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PTA COUNCIL OF HOWARD COUNTY QUESTIONNAIRE

Q: Are you a PTA member?  What role do you see PTAs having in education?

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Yes, I am a PTA member at Bryant Woods Elementary School and at Wilde Lake Middle School, serving as PTACHC representative for both this year. I think PTAs should advocate on behalf of students, teachers, and staff.

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Q:  How many BOE meetings have you attended/watched?

 

I have attended more BOE meetings than I can count. And I’ve watched even more.  

 

Q:  What decisions by the current Board would you have decided differently, if any?

 

I would have voted differently about final exams.  Final exams can be an important tool, but this should have been left to the teachers to decide.  In particular, I saw one teacher who had COVID in the week leading up to the final exam.  She worked while sick.  I don’t think a final exam is as important as our teacher’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being and the benefit to the students and the school system was negligible.

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Q:  Have you served on a HCPSS policy committee before?  If so, what committee, and what was your contribution?

 

No, I have not

 

Q:  What external BOE appointment position would you want to serve on and why?

 

I am open to serving on any positions where I am needed and best suited relative to all of the board members.

 

Q:  What recent decision has the current Board made that you would have supported?

 

The board advocated strongly, along with the HCEA President, for shifting the burden of proof in due process cases through state legislation.  I strongly support that and in fact submitted testimony to the Maryland General Assembly in support of that bill.

 

Q: Do you view the at-large position differently than the newer district representative positions? If yes, then how so?

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We have a county school system, so all board members need to be responsive to the whole county.  

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Q: Have you ever served a role in a union negotiation?

 

No.

 

Q: Do you have experience in human resources conflict mediation?

 

Yes.

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Q:  Have you testified (either in person or by written testimony) on any topic impacting HCPSS?  If so, when did you testify and what was topic?

 

I’ve testified at more than a half dozen meetings including on:

--the need for a middle school science fair that enables competition by diverse students at the national middle school science fair, which is often a prelude for successful competition at the national high school science fair.

--redistricting, the open meetings act, and plan continuation bias

--transportation

--need for students to be able to take touch typing

--budget

--special education

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Q:  Developer influence is a big concern for many in the community.  Community advocacy groups have put together the “Howard County No Developer No Dark Money Pledge”.  Have you signed it?  If not, why not?

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Yes.

 

BOARD RELATIONS

 

Q:  Our current Board is often divided on several issues.  What will you do to build consensus with Board members even on issues that you all may not agree on? 

 

I am a scientist and professor.  Science is collaborative, and everyone has to work hard to build consensus. Not only do I do this in my role as a scientist, but as a science professor, I also teach my trainees to do that as well. Everyone has to be a willing participant in building consensus. Then, they must listen and hear other people’s perspectives.  It is important to discuss implicit biases at the start of those conversations, to ensure that all voices are heard equally.  When possible, you develop solutions at the intersections of those conversations. 

 

STUDENT QUESTION

 

Q:  How much weight will you give to student feedback on budget prioritization?

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It is important to hear student feedback and consider it on budget prioritization. My own son testified on funding special education and I fully support him and his involvement. However, students are just one voice among many important voices. The board must also listen to parents, teachers, staff, and others who testify. 

 

OPERATING BUDGET

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Q:  HCPSS currently faces a $71 million deficit between what the Board proposed and what the County Executive has proposed – what would you cut?  What revenue source would need to be leveraged otherwise?

 

I am happy that the current board was able to negotiate further with the county to close that gap.  I am concerned though about how the question is often framed in this way.  The gap was between what the Board wants and what is provided.  However, even with the gap, the Board received more money this year than in previous years. Thus, nothing was going to need to be cut compared to what was provided in previous years.  The increased budget will allow for improvements, and I am hopeful that special education in particular will be getting the funding that it needs.

 

Q:  What is the largest budget that you have had a role in authorizing?

 

As part of my work as a federally funded scientist, I am responsible for multi-million dollar grants, frequently several at a time. I work with my accountant, my grants administrator, and contracting personnel to ensure this is done correctly. My grants and accounts have been audited, such that I am familiar with that process as well.

 

Q:  How will you work with the new County Executive and County Council to increase funding for the school system?

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We need to work through advocacy to ensure that the County Executive and the County Council understand why we need the level of funding requested. That starts with the Board, but it takes everyone. We need to make a clear and compelling case, one that cannot be ignored. And when funding comes up short, like it did this year, where HCPSS would see a decrease in the portion of the county budget it would receive, then we need to do like the Board did this year and go back to ensure that this is corrected.

 

Q:  What legislation do you support that helps to fund HCPSS?

 

I think APFO needs to be fixed, and I would support legislation to do that. However, I am concerned that other revenue streams that have been proposed (like the recordation tax) are fungible, meaning it can be moved around in the county coffers.  So yes, that money may go to the school system, but other funds that would have otherwise gone to the school system may be diverted to pay for other things. 

 

CAPITAL BUDGET

 

Q:  Do you support putting High School 14 in Elkridge?  If so, what will you do to move it forward on the CIP (Capital Improvement Plan)?

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Yes, Elkridge needs a high school. It is an area with no additional high school capacity and a great deal of students and new growth. It absolutely needs to be prioritized.

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Q:  What would be your plan for dealing with the millions in deferred maintenance?

 

Every year the Board puts forth an operating budget of what it needs. I think the Board also needs to put forth a capital budget of its actual needs. You can’t get what you don’t ask for. That capital budget request should be for all deferred maintenance as well as a seat in a brick and mortar building for every child in the school system.

 

Q:  Welcome to Oakland Mills!  As I assume you are aware, Oakland Mills High School has been bumped down or off the priority list for repairs and renovations many times.  We have a great community here at OMHS.  Will you work to get OMHS’s renovations and repairs moved up in the capitol budget plan so that our facility is upgraded to appropriate/modern standards as soon as possible?  
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Building new schools at new sites is one solution, but in some areas the land isn’t available for new schools but development continues.  That includes areas near OMHS.  Improving capacity by expanding the school, while updating and modernizing it, may be a solution we need to pursue.  We also need to ensure that we fund deferred maintenance.  We absolutely must maintain the schools we already have. Every year the BOE puts forth an operating budget of what it needs. The Board also needs to put forth a capital budget of its actual needs. You can’t get what you don’t ask for. That capital budget request should be for all deferred maintenance as well as a seat in a brick and mortar building for every child in the school system.

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Q:  There will always be a challenge to provide enough seats at our schools?  How will you ensure that older schools like OMHS are not bypassed and allowed to continue to decline? 

 

Building new schools at new sites is one solution, but in some areas the land isn’t available for new schools but development continues.  That includes areas near OMHS.  Improving capacity by expanding the school, while updating and modernizing it, may be a solution we need to pursue.  We also need to ensure that we fund deferred maintenance.  We absolutely must maintain the schools we already have. Every year the BOE puts forth an operating budget of what it needs. The Board also needs to put forth a capital budget of its actual needs. You can’t get what you don’t ask for. That capital budget request should be for all deferred maintenance as well as a seat in a brick and mortar building for every child in the school system.

 

Q:  Should school planning extend, 10, 25, 50 years into the future with research done into where population centers and schools should be within the county?

 

Absolutely.  If we are building tremendous amounts of housing units in an area in the next ten years, we should be addressing the school capacity in that area at the same time.  Waiting until they are built and we are significantly over capacity is part of the problem. It takes many years to design and build a new school.  That entire time, we are investing in portables and kids are overcrowded in current schools. Our school building needs to keep pace with development. 

 

Q:  Do you think relocatable portable classrooms are a solution to school overcrowding?
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They are a bad solution. For instance, I am incredibly concerned about safety with respect to those portable classrooms. We put all elementary school kids’ safety in the hands of young students day after day at many schools, as they have to move to and from portables to go to the bathroom, for instance. When they do this, our youngest learners are having to ensure that school doors are secured and that they don’t let adults in.  This is a big responsibility that we place on our young children, and one we should not be placing on their shoulders.  Earlier this year, we also heard in the boardroom that during a high school lockdown, children in portables did not have access to restroom facilities.  Teachers in portables also do not have the same access to resources as those in the main building. We chase good money after bad, buying portables and replacing portables.  We need to ask for the permanent school facilities that we actually need.

 

Q:  What role will you play in constituent advocacy for state matching funding? 

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All Board members, as well as community members, need to advocate at the state level. They need to advocate for matching funds. 

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Q:  Which advising entity is the most and the least influential to you offering school construction prioritization adjustments?

 

We need to listen to all information from all stakeholders. Everyone brings valuable perspectives and ideas.  We need to prioritize building schools where the students are. We need to stop overextending transportation by neglecting certain areas with a large amount of development, like Elkridge.

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Q:  What is your plan for making sure the county has an adequate number of schools?

 

Every year the Board puts forth an operating budget of what it needs. The Board also needs to put forth a capital budget of its actual needs. You can’t get what you don’t ask for. That capital budget request should be for all deferred maintenance as well as a seat in a brick and mortar building for every child in the school system.

 

REDISTRICTING
 
Q:  When making redistricting decisions, how would you rank the three factors identified in Policy 6010- facility utilization, community stability, and demographic characteristics of the student population?  Which one is the most important ad which one is the least important?

 

I value all of these.  We need to balance facility utilization. We cannot have facilities that are underutilized sitting directly next to facilities that are significantly over capacity. My understanding is that we cannot ask for state funding for building schools when this happens.

 

I also really value community stability. Being uprooted from my social safety network associated with our elementary school during the pandemic was incredibly difficult.  It was ironic that there was such a strong emphasis on social and emotional learning in the curriculum, which I believe is very important, but it came at the same time the school system was ignoring the social and emotional needs of families, which was significantly impacted by the lack of community stability due to extensive redistricting. We have strong social networks at schools between not just students, but parents and teachers as well. We should value that.  There is a very high cost in destroying those networks. 

 

We do not want high concentrations of poverty in schools. We need to address this. But time and time again in Howard County, we have shown that balancing poverty in schools is difficult to accomplish with redistricting.  We see that in large neighborhoods where the majority of the kids do not attend public school.  It is not an effective strategy. We really need to ensure that this is handled by the adults making zoning decisions and not asking the kids to fix it through redistricting.

 

Q:  What data points would you consider when redistricting?

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We need to look at capacity/utilization, transportation distance (as the bus drives, not as the bird flies), demographics, and community stability as we have in the past. But there are so many issues that we don’t consider that we should and I testified about these earlier this year to the BOE.  One is that we should better account for student deserts–large polygons (like the mall, hospital, community college, big box stores, industrial areas, and parks).  Often we are placing just a few students on one side of these student deserts far away from the rest of their classmates, which is unhealthy for their social and emotional well-being and development.  This is particularly acute for low income families that lack transportation.  But there are other issues as well, and I think we didn’t hear enough from parents. For instance, our elementary school in my neighborhood was built as a walking school.  It has only space for one bus, and that is the bus that picks up kids to take them to regional programs.  When built, all of the students were expected to walk to the school that attended the school. But with redistricting, there are now 7 buses dropping off, and no place for them to do so.  Likewise, parents are dropping kids in a car loop that was never mean to exist.  It is unsafe.  You can’t know this from looking at maps and polygons.  You would only know this if you have a process that encourages parents to speak up, for the board to listen and inquire, and for there to be time to make adjustments that balance all the factors above, but that also addresses this safety issue at the school.  

 

Q: Would you prefer to continue outsourcing redistricting guidance on a case-by-case basis, or develop a longer term in-house analytical capability?

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I am interested to see what happens this time.  I think in the last round, the Board gave the outside consultants advice on what to accomplish at the high school level and those consultants came up with reasonable plans at the high school level.  But then the criteria changed, the plan was thrown out the window at the high school level, and suddenly large numbers of elementary school children were being redistricted without any notice to families. If we are not going to give the outside consultants reasonable advice and then follow through on the plan, it is a waste of money.  Although, the same is true if there is in-house analytical capability and those plans are likewise thrown out the window. And in-house capabilities may be very expensive. Would this be a full time person and this is their sole responsibility?  What other tasks would they have that could be put on hold in years where we redistrict?  

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SPECIAL EDUCATION
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Q:  What is your understanding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)?

 

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires a free and appropriate education (FAPE) for all children, including those with disabilities.

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Q:  Can you describe the IEP process and the BOE’s role?

 

I am familiar with the IEP process having been through it with both my children. At its heart, the idea is that the educators, administrators, staff, parents, and sometimes the student and advocates come together as a team to develop an individualized plan for the student’s education. It typically starts with a parent’s request, followed by an initial meeting, establishing the questions to be asked, undertaking testing to probe those questions, reviewing the testing, determining if an IEP and services will be provided, and then developing the plan for the services.  The BOE’s role, as far as I have seen, is in establishing the HCPSS policies that play a role in IEPs as well as providing oversight of the school system and special education.  

 

Q:  How would you increase support services for those students who have IEPs?

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First, we need to ensure that the support services students need are available.  One that I have testified about and discussed at Coffee and Conversation with the BOE is a typing class.  All kids get education in handwriting. At least some kids with dysgraphia (like my oldest) cannot write by hand. The county’s solution has been to provide talk-to-text. But even when it works, talk-to-text also cannot be used in many places. What my son, and many others like him, really need is a touch typing class.  But since HCPSS doesn’t offer touch typing as a class, he cannot get it as a support service.  To me the solution in this case is to offer touch typing to all kids, and they would all benefit. Every college bound student should be able to touch type and have received instruction in it; it is even an admissions requirement at some universities.

 

Q:  Many teachers are public stating significant problems in special education.  What can the Board of Education do to improve besides additional funding? 

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One of the most significant places we could have an impact is in improving the initial IEP meetings that are needed to establish the IEP.  They take an unnecessarily large amount of time and effort as well as mental and emotional anguish.  If they were not so long and drawn out, with all of the educators in the meeting (of which there can be a half dozen to a dozen), those resources could be better spent. Teachers could be teaching, developing lesson plans, or handling administrative tasks. They would have more time to be with special education students, helping those children.  I would really like HCPSS to take steps to improve the IEP process, making it less confrontational, less adversarial, and more expedient.

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SCHOOL START TIMES
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Q:  Do you support later school start times for high schools?  If so, do you support it at any cost or is there a point where you think changing the start times becomes too cost-prohibitive?

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Implementing a later start time should be a priority. Changing school start times has long been known to improve outcomes, reduce absenteeism, and increase graduation rates. These improvements in outcomes are highest for the most disadvantaged students, particularly those whose parents have jobs that prevent them from seeing their child to school on time each morning.  This policy has also been extensively discussed for many years within the HCPSS community, with plenty of avenues for public input. The largest criticism is that the start times do not align with what is sometimes referred to as the social clock, meaning what people currently expect.  However, I believe the social clock can and will adjust and that changing school start times may benefit many more people as the social clock adjusts.

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TEACHERS/UNIONS
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Q:  What would you do to recruit and retain quality teachers and administrators in our county? Do you have any specific initiatives or efforts in mind to hire and retain great teachers?

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As long as the labor market overall is highly competitive, the school system will struggle to fill positions, particularly with experienced staff and those reflecting the diversity of our students and community. One way to increase participation in the workforce is to ensure that schools remain open so that all caregivers who want to return to work can return to work. We also need to continue to make improvements to our hiring practices and improve HR. We are still having issues with high quality candidates for teachers and staff being lost in the HR process. We need more programs like the “Paraeducators Pathways to Culturally Responsive Teaching” program in collaboration with Bowie State that, through a 3-year grant, provides para-educators in Howard County with full scholarships to obtain bachelor’s degrees in education. We need a similar program that encourages the development and retention of special education teachers. Lastly, we need to do a better job conveying what a wonderful profession education is, so our students will want to become teachers and come back to HCPSS to teach.  I have never seen a grade school public school teacher in a Career Day, yet it is a wonderful career opportunity for so many children.  I recently told my son that I thought he would make a wonderful teacher. He retorted to me about how awful teaching was as a profession; he had gotten so much messaging about how awful teaching was as a profession while at school.  I tried to set him straight, explaining how well it pays compared to so many professions and some of the hidden benefits that being a teacher has. We need to do more to highlight what a wonderful career opportunity it can be.  And we have to continue to ensure that it remains attractive as well by supporting our teachers and staff.

 

Q:  What are the three main issues affecting teacher retention and how will you address it?

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One theme that runs through many of the issues is that teachers do not feel valued.  One reason for that relates to how different teaching is different from other occupations.  Today, most people start in a position and then switch positions, sometimes as often as every year or two. When they do that, they usually see a salary increase and a change in title.  It helps with their retention, but it also helps with their morale.  Teachers on the other hand, enter a school and largely stay there seeing their salary increase by the number of years that they teach.  While I do not favor trying to assess who are the best teachers and reward them (because that assessment is fraught with problems), I do think it would be helpful if there were more opportunities for teachers to see these changes in position and salary.  There are a few such opportunities already, certain certifications, but I think we need to provide more areas to recognize and acknowledge our teachers development and accomplishments. 

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STATE
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Q:  What would you focus on advocating in state legislation that impacts HCPSS?

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We need to advocate for funding for new school construction.  We have a tremendous amount of growth and need schools for that growth.  I would also advocate further for shifting the burden of proof in due process claims, which was legislation that passed the House this past year but not the Senate.

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Q:  What requirements set forth by the Blueprint/Kirwan are achievable in your term and which are at most risk of noncompliance?

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We have to work with the state to ensure that there is adequate funding to be compliant with the Blueprint/Kirwan.

 

INNOVATION
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Q:  How would you encourage parent involvement in the school system?

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Parents need to be enabled to be more engaged with their children as it relates to the curriculum.  Parents should know what their students are learning, so that they can support their children with enrichment at home that is complimentary.  

 

Q:  Are you concerned by the lack of diversity in GT and advanced level classes?  If so, what will you do to improve representation? 

 

The lack of diversity in GT and advanced level classes starts in elementary school and continues until students graduate.  We need to ensure that we identify the gifts children have in all schools, encouraging them to develop those gifts with programs like CEUs.  But we also need other enrichment activities as well.  We need to ensure kids are going on real truly enriching field trips, where they are exposed to content that they wouldn’t otherwise be.  This is particularly true for our lowest income learners.  We also need to have free after school enrichment activities for these children, including providing high quality enriching after school extracurricular activities in middle school. We also need to better support for 2E students.  These are students who having a learning disability but are also incredibly gifted in other areas.  We need to ensure that we are supporting these kids with aspects related to their learning disability so they can access the curriculum that they should be accessing and that is appropriate to them.

 

Q:  HCPSS is a very top-down educational system – how would you give local schools more control while ensuring equity?

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There would be more equity if we gave local schools more control.  The schools typically know what their students need and how the school can best provide it. What works in one school may not work in another, and our teachers and administrators need more flexibility.  That doesn’t mean we can’t have the same rigorous curriculum across schools and resources available to the schools to help them when needed. This would ensure that students can move seamlessly between schools when necessary.

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Q:  HCPSS has been at the front of the pack because it has been a progressive system.  How do we continue that tradition? 

 

We need to continue to innovate.  Often I feel like we are looking to see what neighboring jurisdictions are doing and following suit, often trying not to be too different.  I think we need to be the leaders that neighboring jurisdictions want to emulate.  

 

CURRICULUM
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Q:  What is your position on Social/Emotional Learning (SEL) in elementary schools?  Please explain your position.

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Social/Emotional Learning (SEL) has always been an important part of elementary school and pre-K programs. Research shows that it is crucial to the success of children.  It is what was really missing during the pandemic, as it isn’t taught well virtually.  And many of our kids are struggling now because of it.  SEL teaches kids soft skills that are so important in later life to ensure they can work and play well with others including empathy, self awareness, self-regulation, and social cues. It is crucial to students’ development.

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DIVERSITY/INCLUSION
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Q:  The school system is spending a large amount of time, money, and resources in the area of restorative justice.  What do you see as the benefits of this practice and the shortfalls when it comes to meeting the social/emotional needs of all students?

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I like the idea of restorative justice. In principle, it makes a great deal of sense. But in many cases, I do not see it being implemented. I don’t see adults modeling restorative justice practices. For instance, let’s take OMA issues during redistricting at the BOE level. They were not resolved by restorative justice.  It doesn’t seem to be used for bullying, and quite possibly, maybe it shouldn’t be used in cases of bullying.  Restorative justice often has at its roots an interaction between the aggressor and the victim.  Quite possibly in many cases the victim is not able or willing to participate, and they should not be forced to. Lastly, when the legal system is involved, restorative justice in the schools seems to disappear.  To me, there are two areas for improvement aimed at doing a better job at addressing discipline while meeting the social/emotional needs of all students. First, we need to address root causes.  One of those is the under-identification of learning and other disabilities and then providing services to address them, particularly for low income and minority students. Second, we need to provide more opportunities for community building in our schools, particularly our middle schools.  To do that, we need to increase school stability to every extent possible and provide extracurricular activities at all ages, particularly at schools with a higher proportion of low-income learners.  Students need to be provided more enrichment activities, more positive interactions at schools, and more opportunities to be a part of a strong community.

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Q:  What will you do to ensure our ALS (Academic Life Skills) students have access to a well-rounded education that balances curriculum as well as the transition needs of our neediest students?

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The BOE needs to ensure that the special education teachers are well supported and that we have the offerings these students need.  The diversity of needs is as great as the diversity of the children with those needs. We need to ensure we have the curriculum and system to fully support all of our ALS students.  

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Q:  What is your plan to address the disproportional suspension of students of color and special education students?  

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We have an issue with the disproportionate suspension of students of color, males, and special education students.  And frequently, students fit more than one of these categories. This then transitions into the problems we see in the justice system. More than 35% of children at the Howard County juvenile detention center had an IEP.  As I mentioned above, we need to address root causes.  One of those is the under-identification of learning and other disabilities. We need to identify students and provide services to address them, particularly for low income and minority students. Second, we need to provide more opportunities for community building in our schools, particularly our middle schools.  To do that, we need to increase school stability to every extent possible and provide extracurricular activities at all ages, particularly at schools with a higher proportion of low-income learners.  Students need to be provided more enrichment activities, more positive interactions at schools, and more opportunities to be a part of a strong community.

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HOT TOPICS*
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Q:  Do you think the Student Member of the Board (SMOB) should vote on budget matters?

 

No.  The SMOB position is already a demanding one. The budget is one matter where the SMOB should not vote, because of complexities and nuances that may not be obvious to a student. However, I believe strongly that they should advocate and voice their opinions.

 

Q:  Would you endorse mandatory vaccinations for faculty and students?

 

We already have mandatory vaccinations for faculty and students including measles, mumps, rubella, polio, and others.  They are crucial for ensuring that students, teachers, and staff remain safe from these horrible diseases.  We should continue to have mandatory vaccinations.

 

Q:  Do you feel restroom gender policies need adjustment? Do you believe transgender students should be able to use the bathroom they choose?
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The current restroom and changing room policies are correct.  Transgender students should be able to use the bathroom they choose.  Students who want more privacy, for whatever reason, should have access to a bathroom with more privacy.  During new construction and renovations, I hope we will move to ensure that there are more bathrooms with more privacy for all kids.

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Q:  What adjustments to HCPSS programs would you make to accommodate homeschool and charter school students?

 

I would not make any adjustments.

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Q:  What safety measures will you change from current levels?  Do you support SROs in all middle and high schools?

 

We have to find a better way to address school safety without contributing to the school-to-prison pipeline. We have issues of violence in our schools with fights and other issues that disrupt the ability of students to learn.  We have that in high schools with SROs; we have that in middle schools without SROs. A single SRO cannot break up a fight. Whether there is an SRO or not, teachers, administrators, and other staff are being asked to risk getting injured to intervene in situations of school violence. We need a comprehensive program to pro-actively address school safety to ensure a better, healthier learning and teaching environment. I would like to hear more about implementing a program aimed at reducing the need for discipline and that addresses discipline disparities, something like the My Teaching Partner (MTP) program that is available at all grade levels and has repeatedly been shown to reduce discipline disparities for children with disabilities and black children. We need to address the root causes and that may also require counselors, psychologists, social workers, and nurses who are as diverse as the school body, serving as positive role models for students. Ultimately, I believe we need SROs right now and we cannot just remove them. But I would like us to have a school environment that doesn’t need SROs.

 

Q:  Should HCPSS reopened for in-person learning before March 2021?

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In March 2021, after teachers were vaccinated, HCPSS should have re-opened for in-person learning for all students five days a week.

 

Q:  One of the issues in today’s public education is which entity should decide the books available to children of various ages in Howard County schools – who do you think should be decision makers?

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Our current system is working. Media specialists and others identify books. When there is concern, it is brought for review by a committee.  This year, at least three books were brought to the committee, and they decided that they were suitable for kids at the levels where they were being provided. I have read two of the three books, and I think the system worked. 

 

Q:  Do you believe realtors and developers should be penalized for advertising certain schools to potential home buyers? 
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Regardless of whether realtors or developers advertise or not, home buyers want to know what schools their kids are most likely going to go to, and there are plenty of sites with that information. While I think it is deceptive for realtors and developers to advertise it knowing full well that it can change, I do not think they should be penalized.  I do think there should be a document signed at closing that makes it very clear that anyone’s school could change at any time. I think that is particularly important for all the new home buyers who are moving from areas that do not have countywide school districts with redistricting.

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*Please note that the PTA Council of Howard County is a county-wide, volunteer, and non-partisan entity.  Questions provided are representative of citizen responses; and do not reflect official positions of PTACHC, unless noted.  PTACHC has not taken a position on any of the hot topics listed above.

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