April Christina Curley
Campaign email: electapril@gmail.com
Website: www.electapril.com
Age: 35
Employment: Engagement and partnerships manager, Last Mile Education Fund*
Education: Master of Arts in Teaching, Johns Hopkins University
Why are you running for the school board?
As a former teacher, I fundamentally believe that Baltimore City has the most brilliant, innovative and curious kids I’ve ever met. I also believe that Baltimore’s teachers are the most hard working, passionate and committed people on earth. I am running for Baltimore City School Board because I fully intend to influence and create policies that ensure our kids and teachers are prioritized fiscally and socially, allowing all of Baltimore to flourish as a result of producing talented, creative young people who will undoubtedly change the face of this planet for the better.
What makes you a good candidate for the board?
For 17 years I’ve built my career centering marginalized groups, working to drastically change the trajectory of the lives of students through education and technology. Recently, I spent six years at Google working to expand access to opportunities in tech for Black and brown students, including low-income students, students with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ students. Formerly, I was a diversity recruiter for Teach for America after first serving as a high school social studies teacher in West Baltimore. I am a proud Baltimorean who vows to live and work in this amazing city to make the quality of life better for all children and families.
Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.
The honorable and late Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Baltimore) is a public leader that I admire and someone who I have channeled when thinking about the impact I hope to have on the children and families of Baltimore City, and the world at-large. When I was in high school, I had the amazing opportunity to participate in a student brain trust hosted by Delegate Cummings where he welcomed the voices of youth in his community engagement strategy. His leadership has influenced the way I operate as a young leader, and if elected to the school board I will absolutely model my community engagement efforts after his – one where youth are at the center and where their voices are prioritized in every decision made.
What is the most important issue facing your school board, and what would you do about it if elected?
The most important issue facing the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners is teacher recruitment and retention. Bringing in qualified educators and working to keep them in the classroom will require a drastic and radical commitment from the school board to significantly increase base salary for teachers with opportunities for achievable performance bonuses, offering a manageable workload with supportive administrators. When we center the experience of teachers, we know that our children will reap the benefits in very tangible, measured ways. I also want to ensure that every school staff person has access to free and quality mental health services as long as they are employed by BCPSS.
How concerned are you about school safety, and what if anything should be done to improve it?
School safety is a top priority for me and in order to best support teachers and students, an increase in mental health services is absolutely imperative. I would work to ensure that budget allocations prioritize the mental and behavioral health of all students, teachers, and families. I would also push for a stronger health and wellness curriculum with the hope of teaching students how to be better advocates for themselves. Finally, I would work to remove police officers from schools and instead use that budget to increase the presence of social workers and other mental health professionals.
Do you have any concerns about the way history is taught in your district’s schools, and if so, what are they?
As an undergraduate history major and former high school social studies teacher, I believe that the way history is taught in city schools is appropriate, but has room for improvement. I would like to have more resources that center the students that we serve, including using resources specifically reflecting the lived experiences of marginalized groups throughout history. Critical race theory is very much part of that narrative.
Do you think there are circumstances when books should be removed from school libraries, and if so, what kind of books should be removed?
Absolutely not. No question about it. Reading is a human right.
