Campaign email: rae4boe@gmail.com
Website: www.rae4boe.com
Facebook: facebook.com/raeforboe
Age: 41
Education: Center for Supportive Schools, Senior Program Director (MD/DC/DE region)
Education: Master in Public Administration, University of Baltimore
Why are you running for the school board?
I am personally invested in the success of Frederick County Public Schools. I am committed to enhancing our public education system through transparency and communication, full funding, and collaboration with key community stakeholders. I am not a single-issue candidate, and well-aware that being a board member requires consistent pulse-checks on the direction and progress of our entire school system; a collaborative and thoughtful approach; and a willingness for the tough conversations that move FCPS forward. I am focused on student achievement, increased funding, recruitment/retention of quality educators, and equitable policies for all students.
What makes you a good candidate for the board?
I’ve been a Frederick County resident for about 17 years and I have two children enrolled in the public school system. I have a perspective on the challenges and opportunities within our system. Most of my career has focused on providing support, educational advocacy, and youth development for students and their families. I have the privilege of working alongside educators and staff on social-emotional learning initiatives to build leadership capacity and peer-to-peer mentoring for middle and high school students. I previously served on the Board of Education during the COVID-19 pandemic, giving me a perspective and level of experience that is unique.
Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.
I strongly admire the leadership of Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner as a local leader who cares deeply about our community, our schools, and our county’s future. Jan Gardner has consistently worked with colleagues across the county to build relationships, form coalitions, and listen to a variety of stakeholder perspectives.
What is the most important issue facing your school board, and what would you do about it if elected?
One of my most pressing concerns is the recruitment and retention of highly qualified teachers and staff. The FCPS pay scale is not competitive to surrounding jurisdictions, but compensation is just one aspect of attracting and retaining high quality educators. The expectation that school-system employees will simply continue to do whatever it takes to get the job done is increasingly untenable. I will take long-term action in the budget planning process to ensure that all FCPS’s employees access a comprehensive and competitive salary and benefit structure. I will work closely with other board members, teachers and staff to address workload, though solutions will not be easy.
How concerned are you about school safety, and what if anything should be done to improve it?
Safety of school buildings is extremely important. The most effective strategies to reduce school shootings include incorporating programming that address student mental health, training teachers and educators on recognizing signs that a student may be considering harming oneself or others, ensuring that school buildings are secure, and partnering with policymakers at the state level on common sense gun laws. I will advocate for increased mental health services and connections to community programs that address the mental health needs of all students.
Do you have any concerns about the way history is taught in your district’s schools, and if so, what are they?
I do not have concerns with the way history is being taught within FCPS and I fully support a multicultural curriculum that embraces and celebrates diverse experiences, perspectives, and promotes inclusive values. All of our students will benefit from experiencing text books, materials, historical examples, and curriculum that intentionally includes people of color, LGBTQ+ people, feminists, indigenous people, and others from diverse backgrounds. As a BOE member, I will ask questions of curriculum specialists and examine existing materials while pushing for fair, accurate, and equal representation of various experiences (people of color, LGBTQ+, and other underrepresented groups).
Do you think there are circumstances when books should be removed from school libraries, and if so, what kind of books should be removed?
I am not in favor of banning books within FCPS – the primary purpose of our public education system is to expose students to a variety of resources, perspectives, and experiences to help them develop critical thinking skills and teach them how to think for themselves. I do believe that it is important to have a clear process in place for reviewing curricular materials (which FCPS has) that allows parents and community members to review new books and materials – and provide comments on these materials. Ultimately, the BOE needs to listen to input from parents, community members, and students – but also trust the expertise of the professional educators.
