Tuesday, August 8th – The Unrig Bridgeport coalition is thrilled to announce that Jennifer Perez, a lifelong Bridgeport resident and Democratic candidate for the Board of Education, was appointed to serve on the Board of Education at last night’s special meeting in a 6-2 vote! Her appointment comes after the July 24th resignation of Michael Maccarone. Ms. Perez will serve out the remaining two years of his term until the 2025 municipal elections.

On July 25th, Jennifer Perez received the endorsement of the Unrig Bridgeport coalition, as part of The People’s Slate, a diverse mix of individuals for Mayor, City Council, and Board of Education that includes both challengers and incumbents. Each of them, including Ms. Perez, pledged to fight the political corruption that has plagued Bridgeport; to fix the city’s broken democracy; and to advance real policies that support public education, affordable housing, public safety, the economy, and more.

At the time, the Unrig Bridgeport coalition put out the following endorsement statement and bio of Ms. Perez:

Endorsement Statement: Jennifer Perez is a first-time candidate for the Board of Education and took The People’s Pledge. One thing she really loves about our public school system is the diversity. Ms. Perez knows from first-hand experience that the top issues facing our district today are the budget, lack of paraprofessionals in the classroom, addressing social/emotional learning of our students, the health and safety in our school buildings, and teacher retention. When elected onto the Board of Education, Ms. Perez is most excited about advocating for social/emotional learning and more social workers in schools, transparency on the school budget, and raising the minimum wage to work towards full employment and better job creation.

About: Jennifer Perez, LMSW, was born and raised in Bridgeport, CT.  She earned a Masters in Social Work degree with a concentration in Community Organizing, Policy, and Leadership from Southern Connecticut State University. Jennifer is a proud product of the Bridgeport Public Schools (BPS), having attended High Horizons and Central Magnet High School.  She previously worked for BPS as a sixth grade teacher and understands firsthand the impact that public school education has on students. She believes that all students deserve to have an equitable education. Jennifer has over seven years of experience working in adolescent mental health, formerly leading and managing a residential treatment program. She is passionate about the social and emotional health of students, especially in the post pandemic era, and hopes to collaborate with the superintendent to ensure the social and emotional needs of all students are met. She currently works as an associate therapist in adolescent mental health and as an organizer for the National Jobs for All Network.

Unrig Bridgeport’s slate of endorsed candidates includes:

  • Marilyn Moore | Mayor | Democrat
  • Tyler Mack | City Council | 131st District  | Democrat
  • Aikeem Boyd | City Council | 133rd District | Democrat
  • Frederick Hodges | City Council | 136th District | Democrat
  • Aidee Nieves | City Council | 137th District | Democrat
  • Maria Valle | City Council | 137th District | Democrat
  • Tammy Roseboro | City Council | 139th District | Democrat
  • Albert Benejan | Board of Education | Democrat
  • JoAnn Kennedy | Board of Education | Democrat

Robert Traber, a current Board of Education member, had originally received the endorsement. His seat is not up for re-election this year, so he is no longer a candidate. He replaced Erika Castillo, who was only 2 years through a 4 year term, so he will also continue to serve out the remainder of her term until the 2025 municipal elections.

Click here to read through all of the endorsement statements and biographies of each candidate on The People’s Slate! Between now and the primary election on Tuesday, September 12th, we will be talking with voters about The People’s Platform and our shared vision for positive change. Corruption doesn’t define us, it’s just in the way. Together with all the candidates on The People’s Slate, we can finally get to work on building the just, equitable, democratic, and livable city we all know is possible!

Love Bridgeport? Learn Why Marilyn Moore is The People’s Choice For Mayor, Read The People’s Platform,  Pledge to Vote on Tues, Sept, 12th and Donate to the Year of Change HERE!