Who is BOE candidate, Mary-Jane Dodge Pazda?

Mary-Jane Dodge Pazda has been a teacher and administrator in public and private schools at the elementary, middle and secondary levels, most recently serving as K-12 Supervisor of Teaching and Learning in the Wethersfield Public Schools.  Her expertise is in the areas of curriculum and instruction with an emphasis on K-12 literacy development.  Mrs. Pazda provided leadership across all curricula; ongoing professional development, supervision and evaluation of teachers and staff; and oversight and programmatic support for Title I, NCLB, SRBI and English Language Learners. Mrs. Pazda has taught undergraduate and graduate students at public and private colleges and supervised student teachers for the University of Connecticut.  She worked with the Connecticut State Department of Education developing the fourth generation of the Connecticut State Mastery Test and NCLB curriculum and assessment alignment and now works with teachers to write curriculum aligned with the Common Core State Standards.  Mrs. Pazda has presented workshops on topics related to literacy at the local, state and national levels and was the 2002-2003 recipient of the prestigious Nicholas Criscuolo Reading Award for Administrators from the Connecticut Reading Association. Since retiring in June of 2008, Mrs. Pazda continues teaching English at Manchester Community College and works as a consultant to Connecticut school districts.  Mrs. Pazda has served as an elected member on the Manchester Board of Education and is a Justice of the Peace. She resides wither husband, Alex, and is often found visiting her five beautiful grandchildren.