts out very young, if they have fewer vocabulary words, don’t know their numbers/shapes, don’t have the capacity for focus, then children will be behind that first day. However, programs need to be staffed with qualified/educated teachers. It can help children do better in school, provide child care support for parents who need it, helping some unemployed parents who need support for their children into a workplace.[8]	”
—John Zito, Stamford Advocate candidate Q&A (2015)[17]

How should the district better support the mental health of its students, given its limited resources?

“	First, interesting reading - http://1.usa.gov/1MEBXjI - which states, “The Connecticut State Board of Education calls for every school district to develop a full range of school-based support services that foster prevention and intervention systems addressing health and social factors for student success.” A major problem according to a parent I spoke with who said, “they limit all services to children, because of the overcrowding issue it’s impossible for a social worker to assist with that many children. At Springdale school alone, one social worker has a caseload of 83 students.” Another parent said that, “the Special Ed room should be for Special Ed. You can put an ADHD, OCD child with dyslexia in with a class of behavior problems and the child will not be able to concentrate, and will not learn! There needs to be separate programs for separate issues. I realize that is almost impossible, but something needs to be done.” She also stated, “the special ed teachers are not all trained in programs Ortan-Gillingham. If they are, it’s minimal. The Special Ed. teachers need to be trained properly.” With overcrowded schools and understaffed professionals, promoting better mental health education can be difficult. Stamford school professionals need to work together; the counselor, psychologist, nurse and teacher. This collective team can promote/foster the welfare of these children. Their roles need to overlap on a daily basis in order to care properly for these children. Communication and team work/building is part of their role as a professional and that needs to be a priority in order to produce a result.[8]	”
—John Zito, Stamford Advocate candidate Q&A (2015)[18]

About the district[edit]

See also: Stamford Public Schools, Connecticut

Stamford Public Schools is located in Fairfield County in western Connecticut. The county was home to 945,438 residents in 2014, according to estimates by the United States Census Bureau.^[19] Stamford Public Schools was the fifth-largest school district in Connecticut and served 15,758 students in the 2012–2013 school year.^[20]

Demographics[edit]

Fairfield County outperformed Connecticut as a whole in terms of higher education achievement from 2009–2013. The United States Census Bureau found that 44.8 percent of county residents aged 25 and older had attained a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 36.5 of state residents. The median household income for Fairfield County was $82,283, compared to $69,461 for Connecticut. The percentage of county residents below poverty level was 9.1 percent, while it was 10.2 percent for the state residents.^[19]

Racial Demographics, 2013[19] Race Fairfield County(%) Connecticut (%) White 80.2 81.6 Black or African American 12.0 11.3 American Indian and Alaska Native 0.5 0.5 Asian 5.3 4.3 Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.1 0.1 Two or More Races 1.9 2.1 Hispanic or Latino 18.2 14.7

Presidential Voting Pattern, Stamford, Connecticut[21] Year Democratic Vote (%) Republican Vote (%) 2012 62.3 36.8 2008 64.1 35.3 2004 58.6 40.1 2000 62.0 34.3

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Recent news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'John Zito' 'Stamford Public Schools'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also[edit]

• Stamford Public Schools, Connecticut
• Stamford Public Schools elections (2015)
• Incumbency no guarantee of success in Nov. 3 school board elections (November 6, 2015)
• What happened in Nov.'s top board elections? (November 4, 2015)

External links[edit]

• Stamford Public Schools

Footnotes[edit]

2015 Stamford Public Schools Elections
Fairfield County, Connecticut
Election date:	November 3, 2015
Candidates:	Four-year terms: • Incumbent, Polly Rauh • Angelica Gorrio • David Mannis • Ligia Marroquin • Rolf Maurer • Mike Altamura • Andy George • Nicola Tarzia • John Zito One-year terms: • Jennienne Burke • John Ciuffo • Monica DiCostanzo • Gerald Bosak
Important information:	What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot

	v • e State of Connecticut Hartford (capital)
Elections	What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2021 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures
Government	Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy