August 2022. (Robb Hill for The Washington Post)Skip to main content
- Meet the candidates
- Is the Blueprint working?
- How to improve student performance?
- Ideas for making school safer
By Nicole AsburyOctober 28, 2024 at 6:00 a.m. EDT
Montgomery County voters willdecide on Nov. 5 who will helpgovern Maryland’s largest school district as it continues to recover from pandemic-related learning losses and stabilize after a year of internal turmoil.
Typically, schoolboard races don’t catch much attention because they are farther down the ballot. But the Montgomery system has beenheavily scrutinized over the past year after a Washington Post investigation found officials promoted a middle school principal while he was under investigation internally for allegations of sexual misconduct, bullying and retaliation. The school board is also being sued by a group of parents who say their religious freedom rights were violated when school officials stopped allowing parents to opt their children outof reading storybookswith LGBTQ+ characters.
Six candidates are competing for three seats: one representing District 2, which covers parts of Gaithersburg and Rockville; one representing District 4, which includes Takoma Park and Silver Spring; and a countywide, at-large seat.
The Washington Post asked candidates about top issues, including academic performance; school safety; the “Blueprint for Maryland’s Future,” a multibillion-dollar investment to expand pre-K, and other efforts. Candidates’ responses were edited for brevity and clarity.
Meet the candidates
At-large:
Lynne Harris, 62, of Rockville, an at-large school board member since 2020, is a former countywide PTA president and county teacher. She listed “creating inclusive, affirming schools” and improving special education services aspriorities and also aims to make the district “a destination employer.”🌸
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Rita Montoya, 42, of Silver Spring,is an attorney and former juvenile public defender. She has two children enrolled in the school system andis a former PTA president. She said that to help children meet their goals, the district must have fully staffed schools with “proven curricula and extracurricular programs,” ensure students and staff members feel safe, and rebuild trust in the district and the school board.
District 2:
Brenda Diaz, 47, of Gaithersburg,has over 20 years of experience as an educator and is a parent of three children. She wants to “revitalize MCPS” by prioritizing safety, teacher morale, academic rigor and parental involvement.
Natalie Zimmerman, 28,of Rockville, is a third-grade teacher in the district. She said she is running for the school board because she has “seen the system fail students and educators alike” and wants to take action.
District 4:
Shebra Evans, 52, of Silver Spring, has represented District 4 since 2016 and twice served as board chair. Evans said she kept the system focused on providing an excellent education, despite changes in superintendent leadership. She also said that during her tenure, the system enhanced career and technical education, and more students have graduated with their associate’s degree and high school diploma.
Laura Stewart, 53, of Silver Spring,is a full-time volunteer and parent of two recentgraduates. Stewart said she decided to run after a report from the county inspector general found thatthe school district was warned multiple times since 2019 about problems with how itinvestigated employee reports of misconduct. She wants to bring “more accountability, collaboration and transparency to MCPS.”
Is the Blueprint working?
The Post asked: How well do you think the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is working? Are there any changes you would make to its requirements or funding?
Harris, at-large: The Blueprint is well-researched and well-intended, but as currently outlined, more common sense needs to infuse implementation. Community schools are working well, and the gradual expansion is smart. Pillar 2 [which sets mandatory teacher salaries] needs to be expanded to cover the non-teacher workforce, particularly paraeducators. All of this requires funding, and we need to see the state create dedicated, stable funding streams commensurate with the critical importance of public education. … Achieving the public/private balance of pre-K programs is problematic everywhere. Maryland bureaucracy around pre-K educator and pre-K facility certification and licensure must be streamlined to eliminate barriers. The Accountability and Implementation Board oversight work is essential, but we need to fix those areas of work requiring school systems to report progress before the metrics to measure that progress are in place.
Montoya, at-large: Its implementation thus far demonstrates that it may need some alterations. The timeline seems ambitious for the realities: insufficient funding and significant levels of need by students — academic and personal (food insecurity, housing instability, mental health challenges). I fully support expansion of pre-K as a solid return on investment but am concerned that space, including construction, and staffing are insufficiently funded. More funding is needed to support the valuable and necessary Maryland Blueprint.
Diaz, District 2: We must ensure a strong return on investment in education. However, recentdata reveals concerning results: Only 54 percent of MCPS students in grades three to eight are proficient in reading, 34 percent in math, and just 22 percent in Algebra I. Parents and teachers are frustrated with policies such as no homework, grade inflation and chronic absenteeism, which lead to these alarming outcomes. With a $3.3 billion budget, these results are unacceptable. Every dollar must be dedicated to improving student outcomes, especially forfree-and-reduced-meal and Title I students. … Contracts such as the electric bus debacle show that the current Board of Education rubber-stamps faulty MCPS initiatives and are easily distracted from meeting the primary mission of the public education system — providing high-quality education to our children.
Zimmerman, District 2: I support the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. I do have concerns about its continued funding. Many of the initiatives that we want to implement here in Montgomery County rely on funding from the Blueprint at the state level. The main changes I would make have to do with proving that someone is an expert educator. We need to create additional pathways beyond just being a National Board Certified Teacher, as this process takes multiple years and has a fee.
Evans, District 4:In my opinion, the Blueprint for Maryland is well-designed to give every student a legitimate chance at success. The Blueprint’s focus on early-childhood education builds on clear research that investment in the early years is critical to set all students up for success, but especially students growing up economically disadvantaged. Pre-K expansion will help level the playing field, eliminate learning gaps and allow many families to work. While there will be challenges to dedicate the resources needed, the return on investment has the potential to be life-changing. Moreover, at a time of critical teacher shortage, increasing the pay for teachers will make the profession more attractive and help recruit and retain top talent, as will the career ladder opportunities.
Stewart, District 4: We are still learning how to implement the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, so I would give it an “incomplete” grade. There hasn’t been a full budget analysis on the true cost of fully implementing Blueprint goals, so I support that effort, which is an ongoing ask by the Maryland Education Coalition. To recruit and keep a highly trained and diverse workforce, I would like to expand our “grow your own” initiative in our high schools. We also need to better support teachers so that they stay in the profession. There needs to be work done on college and career readiness. … In my opinion, implementing community schools has great potential.
How to improve student performance?
The Post asked: Since 2021, performance on state tests has fallen below pre-pandemic levels, though students are recovering in English Language Arts. What interventions would you support to improve performance?
Harris, at-large: We need to improve the instructional support for our special-education and English language development teachers, and provide more targeted professional development around scaffolding to address a wide range of learning styles and needs. At the secondary level, systemwide professional development around English language development — designed to better support our emergent multilingual learners — is proving to improve literacy among all students and is strengthening essential language development across all content areas. For math, the deployment of content coaches is showing great results, but we currently lack the resources to comprehensively expand that approach to all schools.
Montoya, at-large: Interventions like D.C. Public Schools’ high-impact tutoring demonstrate student progress and growth. Several MCPS elementary schools piloted a program referred to as WIN, or “What I Need.” WIN provides focused small-group instruction several times per week during the school day. Placement is based on students’ needs to include enrichment for those at grade level or above. My child’s former elementary school piloted WIN last year and saw measurable growth in students’ test scores. My child loved the program, made new friends and even made meaningful connections with other educators who taught his WIN class. I would support and expand this program.
Diaz, District 2: Our top priority must be providing grade-appropriate assignments, strong instruction and high expectations for all students, regardless of race, income or performance. We must bring back midterms and finals to encourage cumulative learning. Students need regular, rigorous academic challenges like reading whole books. Second, families must be authentic partners in education. Parents are frustrated by rushed conferences and restricted back-to-school nights. We need more time for meaningful parent-teacher interactions, regular progress updates and homework for extra practice. Finally, we must require regular materials-based professional development in reading, writing and math instruction, along with advanced degrees evidencing mastery of their content, to make sure teachers are implementing high-quality instruction with fidelity. Regular teacher observations and feedback will improve instruction in every class.
Zimmerman, District 2: One of the things that I come with to the board is a master’s degree in elementary education with additional certifications in special education, English language development and English language arts. I can speak to curricula selection from a classroom perspective and with multiple degrees on instructing students. Only this year are we using a data-driven practice called the science of reading or structured literacy to educate our studentsfrom kindergarten to fifth grade. Many schools are also implementing an intervention block every day. The problem is that classroom teachers are only afforded 25 minutes per day to both fill gaps for students who need them and enrich students who are ready for more in both reading and math. We need more time in the day for this focused instruction and more time built into curriculums for pauses to address instructional needs. Beyond that, we need to be considering how the system can increase these focused instruction times into middle and high schools so our students who were not afforded instructional intervention opportunities in elementary school can get gaps in knowledge and skills addressed.
Evans, District 4: Focusing in on literacy and math data and closely measuring the effectiveness of academic interventions has been a hallmark of my years on the board. As president of the board, I worked closely with then-superintendent Jack Smith to increase the data analysis brought to and shared with the board to measure student growth and achievement. As a direct result of this heightened focus on data, my colleagues and I on the board supported the addition of reading and math coaches and invested in the transition to science of reading before the rest of the state required this shift. Reading and math coaches are providing important support to teachers working with struggling learners and reinforcing skills to achieve grade-level rigor. We also need to better engage parents whose students are not on track academically to enlist their support at home but also to ensure that they can hold our schools accountable.
Stewart, District 4: We need to be focused on expanding pre-K, in-school supports including in-class paraeducator support for teachers, a proven math curriculum with support in multiple languages, quality science-of-reading teacher training, and the same for elementary math. We must eliminate the tutoring gap by partnering with nonprofits so that more children can access high quality tutoring and mentoring. As we track disaggregated student progress, if there are outlier schools with lower scores, central office should send resources to that school to determine if more training is needed or a reorganization of staff. Parents should have access to an early-warning system as described by the “Black and Brown Coalition.”
Ideas for making school safer
The Post asked: What steps should be taken to improve school safety?
Harris, at-large: We need to problem solve alongside our students who — through 2023-24 studentboard member Sami Saeed — made a series of school safety recommendations embedded in boardresolutions. Among their common-sense solutions that are being implementedare school ID requirements, enhanced security camera placement and door alarms, and vape detection pilots. It’s also important to center conversations around school safety on prevention — creating the conditions where students feel welcome and valued. Our mental wellness teams are essential. Over the past several months, school security evaluations were completed for every school, and the issues identified are being prioritized to ensure security infrastructure — including emergency communications — are robust.
Montoya, at-large: Long-term, to address physical violence, hate and mental health challenges, we should aim to foster an environment of belonging and connection. Sufficiently staffing psychologists, social workers and school counselors may foster connection. Ensuring students receive care outside of school may help. Accessible, culturally competent education may support families’ efforts to improve their child’s well-being. In the short term, the hate, guns, drugs, trespassers and other weapons must stay out of our schools. Annual, expert-led staff training and explicit, age-appropriate education for students can help them understand what constitutes hate, its impact and how to recognize their own biases. While education about weapon and drug safety are essential, to prevent harm to students and staff, students need access to adults with age and culturally appropriate security training so that when they know of trespassers/weapons, they can report and it can be addressed immediately. The community would benefit from in-school opportunities for positive engagement between students and police officers to build connection so that when serious situations occur, they can work together.
Diaz, District 2: A combination of capital improvements and nonstructural approaches is needed to enhance school safety. We should continue by upgrading security cameras in entryways, hallways and outdoor areas, and ensuring secure vestibules where visitors can be screened. Reinforcing doors and windows, installing shatter-resistant glass, and implementing lockdown mechanisms are also essential. All MCPS personnel must maintain relationships with law enforcement and community organizations to improve communication and response strategies. Peer mentoring programs can foster a positive climate among students. An anonymous reporting system must be in place at every school. Revising the Student Code of Conduct to protect students from bullying, hate bias, and assaults is key. We must also have trained security personnel in all schools with authority to manage disruptive students.
Zimmerman, District 2: Step one is to ensure emotional safety. MCPS does not meet nationally recommended ratios for school counselors, school psychologists, nor social workers. We need to create safe environments for our students so they can come to adults and divulge information to prevent safety concerns. There was an incident that was prevented this spring at a high school because students felt safe enough to report what they saw in a classmate. I do believe that the restorative approach in MCPS has a poor reputation because it is not implemented with fidelity. Some schools have a full-time restorative coach while others only have part time and some do not have a designated position at all. As a teacher, I have never been offered professional development on a restorative approach. I would like to see us implement a restorative approach with integrity along with ensuring logical consequences for students.
Evans, District 4: We should never shy away from wanting to do our best and being the best at getting better. That means admitting there is still work that needs to be done to increase confidence that the district is committed to safety and security. Steps are underway to allow for quicker access to information about what’s happening in each school. Ongoing audits are being done across the district to increase transparency and accountability. The student ID program has been implemented in schools and we are watching closely to assess best practices. Cameras continue to be strategically placed throughout buildings and more doors are alarmed to monitor who is entering our buildings. This work is most effective when done in partnership with the community especially when related to issues that cross the school boundary like bullying and drugs. The work is ongoing and should be done in partnership with students and families for a better sense of belonging.
Stewart, District 4: MCPS needs more security and preventive measures to keep kids and staff safe. I propose school safety and climate teams composed of the entire school community to develop safety plans to be submitted to the superintendent. These plans should assess the need for more security officers, cameras, vape detectors, bathroom safety measures, the level of coordination with community engagement officers (CEOs) and the need for more CEOs if there are certain hot spots. On the preventive side, an assessment should be performed on the need for mediation services, mental health services, addiction therapy, family support, and after-school activities. Healthy school climate can also be a factor in keeping kids safe from bullying. There should be more training and programs on antisemitism, Islamophobia, LGBTQ+ bigotry, and racism.