Our public school system is at the core of our County. On the Council, I will work to make sure that our school leadership is held accountable for a system that delivers for every student.

Today, the system faces new and more complex challenges. The percentage of students qualifying for free and reduced price meals has grown from 24 percent to 44 percent over the last two decades. An aging building portfolio is in real need of repair. There are major changes being proposed to the school system, from boundaries to programs. And recent safety incidents have called current practices into question.

On the Council, I will focus on four priorities:

Make Sure Our Dollars Drive Progress: On the operating budget, we need to focus dollars in the classroom to address class sizes and growing student needs. We also need to invest in quality all-day pre-K to ensure our youngest learners get off to a strong start. On the capital budget, we need to take a concerted effort to address the MCPS repair backlog. I will lend my experience managing multi-billion dollar budgets to help us solve for and deliver on these needs while keeping projects on time and on budget.

Create a More Deliberate Process for the Future of Our Schools: Over the past year, MCPS has decided to tackle too many large decisions at once, and Board of Education leadership has not provided the governance we need. At the same time, MCPS is looking at a boundary study to change school lines, a complete re-thinking of how local schools work through the programs analysis, and major school closures. I recently attended the Save Wootton rally to stand with Wootton parents and students, and you can watch my video on that below. I also released a statement opposing the closure of Wootton High School, which you can read here.

Provide Needed Accountability and Oversight: Over the past four years, serious shortfalls, repeated mistakes, and abuses have undercut confidence in MCPS. This past summer, teachers were not paid for summer school for weeks. This past school year, it emerged that background checks were not being properly conducted for individuals with access to students. And there continues to be fallout from fraud associated with the electric school bus procurement. On the Council, I will be an advocate for accountability.

Address Safety and Security in the Schools: Safety in schools is paramount. We all want our children to be safe, but recurring incidents at schools require Councilmembers who are prepared to engage on substantive safety policy and on forcing MCPS to improve communication and transparency with parents. I support bringing back school resource officers, and I will continue to be an advocate for making sure MCPS is taking all appropriate steps to address school safety issues compassionately and effectively.

Thanks for reading, and I’ll be back in touch soon.