South Windsor Candidate Profile: Beth Esstman, Board Of Education

SOUTH WINDSOR, CT — The 2023 municipal election season is heating up in South Windsor, and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

South Windsor Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Name: Beth Esstman

How old will you be as of Election Day? 48

Does your campaign have a website? If so, include the URL here.

https://swrepublicans.com

What city or town do you live in? South Windsor

What office are you seeking? Board of Education

Party affiliation: Republican

Education: Master's of Science in Nursing, Yale University

What is your occupation? Geriatric and Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner since 2000

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

Lee Crane, spouse
Children:
Sophie, age 20
Xavier, age 18
Holden, age 16
Dalton, age 13

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

SW BOE 2015 - present
BOE Vice Chair 2015 - 2017
BOE Secretary 2019 - present

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office?

My husband and I moved our family to South Windsor in 2008 just before our oldest child started Kindergarten because of the reputation of the schools. I am passionate about ensuring the school district remains exceptional, especially since we intentionally came here for the education. Although two of our children have graduated from SWHS and are currently flourishing in college, I continue to have a vested interest in the success of the district as our two younger children remain in SW schools.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is \_\_\_, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The growing population and rising enrollment in our schools. Although we must respond to the mandates and needs associated with the increased number of students which comes at a cost, we also need to keep the district competitive. I will continue to advocate for fiscally responsible opportunities for all our students as well as responsible town growth that will not further overwhelm our schools.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

As a parent of four children, two who recently graduated from SWHS (class of 2021 and class of 2023) and two who remain in SW schools (class of 2026 and class of 2028), I have a unique and current perspective of the district. The varying academic skills and needs of my own children (EXCEL program, special ed, career pathways, etc.) foster my understanding of our district's strengths and potential areas for improvement. As a working parent, I understand the desire to have our hard-earned money spent wisely as well as the need to minimize the demands on families during the workday for transportation, etc.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

Although I am an incumbent and have been proud to serve with many qualified leaders from all parties, a large factor in my decision to run each election has been my concern that BOE candidates may have political agendas. Unfortunately, the BOE can be used as a launching pad for those with political aspirations. I don't want politically motivated decisions being made about my children's education. I have no political aspirations or intent on being a career politician. My goal on the BOE is to enhance educational opportunities in our town in a fiscally responsible way.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

I am an advocate of minimizing state mandates that burden taxpayers and restrict a student's, family's or district's ability to tailor education to the unique needs of a child. Although I am an advocate for more opportunities for students, I feel those opportunities should be available for students and families to choose based on their needs and specific situations rather than forced upon them.
I am passionate about student achievement and will continue to advocate to improve SAT scores, enhance our career pathway offerings, better target our interventions for children with learning disabilities and increase enrichment opportunities.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have served on the SW BOE since 2015 as a board member as well as in roles such as vice chair, secretary and chair of the policy committee.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Gandhi's quote, "Be the change you wish to see in the world" has always resonated with me. I feel strongly that attempting to find solutions and modeling what you hope for in others is much more productive than complaining or blaming.