Campaign email: chen4boe@gmail.com
Website: chen4boe.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DrChen4BOE
Age: 46
Employment: I work for Baltimore Aircoil Company as a Principal Engineer
Education: Ph.D. in Applied Mechanics, University of Virginia
Why are you running for the school board?
I am running for the Board of Education because I want to solve the pressing problems in our school system. I have observed many issues in HCPSS as my eldest child grew from a kindergartener to a 10th grader. COVID made some issues even worse. Some of the most pressing issues include the drop in academic performance, the staff shortage, overcrowded schools, the mental health crisis, school safety, dropped school enrollment, lagged school infrastructure, lack of long-term planning and school start times.
What makes you a good candidate for the board?
I am a parent of three children attending each level of HCPSS. I am the first college graduate in my family and earned a Ph.D. from University of Virginia. My personal journey told me that education can change people’s lives. I am a very involved parent in HCPSS elementary, middle, and high schools, BOE operation budget review committee, school advisory committees, scouting, and sports teams. I take on many roles and positions to support our community. I value the strength of diversity in our county. My unique background, leadership, community service experience, and strong community support make my campaign viable.
Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.
Abraham Lincoln. He played in a key role of ending slavery in America.
What is the most important issue facing your school board, and what would you do about it if elected?
The most important issue is to address the staff shortage. To address the staff shortage, I will request a review of the ground situation to discover the precise reasons teachers retire early or leave the school system. We must provide more support for classroom teachers by adding paraeducators (classroom assistants) and minimizing classroom disruptions. We must improve HR services, streamline the application process, and adjust the hiring timing to attract new graduates. We must pay staff a decent salary and recognize a job well done through bonuses to retain our staff.
How concerned are you about school safety, and what if anything should be done to improve it?
Yes, I am concerned about school safety. We have seen a couple severe incidents in last couple months in HCPSS. We need to keep SROs at schools so teachers can focus on teaching and students focus on learning. School resource officers are important to maintaining a safe environment for students to learn. It makes sense to have SROs now more than ever if we consider staff shortages and increased school fighting and acting out issues.
Do you have any concerns about the way history is taught in your district’s schools, and if so, what are they?
We need to ask for and seriously evaluate community input and think about the diversity of our community when we consider any instruction materials and curriculum covering controversial issues. In a fast changing world, we need to constantly update our curriculum to ensure it does not include outdated or biased contents. As a school system we should present the facts, the truth, the methods, the reality. As a school board member, I promise I will listen to all sides, parents, teachers, students and concerned citizens of our county and make decisions that will be in the best interests of educating our students.
Do you think there are circumstances when books should be removed from school libraries, and if so, what kind of books should be removed?
Just like other key issues, I believe the Board of Education should supervise the way in which these decisions are made. Policy 8040-Selection of Instructional Materials establishes procedures for the evaluation, selection, and review of instructional materials for use in Howard County Public Schools. The Board of Education is in charge of setting up the vision, modifying and updating the policy. The Superintendent/Designee (including Curriculum Area Selection Committees) then oversees the selection of instructional materials that align with the vision and goals of the HCPSS Board of Education.
