BOARD of EDUCATION
THE OFFICE:
SALARY: $18,500 annual base
TERM: Four years, no term limit
HOW ELECTED: The Board of Education is composed of five members who must reside in the districts that they represent and two at large members who may live anywhere in the county. Elections for Board of Education are non-partisan. Three seats will be filled in the general election in November. Candidates are running for one at-large seat and for two seats that represent districts. All voters, regardless of the district in which they reside, may vote for one at-large candidate and one candidate from each district.
DUTIES: Members of the Board of Education determine and enforce policies that govern the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). Among other responsibilities, the Board of Education appoints the Superintendent of Schools; initiates, reviews and discusses educational issues; reviews and submits to the County Council annual capital and operating budgets; and receives funding from county, state and federal sources.
THE GENERAL ELECTION ISSUES:
BACKGROUND: What are your qualifications for this office?
PRIORITIES: What are your priorities for serving on the Board of Education?
TESTING: What should be the role of standardized testing in the school curriculum?
BUDGET: What is your view on teacher salary negotiations?
OPTIONS: Does MCPS provide enough options for the non-college bound student? Please explain.
SUPERINTENDENT: What qualifications would you look for in a superintendent?
THE PRIMARY ELECTION ISSUES:
Overcrowding: What approaches would you support to alleviate overcrowding in schools?
Trade-offs: What are the trade-offs between an emphasis on improving test scores in reading and math or providing a well-rounded curriculum?
Options: Does MCPS provide enough options for the non-college bound student? Please explain.
Pre-kindergarten: What is your opinion of making pre-kindergarten education available in public schools?
BACKGROUND: I am a parent of two MCPS graduates. I have been active at all levels of PTA: school, cluster, and countywide. With a degree in Economics, I understand the financial complexities of the MCPS budget. As an attorney, I know how to read and draft policies for maximum effectiveness.
PRIORITIES: Develop a fiscally responsible budget that is transparent to taxpayers. Ensure that the middle school reform effort is successful by designing a curriculum that challenges every student. Encourage student achievement through meaningful programs, involve parents and engage the community. Eliminate unnecessary testing to provide more time for teaching.
TESTING: Standardized tests can gauge whether students’ mastery of curriculum is consistent across schools. However, as MCPS aligns curriculum with state tests, it must not lower standards. A coherent and content-rich curriculum must be developed that emphasizes complete mastery of basic facts and skills as well as concepts
BUDGET: It is important to the success of our schools that we continue to attract and retain highly qualified teachers. Competitive salaries are necessary to meet that goal. However, it is equally important to balance the needs of taxpayers to ensure that agreed upon compensation for employees is fiscally affordable.
OPTIONS: No. MCPS needs to improve its career preparation programs for students who are interested in job opportunities upon graduation. The Edison program is very successful and similar programs should be included along with countywide career pathways to create more options for our students in every high school
SUPERINTENDENT: The Superintendent must possess strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to articulate clearly the district’s vision to all stakeholders. He/she must be able to build consensus among individuals and groups. The Superintendent must be an effective advocate for the interests of MCPS in Annapolis.
Overcrowding: The BOE, working alongside our Annapolis delegation, must advocate for increased state funding to allow us to renovate schools more rapidly. We should study extended schedules, which will provide greater use of existing capacity. Finally, projections for stable enrollment may allow us to significantly decrease our reliance upon portables.
Trade-offs: There should not be trade-offs. MCPS must review the curriculum and redefine how reading and math are taught with a focus on fundamentals and no unnecessary testing. Incorporating math and reading skills into the areas of science, social studies, art, music, and P.E. will improve test scores.
Options: No. MCPS needs to improve its career preparation programs for students who are interested in job opportunities upon graduation. The Edison program is very successful and similar programs should be included along with countywide career pathways to create more options for our students in every high school.
Pre-kindergarten: We need to invest in our children at an earlier age by expanding our preschool programs. Enhancing early child development appears to improve a child’s ability to learn at later stages. Early education not only improves a child’s cognitive ability, but it increases the productivity of later educational initiatives.
BACKGROUND: I have a formal education in engineering and am a licensed engineer in Maryland. I had taught schools [vocational school and college]; I have served on career/technical advisory committees to MCPS & Montgomery colleges, as well as citizens boards to advise County Executive and County Council. The School Board currently …
PRIORITIES: (1) Hold MCPS to be more fiscally accountable in this time of economic uncertainty and yet will maintain our public schools academically excellence in reading, writing, math, science, and information technology. (2) Improve vocational training; emphasize civic education and responsibility to family, society, and country.
TESTING: I concur that all students must demonstrate acceptable academic performance via some types of testing - Test results also reflect the teaching skills and instructional ability of teachers. Test results also bear the proof of whether the curriculums taught by MCPS to our students at the different levels are meeting …
BUDGET: The teachers union has the right to negotiate for the basic annual increase for their members; however these increases should at the level commensurate with what the community’s resources can accommodate. I also would call for some reserved fund to award those good teachers who would go beyond their duty.
OPTIONS: No. Our country will need more technicians and trained workers than ever to manage our technical machineries and upgrading our national infrastructures. MCPS seems to dwell on getting students academically-prepared for colleges and had neglected other technical/vocational education needs for students who want to learn non academic skills.
SUPERINTENDENT: He/She should come from our own county, who is well respected by peers and stakeholders, who understands our schools system and all its ills and great-nesses. The superintendent will respect the wills and needs of all spectrums in our community and will dedicate 100% time running the schools system in…
Overcrowding: I support the slow growth in our county, this would help alleviate overcrowding in our schools in the long run. Meanwhile, we need to have additional teacher-aids in these over crowded classrooms to assist students with their understanding of studying material.
Trade-offs: I think that our teachers can do both and the MCPS should have in place procedures for all teachers to adhere to this – e.g. to teach the curriculum and bring out the highlight of what could be on the tests. Students need to practice what they’ve learned.
Options: No. This is the main reason I want to get involved in MCPS. Perhaps NCLB is too restrictive on its goal in that it focuses on the academic achievement and not enough emphasis on vocational/ careers courses for other non college bound students.
Pre-kindergarten: It’s an excellent idea, the earlier we start them in learning the better prepared they will become. Parents must compensate MCPS for this effort, just as if they are providing child care at private caring sources. Children from economic deprived sector should be exempted from payment.
STEPHEN N. ABRAMS 
WEBSITE: None
BACKGROUND: Both my experience as a 3-term member of the Board of Education as well as my professional background is my best qualification for a 4th term. I bring a common-sense, problem-solving approach to the Board, and I am able to think outside the box for innovative solutions to new challenges.
PRIORITIES: My priority has been maintaining MCPS’s outstanding performance while undergoing dramatic demographic changes. It will continue to be focused on raising the educational outcomes for all students and institutionalizing the change in MCPS culture as a result of the Weast reforms.
TESTING: I favor testing that leads to certification. For example, I am a strong advocate of both AP and IB exams where students can earn college credits or course exemptions. I would like to see the state and federal tests that our students are required to take to adopt similar criteria….
BUDGET: I was one of two Board members who did not support the current teachers’ contract. I opposed it because I didn’t believe the County’s budget could accommodate it, particularly the third year. We will see next year if I was right.
OPTIONS: We need more. Our reforms have been based on the realization that the vocational skills of the 21st Century require communications skills and competency in math, English and computers. We need to make sure we teach the skills needed for a high tech, bio-science workplace that will produce most of…
SUPERINTENDENT: I believe the next superintendent needs to have the same passion for rigor and high expectations for all students that has been the driving force behind Dr. Weast’s reforms. The next superintendent need not be a change agent. Rather, he or she needs to be able to help our institution …
WEBSITE: www.laura4boe.com
BACKGROUND: Current MCPS parent; Former Cluster Co-Coordinator, Rockville Cluster, MCCPTA; former Delegate to MCCPTA, Beall ES; Former Board Member, Baptist Home for Children (now the National Center for Children and Families); President, Friends of the Library, Rockville Chapter, 2007-2008.
PRIORITIES: Improve communication at every level; 2) Address the needs of every child for exercise, good nutrition, and safe and modern schools; 3) Adopt a common sense, transparent budget that respects local parent and student concerns; 4) Hire a dynamic, proactive Superintendent as Dr. Weast’s contract expires in 2011.
TESTING: Testing should deliver timely results so teachers can customize their approach to a particular child within the school year. Testing that tracks each child from grade to grade will provide better accountability than the current statistical game-playing that often wastes instructional time and crowds out art, music, PE, and recess.
BUDGET: The Board should not have approved such a generous contract in the face of a foreseeable economic downturn, but having now created those expectations, we should honor the contract. Nevertheless, classroom instruction - including class size - should always be the last place to suffer any budget cuts. Kids always…
OPTIONS: No. Vocational education is not currently a viable option for far too many students. Given our almost twenty percent drop-out rate, we must improve our vocational education offerings county-wide to give all children a path to a successful life, especially those who will not go to college.
SUPERINTENDENT: Bold drive to make MCPS a cutting edge leader in curriculum, the use of technology, and the school year calendar; Experience running a large organization; Political savvy; Background in education; Deep commitment to student academic, social, emotional, and critical thinking skills achievement; Attitude of respect for all persons; Inclusive approach.
(Vote for no more than one candidate regardless of where you live.)
CHRISTOPHER S. BARCLAY
WEBSITE: None located
BACKGROUND: In December of 2006 I was appointed to the Board of Education. The experience that I have gained in the last two years has allowed me to understand how to balance the needs of the students, the parent community and the school system.
PRIORITIES: My priorities are equity and excellence. We need to ensure that each and every classroom has a high quality teacher.
TESTING: Standardized tests should be used as one of many tools to assess student progress in a subject area. The federal No Child Left Behind Act has forced too many school systems to over emphasize the importance of standardized tests as assessment tools.
BUDGET: Teachers are the most valuable assets of our school system. During the FY 2009 budget process I strongly supported maintaining the negotiated agreement.
OPTIONS: MCPS does a great job providing options for students who may not be looking at college after graduation from high school. Even with that, we need to examine ways to expand the offerings in the automotive trades, construction trades and information technology.
SUPERINTENDENT: Strong communication skills. A commitment to equity and diversity. A history of effective staff management. Excellent political skills.