Why I'm Running
I'm running to ensure our special education programs are fully staffed and equipped with the resources and funding necessary to provide students with special needs with the highest-quality education.
I'm running to create an education system that attracts diverse educators, administrators, and support staff to work in the communities they live in by ensuring professional level, world-class, compensation, benefits, and respect.
I'm committed to advocating for funding for building improvements to accommodate students in Maryland's fastest-growing county. I also believe in transparency in decision-making and redistricting so that all stakeholders can have their voices heard.
I'm running to create an environment conducive to academic achievement, we must ensure that educators are respected and valued as experts in their field. We must provide them with the resources, time, and support necessary to succeed and empower relationship-building to increase academic achievement.
I'm student-focused and believe all decisions should positively affect our students' academic, mental health, and physical well-being.
SPECIAL EDUCATION
Our county should provide world-class Special Education services. As a member of the Board of Education for Frederick County, I want to ensure that students' learning environments are fully staffed, resources are fully funded, and individual education plans are fully adhered to. To do so, we must ensure professional compensation, benefits, and time for our educators.
Funding and fully staffing special education programs are necessary to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for students and staff. To address the issue of understaffed programs, I suggest establishing strict ratios between educators and students and educators and caseloads based on the special education program. I believe FCPS should compensate teachers for the extra hours they put in for creating IEPS, behavior intervention plans, functional behavior analysis, educational assessments, and case management, which go beyond their regular duty hours. Understanding that IDEA federally mandates Special Education students' IEPs is essential.
Addressing the lack of programs to support students requires immediate attention. I want to reiterate my commitment to advocating that FCPS offer more diverse and expansive programs that cater to the various needs of special education students. This is crucial in ensuring that all our students receive the support they need to succeed.
RECRUITING AND RETAINING DIVERSE WORKFORCE
The workforce in our schools needs to be representative of the student body. As a black educator, I would like to see more diversity in the education profession throughout Frederick County.I support and will advocate for conducting a comprehensive review of applications for teachers of color from the past decade to ensure that every applicant, regardless of race or ethnicity, is given a fair and equal opportunity to be considered for a teaching position. Such a review can help identify any potential biases or discrimination in the hiring process and enable the development of strategies to address any identified issues, promoting a more diverse and inclusive teaching workforce.
However, this issue concerns more than a lack of willingness to hire diverse staff. The environment needs to create an atmosphere conducive to recruiting new staff or retaining staff within FCPS, both financially and culturally.
Recruiting diverse staff in schools has been talked about for several decades, but it's becoming increasingly more work due to the lack of salaries and professional respect that educators receive. While many assume that raising pay is the only solution, it's not. Diversity in educational staff also relies on professional respect and dignity. As a school board member, I would work to lower class sizes, hire diverse school level leadership, increase teacher autonomy, and ensure educators have the support and resources needed to succeed. Giving educational staff a voice in decision-making processes will be a huge help.
RECRUITING AND RETAINING WORLD-CLASS EDUCATORS
Recruiting and retaining educators is crucial for a school district's health and sustainability. As a current and active educator, I comprehend the factors that educators consider when choosing where to work and what is necessary to retain them. We need help recruiting and retaining educators due to low pay, lack of professional respect, and limited autonomy. I will advocate for professional respect, dignity, trust, autonomy, and compensation for our educators because I believe these are pillars of a workplace where everyone feels respected and dignified. Our school district is great because we have hard working educators that deserve someone who will advocate for them.
BOOK BANNING
I strongly oppose "Book Banning," which has been carried out by groups such as Moms for Liberty, fringe activist groups, and organized campaigns targeting this. This is simply an attempt to silence the voices and lived experiences of the LGBTQ+ community, communities of color, and historically marginalized communities. I agree with Janie Monier and I support the use of software (provided by the same developer used in FCPS libraries) that would allow parents to choose what materials their students may or may not have access to. As an educator of diverse students, this program would also eliminate the need for sweeping book bans that deny each person's protected right to choose and read books while still allowing parents to censor content for their children.
POLICY 443
I commit to implementing and continuing Policy 443, which aligns with my moral values as an educator. Schools should foster a safe environment for all students, physically, emotionally, and academically. We should protect students' right to express themselves with their preferred names and pronouns. I will push for stronger nondiscrimination and anti-bullying policies that include sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression. We will assess the school climate regularly to identify areas of improvement. Through community liaisons, we will work with families and the community to offer resources and support on sexual orientation and gender identity.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS/REDISTRICTING
As a parent of two FCPS students, it is important to me that they go to schools that are not over capacity, or falling apart. Frederick County is experiencing rapid growth, making it the fastest-growing county in Maryland. It's crucial to plan strategically to address overcrowding in schools, renovate schools in urgent need, and allocate appropriate funding for new construction. I believe it's essential to keep the public informed and give them the opportunity to advocate for their school communities. This advocacy can involve providing feedback on proposed changes, suggesting alternative solutions, or participating in school board meetings. When it comes to redistricting, decisions by the Board of Education should only be made after allowing ample time for input and ideas from the community. Transparency is key in this process. While it may sound simple, these decisions, including capital improvements and redistricting, have a significant impact on people's lives. When it comes down to it, every student deserves to be in a school that is safe, secure, and has the available space to learn.
UNIVERSAL PRE-K
As a board member, I am dedicated to advocating for Universal Pre-K. This proven and transformative program ensures that every three- and four-year-old student is prepared for Kindergarten. It significantly reduces the achievement and economic gap among students, as well as the number of suspensions and skipped classes later in life. It also eases the financial burden on families and provides appropriate educational opportunities. I am unwavering in my commitment to bringing a Universal Pre-K program to Frederick County, believing that it will uplift our community, improve academics, and boost our economy.
STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL BEING
We need to prioritize mental health in schools by fully staffing counselors, psychologists, and wellness advocates. It's essential to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students and ensure that counseling services are well-funded and available with reduced wait times. Additionally, creating a welcoming and inclusive environment that values diversity and providing access to extracurricular activities without financial barriers are important steps. Collaborating with community organizations can also offer students access to resources such as counseling, mentorship, and after-school programs.
SCHOOL MEALS
I support providing Universal Free Meals to students as it is a great initiative. It guarantees that every student has access to adequate nutrition for learning, instruction, and academic success, which far outweighs any perceived negatives. The current criterion of 43,000 for two students is arbitrary and doesn't accurately measure food insecurity. With rising food prices, we must ensure every student has at least two meals daily: breakfast and lunch. Providing free meals would not only reduce childhood hunger, increase nutrient density, and improve the nutritional quality of children during the day, but also contribute to a healthier and more productive community.
Moreover, it would address an equity issue, as access to food disproportionately affects children of color, which the financial recovery after COVID-19 has exacerbated. Not just the students who qualify for federal free and reduced-price lunches show significant gains; even those who are not eligible also show significant gains. Additionally, eating together promotes bonding and contributes to gaining social confidence.
As a Board Member, I am committed to collaborating with county and state elected officials to ensure that we have a budget that allows for Universal Free Breakfast and Lunch. In Maryland, House Bill 696 has been passed in the House but remains in the Senate. I am actively advocating for its passage, which would provide every student with free breakfast and lunch, regardless of their socio-economic status. It's crucial to continue this advocacy for the passage of this bill.
Additionally, I am committed to ensuring that we have a fully staffed team of professional nutritional staff, who are paid professional-level salaries to retain them and attract new ones. Their work is vital, and it's crucial to implement this initiative effectively. With their expertise and dedication, we can ensure the success of Universal Free Meals for students.
SCHOOL SAFETY
As an educator and a parent, I am a natural protector of my students, and as a Board member, that will not change as I have experienced multiple lockdowns. During school lockdowns, I have been huddled in my classroom, trying to keep my students calm and quiet, hoping I did not have to use myself as a shield to protect them. I take this seriously, and I stand with Janie Mornier and Josh Bokee in supporting programs like the Delta program that gives young students targeted one-one-on-one intervention and skills to manage their dysregulation as well as increasing security measures, such as hiring unarmed security professionals, limiting access points, and safe gun storage education which can make all schools safer for children.
As a member of the Board of Education, I strongly advocate for strictly enforcing Bullying and Harassment codes like the Maryland Code Annotated, Education §7-424.1 within the FCPS Board of Education. I believe that the Board should further strengthen its policy to ensure adequate reporting of bullying and harassment, and the consequences should match the severity of the offense. It's important to note that this code also protects those reporting bullying, harassment, or intimidation.
Chad King Wilson Sr. AP African American Classroom, 2024-2025
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
I support expanding CTC programs from one location to expanding CTE programs within schools. Let's expand access to these programs, welcoming all students to join regardless of their background or GPA. The Blueprint for Maryland outlines expectations, one being that the Board of Education, a key player in our education system, will review CTE pathways to make them more viable, and more high school students can earn industry credentials or complete apprenticeships. This program is essential because not all paths to economic stability lie in going to college, but instead in careers and technical education. I also want to ensure that we have equitable access; it is concerning that there is a lack of representation among students of color in CTE programs. We also need to ensure that there is equitable access to CTE curriculum and programming. Currently, there is an application process, so we need to eliminate any biases that may be present in that process.
We also need to look at the expansion of AP and Dual enrollment opportunities and ensure equitable access. CTE and AP/Dual enrollment are two mechanisms for all students, including students in underrepresented groups, to gain college credits or essential career training that could significantly improve their financial and educational future. Expansion of the AP curriculum by adding rich and diverse subjects and culturally relevant educational opportunities would be beneficial to our students in Frederick County.