Primary Election 2024: Meet the At-Large candidates running for the Board of Education (2024)

Editor’s note: Fourteen candidates are running for three open seats on the Montgomery County Board of Education. Board members serve four-year terms. Three incumbents are among the candidates running: school board Vice President Lynne Harris (At-Large) and board members Rebecca Smondrowski (Dist. 2) and Shebra Evans (Dist. 4). MoCo360 is running profiles of the candidates based on questionnaire answers submitted for ourvoters guide.

Ruth Lynne Harris

City/town of residence:Silver Spring

Date of birth:July 27, 1962

Current occupation and employer:at-large member, Montgomery County Board of Education

Political experience:I worked many campaigns, served as a legislative director in Annapolis, vice president of advocacy for MCCPTA – one of the largest advocacy organizations in Maryland; 2020 successful candidate for the at-large seat on the Board of Education.

Website:Lynne4Students.org

Email:Lynne4students@gmail.com

Social media links (Facebook, Instagram, X, etc.):None provided

Why are you running for this office?

I want to push our continuous improvement work, intentionally bringing the customers (students and staff) to the table for all problem-solving, policy-making, priority-setting conversations. We must ensure the work continues to make every building and classroom a truly inclusive and affirming place, where everyone feels safe, welcome and valued. We must continue making MCPS a Net Zero school system. We must ground every MCPS conversation in pragmatic common sense. We must ensure our system continuously works to revise and update all curricula–with students participating in the work–so our content is climate current, engaging, rigorous, fun and reflects the truth and experience of our very diverse community.

What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office?

Fifteen years as an education advocate–starting in 2008 when my son started kindergarten. That included 10 years in MCCPTA with seven years on MCCPTA’s executive committee, including three years as vice president of advocacy and three years as president, doing a deep dive on a huge array of issues with students, families, staff and community in schools and clusters all across the county. My 4.5 years of experience teaching medical science at Edison. My experience as a nurse, lawyer, and public health practitioner give me a wide lens through which I analyze every issue–all of which I’ve brought to my service on the board since 2020.

What is the most important issue in this race? How do you plan to address it?

Those serving on the board must bring a broad perspective and believe MCPS should be grounded in a philosophy of “windows and mirrors”–where every student sees themselves and their culture reflected in the content and educational experience, and also gains a thoughtful understanding of the experiences of others. In that way we provide an education that creates critical thinkers and problem solvers who are ready for 21 st -century global opportunities, truly believing that everyone has value. I will do that by continuously listening to the lived experience of our students, and ensuring our antiracist work moves forward in a fully inclusive way to create not just an antiracist school system, but an antibias school system.

Transparency and accountability have been particularly challenging for the school system as shown by the recent sexual harassment scandal involving a former principal. How do you plan to help the school board rebuild trust with the school community?

The most important step in rebuilding trust is becoming truly trustworthy. We must hold MCPS accountable to the work of professionalizing our Department of Human Resources and Development, including Compliance and Investigations. A culture shift will be required. We have solid external and internal recommendations to create a department reflective of industry standards and best practices. Every person in MCPS must feel safe in reporting incidents and making complaints and have the tools to do that. Our processes must investigate every complaint fairly, ensuring due process. The board must regularly review the progress of that work, ensuring it moves swiftly.

Do you have a child in the school system? What school do/did they attend and whatgrade?

My son attended MCPS for his entire K-12 journey: Highland View Elementary School, Silver Spring International Middle School, graduating from Albert Einstein High School in 2021.

Are you an MCPS alumnus? Which school(s) did you attend? What year?

No. I attended public schools in Kansas: grades K-1 at Santa Fe Trail Elementary School in Overland Park. We then moved to Abilene where I attended Garfield Elementary School (grades 2-6), Abilene Junior High and Abilene High School, graduating in 1980.

City/town of residence:Laytonsville

Date of birth:June 7, 1973

Occupation:pilot

Political experience:Can all be found on Maryland case search

Website:votesharif.com

Email:sharif4boe@gmail.com

Social media links (Facebook, Instagram, X, etc.):Facebook

Why are you running for this office?

I am a retired Montgomery County police officer with two kids that are enrolled in MCPS. Our schools are not safe environments for learning anymore. We have students bringing guns to schools, selling drugs and not paying attention to their teachers because they are on their cell phones. Students can’t reach their highest academic potential if they are not learning in a safe environment. Our students, teachers and staff deserve a safer environment to learn and work in respectively.

What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office?

I am the only candidate that brings a law enforcement background to the Board of Education. My work experience as a Community Services Officer has prepared me to work with a diverse group of stakeholders to address systemic issues plaguing MCPS. My institutional knowledge and professional relationships with MCPS teachers, staff and former SROs spanning a career of over 20 years will contribute to achieving sustainable solutions at MCPS.

What is the most important issue in this race? How do you plan to address it?

See answer No. 1. I will advocate for reinstatement of the School Resource Officer program. The program was a tremendous success. Unfortunately, the county executive and County Council are playing politics with the safety of our students, teachers and support staff by not having the SRO program reinstated. Attached are two links that highlight what the program is all about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-Bi8r2q4qw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNmG9NjDYtk

Transparency and accountability have been particularly challenging for the school system as shown by the recent sexual harassment scandal involving a former MCPS principal. How do you plan to help the school board rebuild trust with the school community?

Anyone who works for MCPS or has been a victim of MCPS knows that MCPS is more concerned about PR damage control instead of solving a problem. Trust can only be earned if those in political power make the choice to be candid with the public about what is really going on within MCPS. If the voters think that the Beidleman case was an isolated incident, they are kidding themselves. I will be laser focused on accountability from MCPS’s Department of Compliance and Investigations. Voters can expect monthly reports from my office detailing accountability efforts.

Do you have a child in the school system? What school do/did they attend and what grade?

I am a proud Laytonsville Elementary School Bulldog parent. My kids, Hudson and Luna, are in the first and fourth grades respectively. Go Bulldogs.

Are you an MCPS alumnus? Which school(s) did you attend? What year?

I attended Brookhaven Elementary School and Earle B. Wood Middle School. I attended junior high school abroad due to my father’s career. I am a Georgetown Prep High School graduate.

City/town of residence:Bethesda

Date of birth:Not provided

Current occupation and employer:Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Political experience:N/A

Website:N/A

Email:melissa@melissa-for-montgomery.org

Why are you running for this office?

We moved here many years before having children because we heard that MCPS was “The Best.” Although there have been many wonderful teachers over the years, the quality of curriculum and the overall experience has been lackluster. MCPS seems to operate on a bureaucratic auto-pilot that isn’t working. We need change. We need a major boost in innovation with student experience at the center. If our children have access to high-quality relevant learning experiences, then after 12 years of school, they should be skillful and confidently step into the world as the best versions of themselves. Currently that just isn’t true. We have an opportunity to get this right and I want to create the conditions for our system’s success.

What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office?

With over 25 years in education, as a teacher, principal and district leader, I bring deep knowledge of educational systems and public service. My recent role as deputy chancellor for D.C. public schools has given me insights into leadership, policy development, leading change and implementing innovative initiatives. As a current parent and experienced educator, I am uniquely positioned to contribute to the Montgomery County Board of Education during this time of change. I am committed to immediate action for our children’s future and look forward to collaborating with stakeholders to create opportunities for our students and educators to thrive.

What is the most important issue in this race? How do you plan to address it?

I am concerned about our children’s wellness. We expect them to cope with complex realities including political polarization, gun violence, and even planetary-level challenges. COVID-19 and social media have intensified feelings of isolation particularly for teens who are old enough to understand but still feel far from impact or influence. To foster a stronger sense of belonging and agency, I support policy and practice innovations focused on improving the student experience. This includes expanding clubs and activities where demand is currently much higher than space available, integrating passion projects into the curriculum, involving students in creating and testing solutions, and educating on neuroplasticity and the power of positive relationships.

Transparency and accountability have been particularly challenging for the school system as shown by the recent sexual harassment scandal involving a former principal. How do you plan to help the school board rebuild trust with the school community?

The recent harassment scandal highlighted the need for accountability and effective oversight. The MCPS board has three core responsibilities–set the priorities and vision, make sure the budget and resourcing are aligned to those priorities, and hire, support and hold accountable the superintendent for executing on those priorities. As a board member, I would establish clear,

measurable goals for systemic improvements, ensure that the superintendent matches resources to those priorities, and hold the superintendent accountable with regular updates to progress. This scandal presents an opportunity to advance and strengthen our systems and practices, we hopefully can learn from this awful experience and become stronger as a result.

Do you have a child in the school system? What school do/did they attend and what grade?

I have two children in MCPS. One is a fourth grader at Wood Acres Elementary School and the other is an eighth grader at Pyle Middle School.

Are you an MCPS alumnus? Which school(s) did you attend? What year?

No.

City/town of residence:Germantown

Date of birth:October 15, 1972

Current occupation and employer:director of operations at a credit union

Political experience:None

Website:jlong4boe.com

Email:jlong4boe@outlook.com

Social media links (Facebook, Instagram, X, etc.):

X: @jlong4boe

Why are you running for this office?

I’m seeking a position on the school board because of our family’s experience navigating the IEP process. This process has revealed inefficiencies that I believe must be addressed, particularly in improving reading instruction within Montgomery County.

Great teachers have a profound impact on the lives of students. We need to do more to retain highly qualified and experienced teachers. I am a proponent of providing staff with professional development opportunities and encouraging a work life balance with benefits such as paid family leave.

What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office?

In school I was a Junior Achievement volunteer for three years. After school I worked at a shelter for abused and neglected children where I collaborated closely with special education teachers. I am currently director of operations at a mission-driven credit union. I am passionate about policy development to enhance operational efficiency.

In addition to my work with financial literacy programs, I’ve been actively involved in community events such as the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10-mile race. As a swim parent and supporter of our neighborhood swim team, I remain dedicated to contributing positively to our community year-round.

What is the most important issue in this race? How do you plan to address it?

The most important issue impacting schools today is excessive bureaucracy that does not serve the interests of students. Students are tested to hold teachers and administrators accountable. But it is students and parents that are impacted. Tests need to be diagnostic tools, not end goals. Every year our son is evaluated for ESL progress because we completed a document that Spanish is his second language. And yet it takes weeks to schedule IEP meetings because we don’t have enough school psychologists. And we had to pay for private testing for our son to be diagnosed as dyslexic.

Transparency and accountability have been particularly challenging for the school system as shown by the recent sexual harassment scandal involving a former principal. How do you plan to help the school board rebuild trust with the school community?

If elected to the board, I will engage in informal and open dialogue with stakeholders at specific locations throughout the county on a bi-monthly basis to understand stakeholder concerns and share information about the work the board is doing.

I like to dig into reports and spreadsheets to understand the details of policy and history. But I only understand an issue well after I speak with someone who is impacted by a policy. And I enjoy sharing the thought process that has gone into evaluating an issue and the cost/benefit analysis that is being done to reach a good decision.

Do you have a child in the school system? What school do/did they attend and what grade?

We have a 14-year-old son, who is in eighth grade. He attended Waters Landing Elementary School from first through fifth grade and Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in sixth grade. We spent half a decade working with MCPS on IEP documents before determining that our son requires specialized instruction that is not available at MCPS. In seventh grade, we enrolled our son at Lab School of Washington.

MCPS needs more special education teachers and school psychologists. And those teachers need to have time to teach rather than spending excessive amounts of time doing paperwork.

Are you an MCPS alumnus? Which school(s) did you attend? What year?

No. I was a military child and attended school in Louisiana and Texas. My son was born in Washington, D.C., and we moved to Germantown when he was 4 years old. It has been a great place to raise a kid. We have access to walking trails near our home and get to see beaver, deer, and for a couple of years we had a swan. We have a great summer swim team with civic minded neighbors. I want to make sure our schools are another reason that families, teachers, and businesses move to Montgomery County.

City/town of residence:Brookeville

Date of birth:August 18, 1995

Current occupation and employer:paralegal, International Law Office of Bokwe Mofor

Political experience:deputy field director, campaign manager, community liaison

Website:https://friends-and-family-of-fitzgerald-mofor.jimdosite.com/

Email:Fitzgeraldmofor4mcpsboe@aol.com

Social media links (Facebook, Instagram, X, etc.):

Twitter/X: Fitzgeraldmofor
Instagram: fitzmofor4mcpsboe
Facebook: Fitzmofor4mcpsboe

Why are you running for this office?

I am running for the Board of Education to reform the status quo in our public pedagogy. In Montgomery Village Middle School, only 5% of students are proficient in math. From 2019 to 2021, Montgomery County Public Schools saw a 31.8% decrease in grade three math proficiency. I am running to nix educational losses post-pandemic. Moreover, I am running to demand fidelity towards CTE expansion in the operating budget and Capital Improvement Plan, proliferate wage parity for para-educators through innovative budget solutions, institute an oversight committee to end the practice of delegating oversight to the County Council, and quell political polarization.

What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office?

Merely reciting my experience and accomplishments will not suffice to demonstrate my readiness for this position. My unparalleled fervor for consensus building, instituting innovative ideas, and civic engagement has prepared me most to hold this office. Nevertheless, I worked as an educator at a public high school in Mobile, Alabama. Subsequently, I taught at a Montessori school in Columbia, Maryland. Furthermore, I served as a campaign manager and community liaison and earned my master’s in law from a prestigious law institution to attain a thorough understanding of political science and American jurisprudence.

What is the most important issue in this race? How do you plan to address it?

The most pressing issue in this race is nixing educational losses post-pandemic and closing the educational discrepancies in achievement among historically marginalized communities. Truancy and putrid MSDE standardized testing scores must be confronted. Closing the achievement gap will give children from historically marginalized communities the ability to be competitive in the labor market. This can be achieved through pre-k expansion, expanding the innovative school calendar/extended learning, CTE expansion, and contracting with literacy non-governmental organizations like the Lavinia Group.

Transparency and accountability have been particularly challenging for the school system as shown by the recent sexual harassment scandal involving a former principal. How do you plan to help the school board rebuild trust with the school community?

To rebuild stakeholder confidence in the school board, I will vociferously advocate for an oversight committee on the board. The Board of Education has delegated its oversight authority to the County Council, which is a dereliction of duty. This oversight committee will give the Board of Education subpoena power to demand sworn testimony and oversee the Department of Compliance and Investigation to determine whether the office is adequately handling complaints. This committee will require the Office of Inspector General to handle all investigations, end the old practice of archiving emails after a year, and track anonymous complaints.

Do you have a child in the school system? What school do/did they attend and what grade?

Although I do not have any biological children, I consider each student in Montgomery County Public Schools as my child.

Are you an MCPS alumnus? Which school(s) did you attend? What year?

Yes. I attended Burnt Mills Elementary School from 2000–2004 before moving to Brookeville. Subsequently, I attended Greenwood Elementary School from 2004–2006. Then I attended Rosa Parks Middle School from 2006–2009. Finally, I attended Sherwood High School from 2009 to 2013. During my time at Sherwood High School, I was a three-year letterman on the varsity football team.

City/town of residence:Silver Spring

Date of birth:Dec. 18

Current occupation and employer:attorney, advocate and consultant; self-employed

Political experience:This is my first running for office

Website:https://www.montoya4mcps.com

Email:montoya4mcps@gmail.com

Social media links (Facebook, Instagram, X, etc.):Instagram and X—montoya4mcps

Why are you running for this office?

As a mom of two young kids, I am running for the At-Large Board of Education seat because elementary school families, families of color and families with learning differences deserve a voice. As a mother of color, PTA president, nonprofit leader, trained attorney, former juvenile public defender, public servant and policy advocate, I bring a variety of perspectives to the Board of Education. My own educational journey—from Head Start preschool to law school via community college—is also a testament to what students can achieve when provided with the appropriate support mechanisms.

What experience (work, political or other) has prepared you to hold this office?

The culmination of my experience—as a mother, attorney, policy advocate, public defender, PTA and nonprofit leader, business adviser and community member—prepares me to tackle the various issues facing MCPS and the board. My approach of employing efficient solution- oriented approaches to ensure equitable results and empower others as well as my experience engaging with stakeholders at all levels positions me to facilitate change and growth as needed.

What is the most important issue in this race? How do you plan to address it?

Closing the achievement gap is the most important issue because, ultimately, children go to school to learn but achieving this requires addressing other important issues such as 1) educator/staff pay, hiring and professional development; 2) school safety and behavior protocols; and 3) curriculum and extra-curricular options. I plan to advocate for sufficient funding and proven programs/curriculums; providing space for educator voices; and supporting schools, administrators and educators to meet their students where they are academically and behaviorally—rather than a one-size-fits-all approach—so students can receive focused attention and progress.

Transparency and accountability have been particularly challenging for the schoolsystem as shown by the recent sexual harassment scandal involving a former principal.How do you plan to help the school board rebuild trust with the school community?

I will help the school board rebuild trust with our community—students, families, educators, administrators, legislators and the public—by modeling the behavior the board should undertake. I will provide access to information in a timely fashion—not at the last minute or on Friday evenings after hours; hold virtual “Office Hours” weekly so the community can engage with me directly and ask questions or relay their thoughts; and engage in proper due diligence—looking into things; asking questions; and requesting additional information as needed—because I know it is our actions that build trust, not our words.

Do you have a child in the school system? What school do/did they attend and whatgrade?

Yes, grades two and four. My children attend elementary schools in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase cluster and previously attended a Spanish immersion community school in another MCPS cluster.

Are you an MCPS alumnus? Which school(s) did you attend? What year?

No.

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