Campaign email: jlawlerheavner@gmail.com
Age: 68
Employment: I am currently retired, but volunteer regularly in local food pantries, vaccine efforts, and literacy tutoring.
Education: Master of Science in Public Health from University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.
Why are you running for the school board?
I believe that a strong public education is the foundation of a civil society. Upon retirement and upon moving back to my hometown, I began seeking ways to give back to the community that gave me a strong foundation. The Board of Education is a key backbone of a community. Allegany County Public Schools employ many talented and dedicated professionals and staff. The Maryland Blueprint for Education presents a unique opportunity to raise the bar for educating our future citizens and for bridging gaps in rural and lower income economic settings. I want to be a part of that change.
What makes you a good candidate for the board?
My background in public health, my dedication to raising the bar of civil conversations, my intention to set good examples for our youth, and my experience in working with individuals from varied backgrounds make me a particularly strong candidate for leading our local public schools forward as we continue to emerge from a global pandemic.
Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.
Florence Nightingale was a public figure who I continue to admire. She is the founder of modern nursing and also a statistician. She led a revolution in healthcare by proving that hospitals that were dirty and served poor food were just as dangerous (and sometimes more so!) than the injuries of the wounded soldiers that she cared for during the Crimean war! Data-based decisions can indeed lead to life-saving practices!
What is the most important issue facing your school board, and what would you do about it if elected?
The past two and half years have brought new challenges for coming together as a society to beat back a communicable disease that has threatened our health and safety. Both teachers and students have experienced losses as a result. Forging and improving community partnerships can help students recover from educational deficits that they experienced during this time. Likewise, providing educators, counselors, and safety officers with the resources they need can go a long way toward facing these challenges going forward.
How concerned are you about school safety, and what if anything should be done to improve it?
Safety is a significant concern when school shootings have become so frequent. Children cannot learn when they do not feel safe. Allegany County has added security officers and School Resource Officers while simultaneously increasing the number of school psychologists and counselors, thus creating a safer environment for students to grow and learn about the world and themselves. Being ‘different’ need not lead to bullying and social isolation, which can then lead to low self-esteem, resentment, and harm. Increased presence of authority and mental health professionals will go a long way towards making everyone feel safer at school.
Do you have any concerns about the way history is taught in your district’s schools, and if so, what are they?
As long as history is taught in truth and in context, students can become critical thinkers and understand not only the past, but also the present and how history influences the future. I believe this is the current model in our county. When we know better, we can do better.
It seems that this question is probing for an opinion regarding critical race theory. This is not a topic that is taught at the primary or secondary level, so this is not a legitimate concern.
Do you think there are circumstances when books should be removed from school libraries, and if so, what kind of books should be removed?
Students should be encouraged to read from a broad palette of genres, authors, and perspectives. Banning books leads to limiting freedom of thought and, therefore, education. It is an authoritarian method leading to thought control, and is a dangerous practice. At the same time, students should be encouraged to discuss and question what they read. This is what learning is all about!
